So last week I talked about how ravens are not crows. Except when they are.
A few nights ago, lnhammer and I had a conversation something like this.
me: I wonder if this jaguar should be a black morph jaguar
lnhammer: You mean make it a panther?
me: No, no, no. Jaguars aren’t panthers.
lnhammer: Yes, that’s a panther is, a black jaguar.
me: No, it’s cougars (aka mountain lions, pumas, catamounts) that are (also aka) panthers. I’m pretty sure.
lnhammer: …
me: …
Well, it turns out that various sources use the word panther to refer to cougars, jaguars, and leopards, which is four continents worth of big cats.
For bonus confusion: If I’m understanding correctly, the genus Panthera includes tigers, lions, jaguars, and leopards. In other words, not all panthers belong to genus Panthera, and not everyone in genus Panthera is a panther.
For bonus bonus confusion: Some people, when they use panther, mean the black morph of the animals they’re talking about specifically. But not all of them.