• Question: Can lions and tigers be Melanistic?

    Asked by placeb0effect to Carla, Madgie, Nick, Vicky, Werner on 14 Nov 2013.
    • Photo: Vicky Forster

      Vicky Forster answered on 14 Nov 2013:

      Hello,
      What a great question! I have to admit, I didn’t instantly know the answer, so I had to look it up. It seems that some forms of wild cats can indeed be melanistic, such as the black panther for example, but melanistic lions and tigers are much rarer. I found one report here: http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120708/spectrum/main2.htm of a sighting of a melanistic tiger though, so it would seem that they do exist, albeit rarely.

    • Photo: Werner Muller

      Werner Muller answered on 14 Nov 2013:

      I am sure that melanistic lions have been spotted. I do not know any example of a melanistic tiger.

    • Photo: Nick Groves-Kirkby

      Nick Groves-Kirkby answered on 14 Nov 2013:

      Now that’s something I didn’t know. Glad to see the scientists are learning too!

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