Panthera pardus fusca

The black panther is a black variant of the leopard (Panthera pardus fusca). In China, people are used to calling it "Golden Leopard", while the African one is generally called "Flower Leopard". Classification: Mammalia, Carnivora, Family Felidae. Diet: Carnivorous, feeding on various large and small mammals. Conservation level: Endangered wild animal. It is a black variant of the leopard. It is a mammal of the genus Panthera, family Felidae, order Carnivora. It is distributed in southern Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, Africa, Malaysia, Thailand and India, and belongs to tropical humid forests. The black panther has short ears, a tail length of 70 to 95 cm, a weight of 50 to 55 kg, a yellow-brown body, and many black hollow patches. The black panther is black all over, with a body length of 1 to 1.7 meters. Under strong light, light spots will appear on the fur of the black panther. The black fur of the black panther is the result of a genetic mutation caused by the influence of various factors such as the environment.

The black panther is distributed in southern Asia, the Arabian Peninsula and Africa, and lives in forests, mountains, grasslands and deserts. The black panther is solitary and active at night. It can climb trees and swim. It can run up to 60 kilometers per hour and jump 6 meters away and 3 meters high. It is known as the "all-around champion". The black panther has extremely sensitive vision, hearing and smell, and can prey on various small and medium-sized animals. The gestation period of the black panther is about 100 days, and each litter has 1 to 3 cubs. It reaches sexual maturity at the age of 3 and generally lives for 20 years.

The ancient Greeks regarded Dionysus and Osiris as the same god. The priests of the two gods all wore black panther skins, and the black panther was responsible for driving Dionysus's four-wheeled chariot. These two gods are often equated with Jesus. Writers in the Middle Ages also often praised the black panther. In fables, animals would be attracted by the sweet smell of the black panther and follow it. Only the dragon ran away alone and hid in the cave, which is very similar to the meaning of the devil running away because of fear of Christ. After the end of the Middle Ages, the black panther, which was so important in pre-Christian beliefs, was often accused of evil. At the beginning of Dante's "Divine Comedy", the protagonist was blocked by three beasts in the dark forest. The black panther was the first animal to threaten him.

Morphological characteristics

The black panther is black all over and has a body length of 1 to 1.7 meters. The leopard has a smaller head than the tiger, shorter ears, and a tail length of about 70 to 95 cm. The weight is about the same as that of an adult, and there are many black hollow spots on the yellow-brown body. Under strong light, the black panther's fur will show faint spots.

Habitat

Wild black panthers live in forests, mountains, grasslands and deserts. Distributed in southern Asia, the Arabian Peninsula and Africa.

Living habits

The black panther is solitary, active at night, and can climb trees and swim. It can run at a speed of 70 kilometers per hour, can jump 6 meters away and 3 meters high, and is known as the "all-around champion". It has extremely sensitive vision, hearing and smell. It preys on various small and medium-sized animals.

Distribution range

Black panthers are distributed in southern Asia, the Arabian Peninsula and Africa.

Reproduction method

Black panthers are sexually mature at the age of 2 to 3 years old, and the estrus period is not fixed. The estrus period is more obvious from October to April of the second year. The estrus cycle is 7 to 10 days, and mating on the second or third day of estrus is generally ideal. During the estrus season, if the female leopard shows a gentle temperament, is active, has a loss of appetite or fasts, rolls on the ground and makes soft calls, it means that it is in estrus and can be mated in the same cage.

Mating in the same cage

During the non-breeding season, black panthers are kept separately in cages. Before being caged together, the female and male leopards need to be placed in two adjacent cages, so that they can look at each other through the net and gradually understand that the male leopard can achieve the purpose of communicating by smelling the secretions of the female leopard. Since black panthers are sensitive and vigilant, they need a period of adaptation. During this period, you must be patient and meticulous, and the time of cage closure should be gradually extended. If the estrus is good, the female leopard usually approaches the male leopard actively, and mating is also smooth. After mating occurs, in order to ensure the pregnancy rate, the cage needs to be closed for about 7 days. Cage closure is carried out in the early morning when it is quiet.

Conception

Entering the next estrus period, if the female leopard does not show estrus, it can be preliminarily determined that she is pregnant. After 50 days, the female leopard's abdominal circumference increases and the breasts are obvious, which can be determined that she is pregnant. The gestation period of black panthers is about 100 days. After conception, you can increase the feeding food. Prepare the delivery room and delivery box for the pregnant female leopard 15 days before delivery, and let it adapt to the environment as soon as possible. Ensure that the delivery box is dark and quiet, especially during the delivery period. The delivery room is surrounded by thick fiberboard to reduce external interference and provide a darker environment for delivery. Black panthers give birth to 1 to 3 cubs per litter. There must be a dedicated person to raise them, monitor them 24 hours a day, and observe and record them. Postpartum female leopards are very sensitive to changes in the environment and react strongly to any disturbance. To prevent female leopards from having stress reactions such as grabbing, abandoning or even eating their cubs, the cage should be kept quiet and free from disturbance. Black panthers reach sexual maturity at the age of 3 and generally live for 20 years.

