Are there melanistic Bobcats? Could they be mistaken for Panthers?

Question

Hi. We have a problem where I live with big cat sightings. I believe there are mountain lions here, but people are reporting more exotic stuff. Like "Black Panthers" I understand that you would have to be stupid to get a Jaguar or Leopard confused with a Bobcat, But isn't it possible that what they may be seing is a melanistic Bobcat? People who have seen the cat say No way! Saying it looked more like a Jaguar or Leopard. Some have even said "Black Cougars" which to my knowlege do not exist! Cougars are not melanistic if I remember correctly.

Answer 1

Even if they did crossbreed and produced offspring that were black, it wouldn't be able to get fixed into the population and produce more black cats since the hybrids would probably be sterile. There would have to be a constant cycle of leopards/jaguars (cougars have so far only been crossed with leopards) escaping, carrying the mutant gene, finding and breeding with a cougar, and then producing black instead of lightly spotted cubs. I disagree that it is impossible for cougars to be melanistic. Melanism is most common in jungle dwelling cats (it may provide better camouflage and not get weeded out), but individuals of other species such as bobcats have been found melanistic or partially melanistic. I do agree, though, that if we do find our first melanistic specimen of cougar it won't be in a scenario like this. The Florida panther population is pretty small and probably well studied. If a melanistic panther cub survived to adulthood it would probably be more likely to be found then if it turned up in another cougar population.

Answer 2

I hear this stuff a lot too. All the rural people in the southeast US say they've seen black panthers. I don't know what the heck they are seeing, bobcats, bears, deer, dogs, hogs, I have no idea.

I would imagine any animal could have abnormal pigmentation, but I don't know of a regular dark phase of bobcat or puma.

If you live in the extreme south, a dark Jaguarundi may be a possibility. I think cats can have large ranges, and state fish and wildlife departments don't often believe reports, but, given your question here, you can hardly blame them.

I suppose an escaped exotic actual dark leopard is possible, but I think it's more likely that people are letting their imaginations run away with them.

Answer 3

First i would call the D.N.R. in your aria and ask what types of big cats are there,then i would call the nearest zoo and ask if there has been any big cats that have escaped recently. And yes common house cats have been mistaken for big cats.