(smallish) Big Cat?
Discussion
Well there is no such thing as a black leopard so they can try again on the name. If they mean black jaguars or leopards then they are also known as panthers. IMO it looked like it was hopping on its back legs rather than moving them in the walking fashion we would associate with a cat unless it was just the camera angle?
Edited by R300will on Tuesday 14th February 15:05
yeah well today the telegraph claimed the latest EU rocket launch was 'Europe's first', and last week described venus as 'the red planet' - so frankly their science correspondent is a bit of a 'tard so lets ignore the name! anyway.....there definitely are melanistic varieties of leopard so i think you can say they exist......and that's how they're commonly referred to. pretty sure the black is dominant so they're quite common in captivity, hence escape likelihood.
my cat used to hop about like that all the time. the body shape when it moves looks much more cat than dog to me...and the size is fairly reasonably demonstrated IMO. about the most convincing vid i think ive seen to date. shame, as always, they didn't have a decent camera isn't it?!
my cat used to hop about like that all the time. the body shape when it moves looks much more cat than dog to me...and the size is fairly reasonably demonstrated IMO. about the most convincing vid i think ive seen to date. shame, as always, they didn't have a decent camera isn't it?!
R300will said:
Well there is no such thing as a black leopard...
As I'm sure you're aware, you occasionally get 'melanic' variants of all sorts of animals, big cats included, and by their very rarity and curiosity value they tend to be prized by private collections.My girlfriend (ex-zoo keeper) has certainly encountered melanic pumas, so I don't suppose a 'black leopard' is inconceivable?
Sam_68 said:
R300will said:
Well there is no such thing as a black leopard...
As I'm sure you're aware, you occasionally get 'melanic' variants of all sorts of animals, big cats included, and by their very rarity and curiosity value they tend to be prized by private collections.My girlfriend (ex-zoo keeper) has certainly encountered melanic pumas, so I don't suppose a 'black leopard' is inconceivable?
'Black panthers' are generally either melanistic leopards or melanistic jaguars, so 'black leopard' would be a more-or-less accurate description. (Don't forget we are dealing with journalists here
)
Technically the lion, leopard, jaguar and tiger are all 'panthers' as all are members of the genus 'panthera'. Members of this genus are the only big cats able to roar.
)Technically the lion, leopard, jaguar and tiger are all 'panthers' as all are members of the genus 'panthera'. Members of this genus are the only big cats able to roar.
Edited by paintman on Tuesday 14th February 19:32
paintman said:
'Black panthers' are melanistic leopards, so 'black leopard' would be a more-or-less accurate description. (We are dealing with journalists here)
Technically the lion, leopard, jaguar and tiger are all 'panthers' as all are members of the genus 'panthera'. Members of this genus are the only big cats able to roar.
Well they are all cats as they are members of the Feline Family so you could go right back but fair enough. Yes leopards and jaguars can 'roar' but it is more of a grumble compared to the lions version )Technically the lion, leopard, jaguar and tiger are all 'panthers' as all are members of the genus 'panthera'. Members of this genus are the only big cats able to roar.
paintman said:
Correct, Panthera is a genus within the family Felidae.
As to the roar, as far as general scariness goes the lion wins every time!
I use the self-made saying 'Kill People Called Oliver For Good Sport'As to the roar, as far as general scariness goes the lion wins every time!
Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species
for remembering how to write the full names down.
I remember being on safari a few years back and getting ready for dinner, we were on a safari camp with no fences and my mum went outside to put the mossie spray on because it stank the room out. Whilst out there she heard a lion roar and she swore it was about 6 feet away! needless to say she came back in sharpish and declared that she wasnt hungry anymore. The fact that the 'guards' had nothing but a stick to fend off a pack of lions didn't give much confidence on the walk to the restaurant at night either.
Still a safari should definitely be undertaken at least once in everybodies lives.
R300will said:
Still a safari should definitely be undertaken at least once in everybodies lives.
And preferably with some locals who know the best places to go.We stayed in an un-fenced camp - Had three elephants just about pull the roof off looking for water.
Fookers are big when they're trying to pull your house down
.Then they moved onto the car park.
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