This black beauty is a flexible and fearless animal. The panther is the heroine of numerous fairy tales, legends and myths. Goddess of the animal world, graceful and majestic... This is all a black panther - a wild cat. One of the most mysterious predators on our planet.

Why black?

It is a mistaken belief that a panther must be black. This is wrong. The fact is that the black panther is not a separate species, but just a subspecies of the cat family. In fact, it is a leopard or jaguar with black fur. Such animals are also called melanists, and their color is determined by their habitat and lifestyle. Since the black panther lives in dense forests and hunts at night, it is convenient for it to have this color. At the same time, its mountain relatives are white, and the abodes of savannahs and steppes are yellow with black speckles.

By the way, the skin of a black panther is often heterogeneous. It may have light spots and be brown with a black tint. Panthers different colors They interbreed well and produce offspring. If in a family one of the parents is black and the other is yellow, then the cubs are most likely to be yellow, since this color is genetically stronger. To be guaranteed to get dark offspring, you need to cross two black individuals.

Physiological characteristics of the black panther

The Panther is a well-built wild cat with a harmonious, flexible body, beautiful strong paws and a long tail. Its weight is approximately 60 kg, its height is 70 cm, and its body length is from one to two meters. This is a very graceful animal. The panther has well-developed sense of smell, which helps it hunt. The movements of a wild cat are smooth and silent. This plus the black color, which allows it to blend into the night, allows the predator to sneak up on the prey unnoticed and take it by surprise.

An interesting feature of panthers is their specific larynx, which can inflate thanks to the flexible bone of the hyoid apparatus. This structure of the vocal apparatus allows them to emit a chilling roar. She runs at a speed of 60 m/s, and her jump height reaches six meters. As you can see, this wild cat is a fairly fast animal. The panther easily catches up with its prey.

Lifespan

A panther lives on average 12 years. In captivity, its lifespan increases to 20. True, keeping a black cat in a cage, much less training it, is not the best idea. After all, the panther is very aggressive, willful and has no fear of anyone. Neither before the king of beasts - the lion, nor before the ruler of the planet - man. Being around her is simply dangerous.

Where does the black panther live and how does it hunt?

The main habitat of black panthers is rainforests Africa, Asia and South America. Most often, they prefer to stay away from human habitation, but there are also cases when wild cats live near villages and cities.

Panther is a predator. Her favorite food - meat of large and medium-sized ungulates, but in the most extreme cases it can be content with monkeys, bird eggs and even fruits. Panthers in the wild are able to go without food for 4-5 days. And when they are hungry, they represent a terrible force that threatens even humans. There are frequent cases of panthers attacking sleeping people, and a cow stolen from a barn is generally a common occurrence. At the same time, a well-fed panther will not touch even a kid located at an outstretched paw distance.

The predator looks out for and kills its victims on the ground (often at watering holes), and likes to dine in a tree, lying on its stomach and tearing off large pieces of meat with a jerk of its head. There, among the branches, at a height of more than five meters, she sleeps during the day before the night hunt.

Features of reproduction

Pregnancy in panthers lasts 3-3.5 months, after which charming kittens are born. Most often there are two of them, less often - one and very rarely - 4-5 babies. Large litters are typical for cats living in warm regions. Panther - caring mother. For childbirth, she looks for a remote, dark place away from prying eyes. This could be either a hole under the roots of trees, or a cave, or a hollow.

The wild cat devotes all her time to the kids. She does not leave them for a minute and does not let anyone, not even the father, near her children. Without hesitation he would give his life for them. For the first 10 days, the panther practically does not eat or drink, since it does not leave its den. She is content only with what the male brings her, and sometimes drives herself to starvation. When the kittens become sighted and begin to hear, the mother slowly returns to her former life, but continues to care for the children until they are one year old.

Panther in mythology and fairy tales

The most famous representative of these wild cats is the heroine of the fairy tale “Mowgli” by Kipling. By the way, in the original “The Jungle Book” it was not about the beautiful Bagheera, but about a handsome man named Bagheera. The gender change occurred already during translation into Russian.

