tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3739684561063978507.post5684224829652540429..comments2024-03-22T21:58:18.933+00:00Comments on ShukerNature: THE BLACK TIGER – A VERITABLE BÊTE NOIRE OF MYSTERY CATSAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15628598508836601012noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3739684561063978507.post-36611388497722692852019-06-28T05:50:02.153+01:002019-06-28T05:50:02.153+01:00Actually there is a mythological black tiger with ...Actually there is a mythological black tiger with a white spot on its forehead. The spot on the forehead white or black on a white or black tiger is probably mistranslated as simply black tiger with a white spot on its forehead. They are also identified as having protruding eyes also indicates that its a mutation.tgold8888https://www.blogger.com/profile/11730006136408540682noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3739684561063978507.post-90037014748409249232018-10-15T02:59:10.572+01:002018-10-15T02:59:10.572+01:00Regarding that last photo, I'd discount its st...Regarding that last photo, I'd discount its status as a tiger on two separate counts. 1: I agree that the build looks more jaguar-like than tiger-like, I can't see a tiger in it at all. 2: Look closely at the tail where it curves, compare and contrast with the body fur. The body fur is covered in the characteristic rippling of JPEG artifacts, I think. I'm quite familiar with the pattern from the 90s, but that was a few years ago now. Whatever the cause of the rippling, the tail has *spots* which don't match the artifact pattern; they're much larger. At least, this is what my eyes tell me. I suspect the park management may be out for some free publicity, and I'm not happy about the further harm this may do to genuine reports.<br /><br />Analyses aside, I'm really loving this site! ^.^Ethan Gardenerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04477704222423568933noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3739684561063978507.post-48508931415671404692017-07-28T22:53:58.216+01:002017-07-28T22:53:58.216+01:00I am a fossil hunter in Texas who travels through ...I am a fossil hunter in Texas who travels through all the backwoods areas in the state and I talk to many ranchers who know their land and the wildlife that live on it. One thing I love to ask is if the ranchers have ever seen a mountain lion. I am telling you that I have had at least ten reports of "black panthers" even though, according to scientists, melanistic mountain lions do not exist. I never ask if they'd seen black panthers, I just ask about mountain lions, and they volunteer the information on melanistic big cats. It's a mystery to me and these people have no reason to lie. Another thing I noticed over time is that all the reports of black mountain lions come from Central Texas or East Texas, but never come from West Texas. Could these animals be cases of mistaken identity? Maybe. But one thing I've also noticed just in the past two years, I am suddenly seeing melanistic white tail deer every once in a while. I have never seen one in all my twenty years here in Austin until very recently. Also a friend of mine came to me last year, all excited, and said he had seen a "black deer" in his neighborhood! I'm not sure what's going on. BobChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16660274194341106555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3739684561063978507.post-2932398946349524162014-06-05T03:40:56.665+01:002014-06-05T03:40:56.665+01:00I'm not an authority but I have seen a few tig...I'm not an authority but I have seen a few tigers and leopards in person at zoos and circuses and the main problem I have with your last photo is the apparent lack of fur. Tigers and leopards both have fur that is usually somewhat apparent even in photos. This animal looks like it rolled in something that slicked all the fur down. This may also have colored the animal dark. I took an extra long look at the photo and I am convinced this is a tiger. Remember I'm not an expert just a lay-person. But the trunk of the animal is quite large in proportion to the legs while leopards seem shorter in trunk length comparatively (to me). I can't really make out the head but the neck also appears very robust like a tiger's neck. These differences are apparent if you look at the Deniyaya photo above. Note the longer limbs compared to the shorter trunk of the leopard. <br /><br />Overall, I like your thinking on the existence of melanistic tigers. Never common before and becoming rarer due to the shrinking population and habitat. They could well be gone for good already. Although the pseudo-melanistic specimen could found a population that could be eventually selected for increased spread of melanin. Perhaps we'll have them one day. Although I don't really approve of breeding designer animals ... well whatever.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09127945598591929729noreply@blogger.com