This jaguar cub is two months old, and under the right lighting, you can still spot faint rosettes beneath the dark fur. The black coat comes from melanism, a genetic condition where excess melanin deepens the coloration. About 10 percent of wild jaguars have this rare variation. The gene responsible is dominant, meaning just one parent carrying it can pass it on. As a result, cubs in the same litter can be either black or spotted, depending on which genes they inherit.

A dark coat can help in the forest, where shadows and dense trees offer cover. Camouflage is essential for ambush predators. However, there is a tradeoff. Most jaguars have white patches on the backs of their ears, which may help with subtle signaling and assist cubs in tracking their mother through dense cover. Black jaguars usually lack those markings, which improves concealment but may slightly reduce visual communication.