And, of course, Kipling is not the first to put the panther on a pedestal. For example, the Sumerians considered her the goddess of fertility and love; the Chinese associated the panther with woman in all its forms; For the Indians, the black jaguar was the embodiment of limitless strength and power. Even the Christian religion has not ignored this unique animal. In the Hebrew commentary of the Holy Scriptures, the name of Mary’s husband, Joseph, is translated as “panther,” and this man himself is endowed with the gift of healing from illness and salvation from certain death.

This is such a unique animal. The panther is highly respected by humans, and this is not surprising. After all, she is not only dazzlingly beautiful. Her intelligence, wisdom, dexterity and desperate fearlessness evoke genuine admiration!

Panther genus - Panthera- unites large animals in the cat family, consists of four well-known species: tiger - , a lion Panthera leo, leopard - Panthera pardus and jaguar Panthera onca.

All panthers have a special structure of the larynx that allows them to produce a roar. The fact is that in representatives of the genus the hyoid apparatus is not completely ossified - in place of one of the bones there is a flexible ligament that allows the larynx to swell. Additionally, their vocal cords are undivided and form a tubular structure that functions as a very efficient sound-producing device.

The black panther is not a separate species, but is a genetic variant of the coloration (melanism) of some species of cats - most often, a leopard or a jaguar. The existence of melanistic pumas has not been confirmed. The skin of a black panther is not perfectly black; to a greater or lesser extent, visible spots are always visible on it.

In different parts of their range, lions have developed different physical properties. A South African lion may look different than a Kalahari lion. Therefore, some scientists believe that each isolated population of lions represents its own subspecies.

Other scientists, conducting genetic studies of various populations, have concluded that the genetic makeup of African lions is so similar that they can be recognized as one subspecies. These scientists adhere to a theory that distinguishes only two subspecies: African and Asiatic lions. It should be noted that scientists have also described the following subspecies of lions:

1. Asiatic lion;
2. Angolan or Katangese lion;
3. Berber, North African; or Atlas Lion;
4. Cape Lion;
5. European lion;
6. Sudanese or Nubian lion;
7. Kalahari Lion;
8. Kruger's Lion; or Transvaal;
9. Maasai Lion;
10. Middle Eastern lion;
11. Senegalese or West African lion.

Currently, biologists and zoologists do not have a formal classification of lion subspecies and their external characteristics.

Morphological and genetic studies suggest that the tiger was the first species of the genus to deviate from the main line. The snow leopard was previously placed at the core of the panther genus, but recent molecular studies suggest its placement within the genus, perhaps even being a close species to the leopard. Therefore, many classification systems include snow leopard to the genus of panthers, but there is no consensus regarding such placement (called Panthera uncia) or the preservation of his own genus Uncia.

Also included in the genus is a prehistoric feline, probably closely related to the modern jaguar, - Panthera gombaszogensis, which is often called the European jaguar. This species appeared about 1.6 million years ago in what is now Italy.

Below is a cladogram of the inferred phylogeny of the genus according to Mazák, Christiansen and Kitchener (2011)

Pantherinae	Panthera

Classification

Several extinct fossil species are also taxonomically placed within the genus, the position of some of them is uncertain or controversial.

general characteristics

The sizes of representatives of the genus are large and very large. The genus includes the largest representative of the entire cat family - the Amur subspecies of the tiger.

The body is elongated, sometimes strongly. The sacral region is not high, and the line of the back does not rise from behind, as in small cats, but goes straight. The height at the shoulders (at the withers) is greater than in the sacrum area, while the back line slopes slightly at the rear. The tail is usually long, accounting for at least half the body length, in some species a little more.

The head is relatively large or large, somewhat elongated, with an elongated facial part. The ears are small, short, with a rounded top, without a tassel at the end. In male lions, as well as in other species in winter fur, they protrude slightly from the fur. Eyes with a round pupil.

