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All the cougars/pumas/mountain lions in North and South America are the same species and there has never in history been a confirmed case of a black one. The animal in this video is in a shaded area most of the time but when the sunlight hits him directly he is a dark tan like the typical mountain lion.
Yeah, I see what you mean - that could be the case. I think saltine has a good point: the cat seems completely unconcerned that there are humans nearby.
All the cougars/pumas/mountain lions in North and South America are the same species and there has never in history been a confirmed case of a black one. The animal in this video is in a shaded area most of the time but when the sunlight hits him directly he is a dark tan like the typical mountain lion.
This. There has never been a confirmed report of a melanized mountain lion, and when the animal comes into the light at the end of the footage, it looks dark tan.
So neat though. I am convinced these guys live in my neck of the woods in Western Maryland too, but it is a kind of an "open secret."
Panther sightings are extremely rare but nothing new and certainly nothing unexplained or mysterious. There is a small population in the mid-south and south.
The MS forum is way ahead of you (note the original thread was started in 2011):
Panther sightings are extremely rare but nothing new and certainly nothing unexplained or mysterious. There is a small population in the mid-south and south.
The MS forum is way ahead of you (note the original thread was started in 2011):
I wasn't claiming it was a monster or a mystery - and I don't think anyone else was either. It's of interest because the Florida panther is thought to be restricted to the southern tip of FL with occasional excursions north:
Quote:
Now, the breeding population of Florida panthers is found only in the southern tip of Florida, south of the Caloosahatchee River. In recent years, young male panthers have traveled north into central and northeast Florida, and one even dispersed to west-central Georgia near the Alabama border.
When I lived in Charlottesville VA in the 1970s all the locals believed panthers were still to be found in the Blue Ridge mountains, and would claim they had heard their calls -- in spite of biologists saying they were extinct north of Florida. These are people whose families had been roaming the woods for two centuries or more. There is a Panther Falls along the Blue Ridge Parkway which testifies to the past presence of panthers (or "painters") along the southern Appalachians (and elsewhere in the country).
This kind of report and the folklore surrounding the continued existence of panthers outside their supposed range should I thought be of interest to those interested in cryptozoology -- but hey, that's just me. My apologies for posting something that isn't about ancient aliens, bigfoot, tarot, or ghosts.
Why are people assuming it is a Florida panther? Western cougars have been expanding their range eastward for years, with many verified sightings as far east as this one.
Why are people assuming it is a Florida panther? Western cougars have been expanding their range eastward for years, with many verified sightings as far east as this one.
The Florida Panther is unique to south florida. These terms are pretty much interchangeable at least in common usage - mountain lion, panther, puma, cougar. I guess the proper term is Eastern Cougar.
The Florida Panther is unique to south florida. These terms are pretty much interchangeable at least in common usage - mountain lion, panther, puma, cougar. I guess the proper term is Eastern Cougar.
From what I've read, I think the Florida Panther and Eastern Cougar are subspecies. I've heard reports from here in the Midwest of cougar sightings (presumably the western variety) - this article says they're coming back and could establish breeding populations in the Midwest in the next 25 years:
All the cougars/pumas/mountain lions in North and South America are the same species and there has never in history been a confirmed case of a black one. The animal in this video is in a shaded area most of the time but when the sunlight hits him directly he is a dark tan like the typical mountain lion.
Agreed. Many states east of the Mississippi have sightings of cougars even in New England. They are making a slow comeback. Government agencies in many cases refuse to acknowledge their existence. There is more than enough wildlife for them to live long happy lives without being a threat to people at this point.
All the cougars/pumas/mountain lions in North and South America are the same species and there has never in history been a confirmed case of a black one. The animal in this video is in a shaded area most of the time but when the sunlight hits him directly he is a dark tan like the typical mountain lion.
I remember this girl I was dating when i was in my late teens, her uncles family had a mobile home way out in the sticks in Demossville, KY, we went there once for some kind of family get together and they talked about all the wild life they saw out there, black mountain lion was one they saw from time to time.
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