Texas Wild Cats and Black Panthers

Wikipedia defines a panther as the genus Panthera which includes lions, tigers, leopards and jaguars. In Africa and Asia, the term refers to the leopard while in North America, the mountain lion or cougar. The Florida panther is a subspecies of the cougar. In Central and South America the term panther refers to a jaguar. Is a black panther really a panther? Is it really black? What about all these other cats?

Most people are familiar with bobcats (Lynx rufus) with their tufted ears and ruff around the head. They are a medium sized cat that is quite reclusive.

What I didn’t know is that they had such a variation of color. The can actually come in solid black which is called melanistic after the dark skin pigment melanin. There was one captured in Florida in 2007 after killing a pet turkey. The woman described it as the size of a large Labrador retriever but it turned out to be only 20 lbs. They generally weigh about 30 pounds but there was one bobcat who had been killed by a car that weighed 44 lbs. They are only three feet long – the length of a panther’s tail.

Everyone has seen pictures of the mountain lion, (cougar, puma). Males may be as long as six feet and the average weight is 184 lbs.

There have been no cases of a black or melanistic cougar ever being photographed, shot or trapped and they have never bred one in captivity. It’s unlikely that this is what people have been seeing. They do, however, come in a silver grey color. They are nocturnal by nature so someone seeing one at night could possibly mistake it for black.

I had never heard of a jaguarundi before. They are about twice the size of a house cat, but with a very long tail and short legs. They move almost like an otter with their long bodies and tail and sometimes are called “ottercat."

They come in a variety of colors from a dark blackish grey to foxy red. Different colored kittens can be born in the same litter.

They hunt both in the daytime and night preying on small rodents and whatever they can catch. They are extremely rare, but there have been credible sightings in Texas. They are listed as endangered mostly due to loss of habitat.

Below is a short video of a jaguarundi kitten.

The Jaguar is the largest of the new world cats weighing in at 200 pounds and with a length of seven feet. They are found mostly in Mexico, Central and South America, although there was a breeding population in Arizona at one time. They are considered to be extinct elsewhere in the United States but it’s not impossible for a visiting cat to wander across the border.They are a solitary animal, hunting mostly during dawn and twilight. The have the capability of roaring.

Jaguars usually are spotted but they do have a melanistic phase. Some still show the spots but they could be hard to see at a distance or at night.

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The Ocelot is considered the most beautiful wild cat in Texas with their cream colored coats with orange spots outlined in black. The base color can sometimes be grey. No two cats have the same markings. Many have been killed for their fur.

Adult males may be as much as 3 feet, 10 inches long and females up to 3 feet long and they weigh about 20-35 pounds.

According to most sources, there has been no evidence that there ever were any with melanistic properties although The International Wildlife Encyclopedia, by Maurice and Robert Burton states that there have been rare occurrences.

They are also on the endangered list due to loss of habitat.

The margay is similar to the ocelot, but smaller and more slender. Both cats have been kept as pets, but some individuals of both species have become dangerous as adults. Only one wild margay was confirmed in Texas and that was over 100 years ago. They are reported as not having a black phase.

The margay weighs from about 5 to 8 or 9 pounds, with a body length of 19 to 31 inches, and a tail length of 13 to 20 inches. Unlike most other cats, the female has only two teats.

The margay is solitary and nocturnal and also on the endangered list. They prefer to live in trees while the ocelot prefers to hunt on the ground. The margay can rotate its back feet to facilitate running head first down a tree truck. There has been at least one confirmed account of a margay using vocal mimicry to lure prey.

We still don't know what people are seeing when they say they have seen a black panther. I've watched many videos but it's often impossible to make out the scale of the animal. I imagine many of these videos are of black house cats.

It's true people have seen black bobcats and jaguarundis and maybe even black jaguars. Wouldn't that classify as a black panther? Just because no one has found a black cougar doesn't mean that they don't exist either. Keep watching and maybe you'll see one. Keep your camera handy.