Sometimes the hair on the cheeks is elongated and forms so-called sideburns; the male lion has a developed mane in the front of the body, and the tail has a tassel of elongated hair at the end.

The legs are short and thick, strong, with a wide paw, especially the front one. The claws on the paws are large, sharp and curved, fully retractable. At the ends of the fingers on the sides of the claw there is a fold of skin that completely hides the retracted claw.

The color is one-color or with black transverse stripes, or on the main light background there are black spots - single or rosette-shaped.

The dental system is complete. The teeth are very strong, the canines are relatively short but powerful, with a wide base. Sexual dimorphism in most species is expressed in larger sizes of males. The male lion is distinguished by the development of the mane on the front part of the body.

Due to the special structure of the hyoid apparatus, the larynx, together with its vocal cords, are distinguished by great mobility, which provides the ability to produce a loud, rough roar. Incapable of purring.

Lifestyle

All representatives of the genus are active predators, hunting mainly large mammals, mainly ungulates. Often the prey exceeds the size of the hunter, sometimes several times. They hunt stealthily and from ambush (on trails, near watering holes). They eat prey mainly lying on their belly and resting their forearms and elbows on the underlying substrate; pieces of prey are torn off by jerking their heads upward.

Mostly active at night, although often active during the day. With the exception of the lion, they are solitary animals. The lion is distinctive in that it always stays and hunts in small packs called prides. They live in both lowland and mountain forests, sometimes in open treeless mountain ranges and reed thickets; one species, the lion, is an inhabitant of open steppes, savannas and semi-deserts.

Area

The range of the genus includes Africa, the extreme southeast of Europe, Asia except the northern part, southern and Central America and the very south of North America.

Hybrids

see also

• The black panther is a melanistic leopard or jaguar.

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Notes

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2. Turner A (1987) New fossil carnivore remains from the Sterkfontein hominid site (Mammalia: Carnivora). Ann Transvall Mus 34:319–347
3. . Lenta.Ru (November 13, 2013). Retrieved November 13, 2013.
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5. Dianne N. Janczewski, William S. Modi, J. Claiborne Stephens, and Stephen J. O"Brien (1 July 1996). "". Molecular Biology and Evolution 12 (4): 690. PMID 7544865. Retrieved 2006-08-06.
6. : information on the IUCN Red List website (English) June 17, 2014
7. Felid Taxon Advisory Group: Alan H. Shoemaker (1996)
8. Johnson W. E. & Obrien S. J. (1997). "Phylogenetic reconstruction of the Felidae using 16S rRNA and NADH-5 mitochondrial genes". Journal of Molecular Evolution 44 : S98–S116. DOI:10.1007/PL00000060. PMID 9071018.
9. Yu L & Zhang Y P (2005). "Phylogenetic studies of pantherine cats (Felidae) based on multiple genes, with novel application of nuclear beta-fibrinogen intron 7 to carnivores." Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 35 (2): 483–495. DOI:10.1016/j.ympev.2005.01.017. PMID 15804417.
10. (2011) "". PLoS ONE 6 (10): e25483. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0025483. PMID 22016768.
11. Wozencraft W.C. Order Carnivora // . - 3rd. - Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005. - P. 532–628. - ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0.
12. Johnson, W. E., Eizirik, E., Pecon-Slattery, J., Murphy, W. J., Antunes, A., Teeling, E., & O’Brien, S. J. (2006). "The Late Miocene radiation of modern Felidae: A genetic assessment." Science 311(5757): 73-77. doi:10.1126/science.1122277. PMID 16400146.
13. O"Regan, H., Turner, A (2004). "Biostratigraphic and palaeoecological implications of new fossil felid material from the Plio-Pleistocene site of Tegelen, the Netherlands." Palaeontology 47 (5): 1181–1193. DOI:10.1111/j.0031-0239.2004.00400.x.

