It turns out, though, that the animal's dark color isn't from evolving over generations, it's just a disorder called melanism that causes the skin to be black, much like an Albino animal's skin would be completely white.
The black panther isn't a separate species of animal at all.
In fact, on different continents they are the same species but called different things, such as the jaguar in the Americas and leopards in Asia and Africa.
The melanism actually gives the black panther a distinct advantage for hunting at night which keeps the breed selectively strong in its habitat. They are better predators, defenders, and their survivability is much greater than their lighter skinned siblings.
The disorder is typically heritable as the dominant gene and can be passed on for generations. It can also be found in other animals such as squirrels, other felines and canids, and snakes.
One of the most notable examples is the peppered moth which is used as a teaching aid for natural selection in the United Kingdom. Sometimes a disorder gives you the edge you need to survive!
