melanistic
Adjective
Meaning
Affected with melanism; of the nature of melanism.
Source: Webster's dictionarySynonyms
Antonyms
Phrases with the word
Examples
Color morphism A melanistic jaguar is a color morph which occurs at about 6 percent frequency in populations.
Cougar There are no authenticated cases of truly melanistic cougars (pumas).
The coat is variously described as sandy, tawny or greyish with brown, chestnut or faded rosettes. citation Variant colouration Melanistic leopard or " black panther main Melanistic leopards, known, like the melanistic jaguars, as "black panthers".
Its pelage is typically more reddish and sparsely furred than the coyote's and gray wolf's, though melanistic individuals do occur. citation Its fur is generally tawny to grayish in color, with light markings around the lips and eyes.
Several colour morphs of the cheetah have been identified, including melanistic and albino forms. citation Black cheetah have been observed in Kenya and Zambia.
Many assume that the big cat belongs to a different species, however, it is just a melanistic variant of the leopard.