The panther is acually an odd colored leopard, althogh they were thought to be a different species. The panther leads a solitary life exept when rearing young, which only the female does. Like all cats, panthers mark their territory with urine. Females often overlap areas, where as males never share.

The male a female panther only comes together six or seven days to mate, while the female is in heat. After that, the male goes back to his territory, leaving the female to give birth. The birth takes place in a hidden lair after three months. If the gestation period was longer, it would not alow her to hunt enough. However it leaves the cubs helpless, and she changes their den everyfew days. The cubs stay with her for about two years.

The panther usually hunts at dawn or dusk. It ambushes it's prey and kills it by biting on the throat or the back of the neck. After the kill, it takes it up into the trees to prevent scavangers from taking it.

The range of a panther's hearing is twice that of a human's, and, in dim light, its sight is six times better. They can also go a month with no water.

Height to shoulders: 20-24 in.

Length: 40-50 in. from head to end of back

Weight: 80-175 lb.

Sexual maurity: 2-3 years

Gestation: 90-112 days

No. of young: 2-3, sometimes six

Diet: mammals and birds

Call: roar or growl (has been said to sound like a chainsaw)

Lifespan: 12 years in the wild