The Panther is the most amazing animal, which has a unique beauty and grace. It belongs to the mammalian family of cats. The family of cats can be divided into 4 subspecies: tiger, lion, leopard, jaguar. Panther, as a separate independent subspecies, is not separated, it belongs to the jaguars and leopards. If the leopard or jaguar is black, it is a panther.
Panthers live in South America, Africa, southern Asia and Europe. They can be found in the tropical forests of Malaysia, in the mountains of Ethiopia and Kenya, and in the steppes.
The weight of the adult panther reaches 50 kg, and the weight in the withers is 70 cm. Males are much larger than females. Sometimes the male weight is much greater than 50 kg, but these are rare. Panthers live for about 12 years.
The body shape is elongated and the panther moves on 4 legs. Paws are large and strong, with long and sharp claws. The tail is very long, can reach half the body length, which is approximately equal to 100 cm. The head is large and elongated. The jaws are very well developed, with sharp canines.
Mostly black in color are leopard and jaguar females and are called "black panthers". The black color of the wool is provided by aguchi, a special color of wool that regulates the distribution of black pigment in the hair shaft. But if you look closer, the color is not quite black, you can see poorly discernible spots. Panther's skin may be brown with a black hue.
Panthers are the most bloodthirsty, strongest, fastest, strongest and most dangerous predators on earth. They like to rest and sleep in trees in a very interesting position, stretching on a branch and hanging their paws and tails down. Panthers run very fast, the speed can reach 60 m/s. And they jump perfectly to a height of 6 meters.
Panthers breed all year round. The ability to carry cubs in the female appears at the age of 3 years. Pregnancy lasts about 3 months. For childbirth the female chooses a quiet, secluded place. Basically, 1 or 2 babies are born. Born babies with black hair color. Little kittens are born blind and only drink mother's milk for the first few days. The first year of life is around the mother. Females are very attentive to their offspring, teach them to move around on their own, to hunt.
Panther is a carnivorous predator and an excellent hunter. He hunts mainly at night and on smaller animals. But it can also kill a large animal: hyena, buffalo, jackal. While hunting, the panther follows the victim in an ambush, sneaks up silently, then quickly pops up and attacks if it is necessary to catch up. Panthers run great, they can easily catch up with antelope, zebra and other animals. These predators move very well through the trees, so they can guard the prey from the tree, but remain unnoticed by others. Remains of food are hidden on the tree, among the branches. There are known cases of panther attacks on pets, such as cows, horses, goats. Panthers can do without food for up to 5 days.
Panthers are known for their willful and aggressive nature, not uncommon cases of panther attacks on people. Practically impossible to train, so see them in the circus is rare. The panther is not afraid of the person and does not try to run or hide when he meets him.
In the mammal class there is a large family of mammals. Its name is cat. At first glance, it may seem that this family can only include cats - cute and funny animals, which are usually home. But this is not the case. The cat family includes such creatures as tigers, lions, cheetahs and leopards. Most likely, this is not the whole list. Among all other mammals, cats stand out for their speed and agility, reflexes and vision, as well as their sense of smell. One of the cat species can also be considered as a panther. Who are they? What is the difference between them and their brethren? And what are the distinguishing features at all?
Characteristic of a panther.
It is worth starting with the fact that 4 living species belong to the genus of panthers: a tiger, a lion, a leopard and a jaguar. As an addition to this list, the snow leopard can also be added. In addition, panthers include already extinct species of animals, about 10 of them. As a rule, these animals are large in size. What to talk about, if the largest representative of the cat - the Amur tiger - is referred to as a panther. The body is quite elongated. The tail is very long, at least proportionate to the half of the body. The ears are small, and there are no tassels at the ends. Eyes of round shape. The legs, or rather the legs, are quite strong, with razor sharp claws that can be pulled inside. All panthers have a fur cover. Some have a mane too. The most striking example is the lion. It is worth talking about coloring. You might think that a panther only has black fur. However, this is a misconception. However, one could already guess about it. Color is possible in several colors with dark spots or stripes. Panthers' teeth are not weaker than their claws.
