Difference between Black Panther, Jaquar and Leopard?

Why the sudden interest?

You know what? I don't know.

I'm just following my heart's crazy desire to find the answer.

The jaguar is a compact and well-muscled predator.


The term "panther", is a generic term used to describe several large cats. The leopard, cougar, and jaguar are all called panthers by some. There is no species called panther in itself.

The Jaguar is the largest cat in the Western Hemisphere and the third largest cat in the world (after the Lion and the Tiger.) It is also one of the four roaring cats. It differs from a lion's roar and is more of a series of hoarse coughs. It is often confused with the leopard but the Jaguar is a stockier animal. It is usually larger with a broad head and shorter legs and tail. The color is generally a tawny yellow with dark spots on the head and neck and dark rings on the body. Inside these rings there is usually a dark spot. This is the primary difference between the spots on a Jaguar and the spots on a leopard.Both leopards and jaguars that are melanistic (completely black or very dark) are known as black panthers.

Occasionally, jaguar are black, or nearly solid black, in color, an inherited genetic condition known as melanism. These “black panthers” still have their spots and if a person looks closely, the darker rosettes can be seen in contrast from the rest of the fur.

The Jaguar (Panthera onca) has lived a range from the southern states of the United States, down to the tip of South America. However, it now centers on the north and central part of South America. The jaguars found in the dense forests of the Amazon basin are the most likely candidate for melanistic coloration for the same reasons as the leopards living in those habitats.
When jaguars and leopards are both wearing a melanistic coat, it’s hard to tell the difference between the two big cats. A couple of clues would be that the jaguars have a large head with shorter, stocky forelimbs than the leopard, whose legs and head are leaner.

Leopards (Panthera pardus) with melanistic coloration are most often found in South East Asia, deep in the tropical rain forests. Biologists believe that the dark coat of the black leopard in combination with the low sunlight makes it easier for hunting. More hunting means more food for its offspring, therefore, more offspring of this particular cat will survive. The next logical thought is that the melanistic gene survives because more cubs are alive to carry it. Its fur is marked with rosettes similar to those of the jaguar, but the leopard's rosettes are smaller and more densely packed, and do not usually have central spots as the jaguars do.

Other Wild Cats that can Have Black Coats

Although primarily seen in jaguars and leopards, melanism isn’t limited to these species. Other cat species are capable of showing up with this coat characteristic such as ocelots, bobcats, Geoffrey’s cat, jaguarundis, severals, and margays. There has also been melanism found in the occasional tiger, cougar, and lion.

After my quick research, I like the Black Jaquar with its darker rosettes.
Next stop, test drive a Jaquar.

References used:

http://mammals.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_definition_of_a_black_panther 

 http://www.thebigzoo.com/Animals/Jaguar.asp