Excerpt characterizing the Panthers

Prince Andrey went out into the hall and, putting his shoulders to the footman who was throwing his cloak on him, listened indifferently to the chatter of his wife with Prince Hippolyte, who also came out into the hall. Prince Hippolyte stood next to the pretty pregnant princess and stubbornly looked straight at her through his lorgnette.
“Go, Annette, you’ll catch a cold,” said the little princess, saying goodbye to Anna Pavlovna. “C"est arrete, [It’s decided],” she added quietly.
Anna Pavlovna had already managed to talk with Lisa about the matchmaking that she had started between Anatole and the little princess’s sister-in-law.
“I hope for you, dear friend,” said Anna Pavlovna, also quietly, “you will write to her and tell me, comment le pere envisagera la chose.” Au revoir, [How the father will look at the matter. Goodbye] - and she left the hall.
Prince Hippolyte approached the little princess and, tilting his face close to her, began to tell her something in a half-whisper.
Two footmen, one the princess, the other his, waiting for them to finish speaking, stood with a shawl and a riding coat and listened to their incomprehensible French conversation with such faces as if they understood what was being said, but did not want to show it. The princess, as always, spoke smiling and listened laughing.
“I’m very glad that I didn’t go to the envoy,” said Prince Ippolit: “boredom... It’s a wonderful evening, isn’t it, wonderful?”
“They say that the ball will be very good,” answered the princess, raising her mustache-covered sponge. - All beautiful women societies will be there.
– Not everything, because you won’t be there; not all,” said Prince Hippolyte, laughing joyfully, and, grabbing the shawl from the footman, even pushed him and began to put it on the princess.
Out of awkwardness or deliberately (no one could make out this) he did not lower his arms for a long time when the shawl was already put on, and seemed to be hugging a young woman.
She gracefully, but still smiling, pulled away, turned and looked at her husband. Prince Andrei's eyes were closed: he seemed so tired and sleepy.
- You are ready? – he asked his wife, looking around her.
Prince Hippolyte hastily put on his coat, which, in his new way, was longer than his heels, and, getting tangled in it, ran to the porch after the princess, whom the footman was lifting into the carriage.
“Princesse, au revoir, [Princess, goodbye," he shouted, tangling with his tongue as well as with his feet.
The princess, picking up her dress, sat down in the darkness of the carriage; her husband was straightening his saber; Prince Ippolit, under the pretext of serving, interfered with everyone.
“Excuse me, sir,” Prince Andrei said dryly and unpleasantly in Russian to Prince Ippolit, who was preventing him from passing.
“I’m waiting for you, Pierre,” said the same voice of Prince Andrei affectionately and tenderly.
The postilion set off, and the carriage rattled its wheels. Prince Hippolyte laughed abruptly, standing on the porch and waiting for the Viscount, whom he promised to take home.