Artificial breeding

Breeding points

In China, the feed for black panthers varies from place to place. Tianjin belongs to the northern region, and the feed for black panthers is mainly animal food, mainly beef and mutton, supplemented with live chickens or live rabbits. The amount and quantity of feed are determined according to different seasons or growth periods throughout the year. An adult black panther eats 3 to 4 kilograms of meat per day and fasts for one day every Friday.

During the summer breeding process, due to the hot weather, meat is easy to deteriorate and rot. Be sure to check carefully before feeding and provide sufficient clean drinking water.

The cage is disinfected once a week to prepare for mating.

After the female and male leopards adapt to each other, they mate together several times to increase the pregnancy rate.

For black panthers mating for the first time, a veterinarian must be present to prevent accidents.

Whether the cubs can eat colostrum during the lactation period is the key to their healthy growth. The breeders must be extra cautious and strictly follow the regulations to ensure the safety of the mother and cubs.

Establishment of the animal house

The leopard house is a reinforced concrete structure, divided into an inner room and an outer room. The outdoor area is 5 meters × 6 meters, the iron fence is 3 meters high, and the indoor area is 3 meters × 4 meters and 3 meters high. The leopard house and the activity area are both roofed, and the iron fence steel bars are 1.2 cm in diameter and 6.0 cm apart. The railings between the two houses are attached with a layer of 3 cm × 3 cm square hole iron mesh, and a 2-meter-high wooden perch is set for the black panther to sharpen its claws, move around and rest. The leopard house has good ventilation and lighting, and the room temperature is not less than 10 degrees. There is a wooden birthing box inside, which is 1.2 meters × 0.8 meters × 0.85 meters in size. A straight-through passage is set between the inner and outer rooms for the black panther to enter and exit. The side close to the operation road is a steel bar grid for easy observation.

Sub-classification

Variants

The black panther is a black variant of the leopard. The black variant is the same as the normal leopard and jaguar.

Causes of the variant

The black fur of the black panther is the result of a gene mutation caused by the influence of various factors such as the environment. Just as some cats suffer from albinism and become white all over, "melanism" can cause the leopard to be black all over. A single recessive gene controls the fur color of domestic cats and leopards. Therefore, a mutation in the fur color gene may cause female leopards to produce black cubs.

Conservation status

The black panther is an endangered species of wild animal.

Aliases

In China, people are accustomed to calling black panthers "leopards", while those in Africa are generally called "leopards".

The longest-lived black panther

Xinhua News Agency, New Delhi, July 23. A 25-year-old black panther in the central Indian city of Bhopal Zoo died of natural causes on the 22nd. It is the longest-lived cat in the world. According to zoo staff, the male black panther named Maykar originally lived in a wildlife park in Madhya Pradesh, India. Later, Maykal's mother was beaten to death for cannibalism, and Maykal, who became an orphan, was transferred to the Bhopal Zoo. In the last few days of his life, Maykal had been lying in a cushioned cage. Because his teeth had long fallen out, he had to eat meat paste. According to zoo veterinarian Anil Sharma, before Maykal, no large cat in the world had ever survived for 25 years.

Mythology

Ancient Greece

The ancient Greeks regarded Dionysus and Osiris as the same god. The priests of the two gods were all dressed in black panther skins, and the black panther was responsible for driving Dionysus's four-wheeled chariot. These two gods were often equated with Jesus.

Medieval

Writers in the Middle Ages also often praised black panthers. In fables, animals would be attracted by the sweet breath of the black panther and follow it. Only the dragon ran away alone and hid in the cave, which is very similar to the meaning of the devil running away because of fear of Christ.

Christianity

After the end of the Middle Ages, the panther, which was so important in pre-Christian beliefs, was often referred to as evil. At the beginning of Dante's Divine Comedy, the protagonist is blocked by three beasts in a dark forest, and the panther is the first animal that threatens him.

In forests, mountains, grasslands and deserts.

The black variant is no different from normal leopards and jaguars. The leopard has a smaller head than a tiger, shorter ears, and a tail length of about 70-95 cm. It weighs about the same as an adult. It has a yellowish-brown body with many black hollow spots. It is distributed in Asia and Africa. In China, people are used to calling it "golden leopard", while those in Africa are generally called "leopards". Jaguars are slightly larger and more robust. The larger ones weigh more than 100 kilograms. The pattern is larger than that of leopards, in a large circle with small spots in the middle. The tail is shorter and is only distributed in America.