The black panther

A black panther is a melanistic leopard. These have mutations that cause them to produce more eumelanin (a black pigment) than pheomelanin (an orange-tan pigment which gives the common leopard its color). This results in a chiefly black coat, though the spots of a black panther can still be discerned in certain light. This is because the deposition of pigment is different in the pattern than in the background. The spots are mostly a ghostly white color.