“Eh bien, mon cher, votre petite princesse est tres bien, tres bien,” said the Viscount, getting into the carriage with Hippolyte. – Mais très bien. - He kissed the tips of his fingers. - Et tout a fait francaise. [Well, my dear, your little princess is very sweet! Very sweet and perfect Frenchwoman.]
Hippolytus snorted and laughed.
“Et savez vous que vous etes terrible avec votre petit air innocent,” continued the Viscount. – Je plains le pauvre Mariei, ce petit officier, qui se donne des airs de prince regnant.. [Do you know, you are a terrible person, despite your innocent appearance. I feel sorry for the poor husband, this officer, who pretends to be a sovereign person.]
Ippolit snorted again and said through his laughter:
– Et vous disiez, que les dames russes ne valaient pas les dames francaises. Il faut savoir s"y prendre. [And you said that Russian ladies are worse than French ones. You have to be able to take it on.]
Pierre, having arrived ahead, how home person, went into Prince Andrei's office and immediately, out of habit, lay down on the sofa, took the first book he came across from the shelf (it was Caesar's Notes) and began, leaning on his elbows, to read it from the middle.
-What did you do with m lle Scherer? “She’s going to be completely ill now,” said Prince Andrei, entering the office and rubbing his small, white hands.
Pierre turned his whole body so that the sofa creaked, turned his animated face to Prince Andrei, smiled and waved his hand.
- No, this abbot is very interesting, but he just doesn’t understand things that way... In my opinion, eternal peace is possible, but I don’t know how to say it... But not by political balance...
Prince Andrei was apparently not interested in these abstract conversations.
- You can’t, mon cher, [my dear,] say everything you think everywhere. Well, have you finally decided to do something? Will you be a cavalry guard or a diplomat? – asked Prince Andrei after a moment of silence.
Pierre sat down on the sofa, tucking his legs under him.
– You can imagine, I still don’t know. I don't like either one.
- But you have to decide on something? Your father is waiting.
From the age of ten, Pierre was sent abroad with his tutor, the abbot, where he stayed until he was twenty. When he returned to Moscow, his father dismissed the abbot and said young man: “Now you go to St. Petersburg, look around and choose. I agree to everything. Here is a letter for you to Prince Vasily, and here is money for you. Write about everything, I will help you with everything.” Pierre had been choosing a career for three months and had done nothing. Prince Andrey told him about this choice. Pierre rubbed his forehead.
“But he must be a Mason,” he said, meaning the abbot whom he saw at the evening.
“All this is nonsense,” Prince Andrei stopped him again, “let’s talk about business.” Were you in the Horse Guards?...
- No, I wasn’t, but this is what came to my mind, and I wanted to tell you. Now the war is against Napoleon. If this were a war for freedom, I would understand, I would be the first to enter military service; but help England and Austria against greatest man in the world... this is not good...
Prince Andrei only shrugged his shoulders at Pierre's childish speeches. He pretended that such nonsense could not be answered; but indeed it was difficult to answer this naive question with anything other than what Prince Andrei answered.
“If everyone fought only according to their convictions, there would be no war,” he said.
“That would be great,” said Pierre.
Prince Andrei grinned.
“It may very well be that it would be wonderful, but it will never happen...
- Well, why are you going to war? asked Pierre.
- For what? I don't know. That's how it should be. Besides, I’m going... - He stopped. “I’m going because this life that I lead here, this life is not for me!”

A woman's dress rustled in the next room. As if waking up, Prince Andrei shook himself, and his face took on the same expression that it had in Anna Pavlovna’s living room. Pierre swung his legs off the sofa. The princess entered. She was already in a different, homely, but equally elegant and fresh dress. Prince Andrei stood up, politely moving a chair for her.
“Why, I often think,” she spoke, as always, in French, hastily and fussily sitting down in a chair, “why didn’t Annette get married?” How stupid you all are, messurs, for not marrying her. Excuse me, but you don’t understand anything about women. What a debater you are, Monsieur Pierre.
“I keep arguing with your husband too; I don’t understand why he wants to go to war,” said Pierre, without any embarrassment (so common in the relationship of a young man to a young woman) addressing the princess.
The princess perked up. Apparently, Pierre's words touched her to the quick.
- Oh, that’s what I’m saying! - she said. “I don’t understand, I absolutely don’t understand, why men can’t live without war? Why do we women don’t want anything, don’t need anything? Well, you be the judge. I tell him everything: here he is his uncle’s adjutant, the most brilliant position. Everyone knows him so much and appreciates him so much. The other day at the Apraksins’ I heard a lady ask: “est ca le fameux prince Andre?” Ma parole d'honneur! [Is this the famous Prince Andrei? Honestly!] – She laughed. - He is so accepted everywhere. He could very easily be an adjutant in the wing. You know, the sovereign spoke to him very graciously. Annette and I talked about how this would be very easy to arrange. How do you think?
Pierre looked at Prince Andrei and, noticing that his friend did not like this conversation, did not answer.
- When are you leaving? - he asked.
- Ah! ne me parlez pas de ce depart, ne m"en parlez pas. Je ne veux pas en entendre parler, [Oh, don’t tell me about this departure! I don’t want to hear about it," the princess spoke in such a capriciously playful tone, like she spoke to Hippolyte in the living room, and who obviously did not go to the family circle, where Pierre was, as it were, a member. “Today, when I thought that I needed to break off all these dear relationships... And then, you know, Andre?” She blinked significantly at her husband. “J"ai peur, j"ai peur! [I'm scared, I'm scared!] she whispered, shaking her back.
The husband looked at her as if he was surprised to notice that someone else besides him and Pierre was in the room; and he turned inquiringly to his wife with cold politeness:
– What are you afraid of, Lisa? “I can’t understand,” he said.
– That’s how all men are selfish; everyone, everyone is selfish! Because of his own whims, God knows why, he abandons me, locks me in the village alone.
“With your father and sister, don’t forget,” Prince Andrei said quietly.
- Still alone, without my friends... And he wants me not to be afraid.
Her tone was already grumbling, her lip lifted, giving her face not a joyful, but a brutal, squirrel-like expression. She fell silent, as if finding it indecent to talk about her pregnancy in front of Pierre, when that was the essence of the matter.

