What color is a panther?

There is actually no such thing as a panther.

The word probably comes from the Sanskrit for whitish-yellow, panthera, which was originally applied to the tiger.

The Greeks borrowed the word and adapted it to panthera, meaning “all beasts.” They used it to describe mythological as well as real animals.

In medieval heraldry, the panther was portrayed as a gentle, multicolored beast that had a sweet smell.

Scientifically speaking, all four of the largest species of cat are panthers.

The lion is Panthera leo; the tiger, Panthera tigris; the leopard, Panthera pardus; and the jaguar Panthera onca. They are the only cats that can roar.

The animals that most people think of as panthers are, in fact, either black leopards (in Africa or Asia) or black jaguars (in South America).

Neither animal is completely black. Close examination shows that their spots are still faintly visible on their skin. They carry a genetic mutation that means the black pigment in their fur dominates the orange.

Rare white panthers are in fact albino leopards or jaguars.

In the US, when people say “panther,” they mean a black puma. Despite many unproven reports and supposed sightings, no one has ever found one.