Sipsey
Well-Known Member
Here’s a site that has a study of melanistic frequency in a captive jaguar breeding study and a link to the photo and paper published by the biologist I contacted.I believe melanism in the species is conferred by a dominant allele, but it still only accounts for a small percentage of the total population. This site says 5%:
https://blog.nwf.org/2018/05/excited-about-black-panther-are-we/
I'll also say that in all the photos of Sasha Siemel I've seen (legendary jaguar hunter) he's pictured with "normal" Jaguars. And that man killed a LOT of kitties.
I'm not disputing your claims to have seen something. I've got level-headed family in Alabama that swear they've seen the same. And I know for a fact we have big cats. I just find the black cat phenomenon to be puzzling. It's very specific, and right there between plausible/implausible.
And yes, it'll make you a touch nervous when you hear footsteps in the dark and wonder for a second if it's old Bagheera come looking for ya. I've been assured by biologists that I'll never hear the cat that kills me, if that makes ya feel better.
http://scotcats.online.fr/abc/catspecies/blackjaguars.html
http://dinets.info/blackjaguar.htm