• The armor of the frontal armor plates of the hull has been increased from 80 mm (upper) and 60 mm (lower) to 82 and 62 mm, as well as the fender plate from 30 to 41 mm, the bottom plate and roof from 16 to 17 mm.
• The armor of the frontal plate of the Pz-V_Standardturm turret was changed from 110 to 100 mm, the gun mantlet and roof from 100 to 120 mm, and the protection of viewing devices from 16 to 30 mm.
• The rate of fire of the 88mm_KwK_36_L56 gun in the top turret is set to 10.34 rounds per minute.
• The rate of fire of the 88mm_KwK_43_L71 gun is set to 9.84 rounds per minute.

Update 0.6.6

• Rebalanced for level 7.

Update 0.7.0

• Ammo rack durability reduced by 20%.
• The view of the top tower has been increased from 420 to 430 meters.

Update 0.8.4

• The angle of inclination of the lower frontal part has been increased to the historical 55 degrees.
• The thickness of the lower frontal part has been reduced to the historical 50 mm.

Update 0.8.8

• The rotation speed of the Pz.Kpfw chassis. Panther Ausf. A changed from 25 to 30 deg/sec.
• Scatter of the gun due to the movement of the Pz.Kpfw chassis. Panther Ausf. A reduced by 5%.
• Dispersion of the gun due to rotation of the Pz.Kpfw chassis. Panther Ausf. A reduced by 5%.
• Chassis resistance of Pz.Kpfw. Panther Ausf. A on hard soils is reduced by 15%.
• Chassis resistance of Pz.Kpfw. Panther Ausf. A for medium soils is reduced by 28%.
• Chassis resistance of Pz.Kpfw. Panther Ausf. A for soft soils was reduced by 17%.
• Load capacity of the Pz.Kpfw chassis. Panther Ausf. G changed from 49,300 kg to 48,000 kg.
• The rotation speed of the Pz.Kpfw chassis. Panther Ausf. G changed from 28 to 32 deg/sec.
• Scatter of the gun due to the movement of the Pz.Kpfw chassis. Panther Ausf. G reduced by 5%.
• Dispersion of the gun due to rotation of the Pz.Kpfw chassis. Panther Ausf. G reduced by 5%.
• Chassis resistance of Pz.Kpfw. Panther Ausf. G on hard soils reduced by 9%.
• Chassis resistance of Pz.Kpfw. Panther Ausf. G on medium soils is reduced by 14%.
• Chassis resistance of Pz.Kpfw. Panther Ausf. G on soft soils is reduced by 4%.
• Added Maybach HL 210 TRM P30 engine.
• Added Maybach HL 230 TRM P30 engine.
• The Maybach HL 174 engine has been removed.
• The Maybach HL 210 P30 engine has been removed.
• The Maybach HL 230 P45 engine has been removed.
• The hull weight has been changed from 20,500 kg to 18,775 kg.
• Added FuG 5 radio station.
• The maximum forward speed has been changed from 48 km/h to 55 km/h.
• The aiming time of the 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70 gun has been changed from 2.3 seconds. up to 3.5 sec.
• The dispersion of the 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70 gun after firing has been increased by 50%.

