Black panthers are dark-colored individuals from the genus Panthera, representing a genetic variant of the coloration - melanism. Apart from their color, black and spotted individuals of leopards and jaguars have no character, they interbreed freely and produce fertile offspring. The cubs from such guys can be very different - both spotted and black. But this happens last, because the black gene is recessive and often suppresses the spotted gene. The black panther is not an independent species; it is a leopard (Asian, African) or a jaguar, but not a black tiger, which is called that. It is unknown how long a panther with a black skin color lives in the wild. These animals go hunting only at night. This is for the best - meeting such a beauty does not bode well. Panthers are not afraid of people, and can easily come close to a village, thereby earning a reputation among some peoples as forest ghosts. They are excellent at climbing trees, as befits a cat, so monkeys can be their snack.