The melanistic (black) form of the leopard, often called a black panther, is found in several regions, most notably:
* Southeast Asia: including Indonesia, Malaysia, and India.
* Africa: particularly in the central and western regions.
It's important to note that:
* Black panthers are not a separate species. They are simply leopards (or jaguars, in the case of the American black panther) with a genetic mutation that causes their coat to be black.
* They are rare. Black panthers make up a small percentage of the overall leopard population in these regions.
So, while you might hear people refer to "black leopards", it's more accurate to say they are black panthers - melanistic leopards.