The term Panther can either be used for the leopard (in certain parts of Asia) or Concolour (in certain parts of north America). I decided that I was going to use Concolour because it was the more impressive animal (to me) and was native to North America. Now Concolour goes by many names, just a few are - Mountain Lion, Cougar, Puma and Panther (in fact the Panther has more names in the dictionary then any other predator). They all are used for Concolour, and greatly add to the confusion over it. In fact I have found two different scientific names for Concolour - Puma Concolour, Felis Concolour - from books printed 11 years apart. In all even scientists give it many names.
One thing that did startle me was the lack of information on the Black Panther. It is my favorite animal and is what I based my original Panther on, the black Panthers that I thought existed in Florida. What I did find out was that there are a whole heck of a LOT of misinformation on Panthers. First of all, Black Panthers as they are called are really Black Phase Leopards - which can be found in India. The has been much confusion over Black Panthers or Pumas. There is much confusion as to whether they were even black, or whether they were Pumas, Jaguars or even bobcats. Black Pumas do exist in Central America, at least that is the information I found stated a few times in one source and mentioned briefly in another.
"The puma is prominent in American Indian mythology, with its cunning, agility, and strength respected and admired by many tribes.The animal figures in the magic and shamanism of nearly all ancients as their progenitor, protector, or as a source of power to ward of disease or to excel as a hunter. Others are awed by the animal and consider it an omen of disaster."
The PUMA, legendary lion of the Americas - Jim Bob Tinsley
As to Indian myth, which most of the totems are taken from, Panther is feared and respected, and in some is regarded as the Protector of the universe. The Zuni believed that he ancient ones wanted the world to be guarded by those keen of sight and scent. The puma (the greatest of them) was the sentinel of the north (the most important position). The Miwoks believed him to be the ideal hunter, while the Apaches and Hualapais thought her wailing was the omen of death. In Navajo myth a hero was wounded by witch objects shot into his body. Puma extracts them and save his life. They also thought that the Puma benefited them by leaving the better part of the portion of its kill for the people to eat. Conversely the Papago and the later white settlers considered the cougar a flesh eating beast. The Inca hunted many animals in great round-ups where they would hunt the hunter. They found it much easier to catch bear and deer in the rounds-ups then panthers. To many Indian societies it was both a Totem and a source of help for hunting and warfare. In fact the Hopi and Zuni took carved mountain lions when hunting deer in hopes that they would be as good at it as the mountain lion was. In many cultures the puma was often deified for its ability to hunt.
The panther is the largest Lone carnivore in North America. It is known for its strength and speed. In fact - a Panther will often beat the larger Jaguar in battle. Of all the great cats the panther is the one to hunt the most out of proportion to its size. The tiger and jaguar my hunt large animals, but they only hunt prey to about 2-3 times their size. The panther on the other hand is known to hunt animals up to 3-4 times its, giving precedence to the fact that it is one of the most dangerous of hunters. Panthers are also very quite hunters and make little noise when hunting - ie. what you see in the movies is drek.
Panthers are noted to Purr and scream (best description) much like a tabby but 10 times as big and loud. Panthers also have round not slitted eyes. They tend to rely on eyesight for hunting, but have acute hearing and smell.