Black panther or jaguar?
How to tell them apart
A black panther in the Americas is a jaguar with black fur.
Quick answers
They differ on 1 of the 8 quick answers: awake when.
| Question | Black panther | Jaguar |
|---|---|---|
| What is it? | Mammal | Mammal |
| Carnivore? | Yes | Yes |
| Dangerous? | Yes | Yes |
| Domesticated? | No | No |
| Awake when? differs | Night | Day & night |
| Hibernates? | No | No |
| Kept as a pet? | No | No |
| Do people eat it? | No | No |
At a glance
| Question | Black panther | Jaguar |
|---|---|---|
| Found in differs | Asia, Africa, Central America, South America | South America, Central America |
| Habitat differs | Rainforest, Forest | Rainforest, Wetland, Forest, Grassland |
| Size | Large | Large |
| Length differs | – | Up to 1.85 m plus tail |
| Height differs | – | 57–81 cm at the shoulder |
| Weight differs | – | 56–96 kg in most regions |
| Legs | 4 | 4 |
| Covered in | Fur | Fur |
| Lives | Alone | Alone |
| Lives for | 12–15 years | 12–15 years |
| Can fly | No | No |
| Swims | Yes | Yes |
| Lays eggs | No | No |
About each
Black panther
Not a species: a black panther is a black (melanistic) leopard or jaguar. Its coat has excess black pigment, but the usual rosettes are still there underneath. Black leopards live in Africa and Asia, and black jaguars in Central and South America.
Everything on the black panther page
Jaguar
The biggest cat in the Americas and the only one of the roaring big cats native there. A stocky, heavily spotted hunter that sticks close to rivers and swamps.
Sources
Last reviewed . The answers and notes come from each animal's own page, where every source is listed.
How each answer is decided: How we answer. More look-alikes: Side by side.