Melanism

Melanism. . , One of the two Amur leopards at Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo is melanistic, causing her to appear all black, while the male has the usual coat pattern. At first, a melanistic cat might look solid black, but even melanistic leopards are spotted. If you get a close look, you may be able to see her spots (rosettes)., The term "Black Panther" can refer to any big cat that is all black. The term is not scientifically accurate, however, it most commonly refers to black leopards or black jaguars. At Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo, we have Amur Leopards. There are only two melanistic Amur Leopards in AZA accredited zoos at this time., In leopards, both parents must have the gene for melanism in order for their offspring to appear black. Both of Orion and Kallisto's parents carry this rare gene- they exhibit standard coloration but produced one offspring that has both genes for melanism.[Captions:] , The zoo's two Amur leopard cubs, Orion and Kallisto, were born on January 25th, 2019 here at Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo., Amur leopards are a rare subspecies of leopard that has adapted to life in the temperate forests from Northeast China to the Korean peninsula and the Russian Far East. They are often illegally hunted for their beautiful spotted fur.