The jaguar is the only big cat native to the Americas that also occurs in a melanistic black form.
Jaguars (Panthera onca) are the largest cats in the Americas and the third-largest living cats worldwide, after tigers and lions. Their usual coat is golden or tan with dark spots arranged into rosettes, but some individuals inherit a melanistic form that makes the fur appear almost entirely black.
A black jaguar is not a separate species or subspecies. Its rosettes are still present, but they can be difficult to see except in bright light. This differs from the common meaning of “black panther,” which can refer to either a melanistic jaguar or a melanistic leopard.
Melanistic jaguars are especially associated with tropical forests in Central and South America. The trait is linked to variation in the melanocortin 1 receptor gene and is inherited through a dominant allele. Jaguars are also powerful swimmers and have an unusually strong bite capable of piercing turtle shells and skulls.