A black panther is a black (melanistic) color variant of one of several species of larger cat which are known by the term panther in various parts of the world. "Panther" in North America is most commonly used for the cougar (genus Puma) , in Latin America it is most often used to mean a jaguar and elsewhere in the world it usually refers to the leopard (both genus Panthera). The name "panther" is often limited to black panthers, but it is also used to refer to those which are normally-colored for the species (tawny or spotted), or to white panthers.

Melanism is most common in the jaguar (Panthera onca), where it is carried by a dominant allele, and the leopard (Panthera pardus), where it is due to a recessive allele, a pair or series of a gene coding sequences. Close examination of the color of these black cats will show that the typical markings are still there, but are hidden by the excess black pigment melanin, giving an effect similar to that of printed silk. Melanistic and non-melanistic animals can be littermates.

In those species that hunt mainly at night, the condition is not detrimental. Albino or leucistic individuals of the same three species are known as white panthers. It is thought that melanism may confer a selective advantage under certain conditions since it is more common in regions of dense forest, where light levels are lower.

Recent, preliminary studies also suggest that melanism might be linked to beneficial mutations in the immune system.

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