For the Pz.Kpfw turret. Panther Schmalturm

• The elevation angle of the 10.5 cm KwK 42 L/28 gun has been changed from 17 to 20 degrees.
• The dispersion of the 10.5 cm KwK 42 L/28 gun after firing has been reduced by 12%.
• The dispersion of the 10.5 cm KwK 42 L/28 gun when rotating the turret has been increased by 14%.
• The elevation angle of the 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70 gun has been changed from 17 to 20 degrees.
• The reload time of the 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70 gun has been changed from 4.6 sec. up to 4 sec.
• The dispersion of the 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70 gun after firing has been reduced by 12%.
• The dispersion of the 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70 gun when rotating the turret has been reduced by 14%.
• The elevation angle of the 7.5 cm KwK 45 L/100 gun has been changed from 17 to 20 degrees.
• The declination angle of the 7.5 cm KwK 45 L/100 gun has been changed from 6 to 8 degrees.
• The reload time of the 7.5 cm KwK 45 L/100 gun has been changed from 4.8 sec. up to 4.4 sec.
• The 8.8 cm KwK 36 L/56 gun has been removed.
• Pz.Kpfw turret traverse speed. Panther Schmalturm changed from 26 to 30 deg/sec
• The mass of the turret has been changed from 10,800 kg to 7,745 kg.
• Durability with Pz.Kpfw turret. Panther Schmalturm changed from 1270 to 1300 units.

For the Pz.Kpfw turret. Panther Ausf. G

• View range of the Pz.Kpfw turret. Panther Ausf. G changed from 350 m to 370 m.
• The elevation angle of the 10.5 cm KwK 42 L/28 gun has been changed from 17 to 18 degrees.
• The declination angle of the 10.5 cm KwK 42 L/28 gun has been changed from 6 to 8 degrees.
• The elevation angle of the 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70 gun has been changed from 17 to 18 degrees.
• The declination angle of the 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70 gun has been changed from 6 to 8 degrees.
• The reload time of the 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70 gun has been changed from 5.1 sec. up to 4.2 sec.
• The dispersion of the 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70 gun when rotating the turret has been reduced by 12%.
• Added 7.5 cm KwK 45 L/100 gun.
• Pz.Kpfw turret traverse speed. Panther Ausf. G changed from 41 to 30 deg/sec.
• The mass of the turret has been changed from 9600 kg to 7760 kg.

Update 0.9.0

• The tank has been redesigned with a new visual quality.

Update 0.9.17.1

• Reload time for 7.5 cm Kw.K gun. L/100 in the second tower was reduced from 4.4 to 4 s.
• Reload time for 7.5 cm Kw.K gun. L/100 in the first tower was reduced from 4.6 to 4.2 s.

The world is surprising in its own way. If you consciously look around, you can see the huge biological diversity of living beings that surrounds us every day throughout our lives. Panthers are among the amazing creatures of nature.

General information

A panther is not a specific animal, but a whole genus of the cat family, which includes such well-known species as the jaguar, tiger, lion and leopard, as well as some that are already extinct. Sometimes the snow leopard (snow leopard) is also included in this category, but most often it is classified into its own genus.

Origin

According to scientific research, it is believed that the Panther genus descended from the oldest, already extinct species of cat, Puma pardoides. After analyzing the excavations, it was concluded that panthers appeared about 2 million years ago in Asia. However, after a DNA study, it turned out that they arose 16 million years ago.

The similarity in the structure of the snow leopard with large cats discovered during molecular studies casts doubt on the opinion of scientists: some of them classify it as a panther, while others classify it as a separate genus. A consensus on this matter has not yet been formed.

As a result archaeological excavations The remains of a European jaguar were discovered that appeared in Italy about 2 million years ago, which is considered the ancestor of the modern jaguar.

There is also a separate genus, the Clouded Leopard, which has only slight similarities to panthers. It consists of only two species: the clouded leopard and the Bornean (Kalimantan) clouded leopard.

Characteristic

Representatives of this genus are large in size. The largest of them is Amur tiger, listed in the Red Book. They have an elongated body and a long tail, reaching almost half the length of the body; in lions, it has a fur tassel at the end. Panthers are notable for their small, short ears and eyes with round pupils. The claws on their feet are large and curved. With their strong teeth, representatives of this genus can easily deal with victims. The anatomical difference between males and females is expressed by the fact that male panthers are usually larger than females. In the case of lions, the male specimen has a mane on the front of the body. If you look at any photo of a male panther, you will notice clear differences between him and the female.

Due to the special structure of the larynx and hyoid apparatus, panthers can produce a characteristic loud sound - a roar.

Lifestyle

Both females and males of panthers are dangerous and professional predators who hunt mainly ungulate mammals: hyenas, antelopes, even monkeys, despite the fact that they can significantly exceed the size of the representatives of the genus themselves. Unattended goats, sheep, cows and other domestic animals can also become their victims. Typically, predators wait for their victims in ambush, for example, near watering places, and then suddenly and quickly attack. Panthers usually enjoy their food while lying down, tearing off pieces of food by jerking their heads upward. They prefer to hunt at night, but their activity is also pronounced during the daytime. Almost all representatives, with the exception of the lion, are solitary animals. Lions usually travel in small family packs - prides. They live mainly in savannas and semi-deserts, while other species are common in lowland and mountain forests or reed thickets. Most large cats are found in Africa, but they can also be seen in Asia and South America.

The average lifespan of a panther is 10 years, but there are cases of their long existence - up to 20 years.

Reproduction of cats

By the age of 2-3 years, individual panthers already become sexually mature. The female's pregnancy lasts about 3 months, then 2-3 kittens are born, for which the mother looks for a cozy and safe place. The cubs' eyes open only after some time. In a cat family, the female takes care of the children, and the male panther gets food by hunting animals. When children reach a certain age, the mother teaches them movement and hunting. The panther becomes an adult animal at the age of 1: it is completely ready for independent life.

Interestingly, when crossing a black and a spotted panther, the cubs are mostly born with a spotted coloration. This happens because the gene for this color is dominant and suppresses the gene for black color.

What is a male panther called?

Few people know that panthers are a genus that includes different kinds, listed earlier. As a result of this, the question very often arises: what is the name of a male panther? It's not that difficult to answer. A male panther should be named based on the biological species to which it belongs: lion - lioness, tiger - tigress. Jaguar and leopard have no derivatives female, therefore, to highlight the sex of an individual, they say “female leopard”, “male jaguar”.

Manifestation of melanism in the genus Panthera

The most famous species that can often be seen in many films or animated series is the black panther. In fact, this coloring of an individual is the result of melanism - a variant of the phenotype that appears as a result of a gene mutation. Black fur is usually found in jaguars or leopards. Melanistic panthers are most common in Malaysia (about 50%). Typically, such animals live in dark areas, as they become less visible as a result of poor lighting, which allows them to survive. In general, neither females nor males of the black panther differ from other representatives of this genus.

In leopards, incomplete melanism (abundism) occurs - the skin is not pigmented evenly throughout the body, but in patches. To this external change can be caused by various factors, even temperature.

What else do you need to know about panthers? Here are a few interesting facts:

1. Sometimes hybrids are found in nature - organisms obtained by crossing genetically different forms. These include, for example, the tigon (tiger lion), which is a hybrid of a tiger and a lioness, the leopon (a hybrid of a leopard and a lioness) and some others.
2. The black panther became most famous thanks to the popular book by R. Kipling “Mowgli”, in which the kind Bagheera was a representative of this family.
3. Panthers are present on the coat of arms of the country of Gabon (Africa). Two representatives of the cat family are holding a shield. This represents the bravery and bravery of the head of state.