Melanism in Animals

The term melanism refers to black pigment and is derived from the Greek: μελανός. Melanism is a development of the dark-colored pigment melanin in the skin or its appendages.
Pseudo-melanism, also called abundism, is another variant of pigmentation, characterized by dark spots or enlarged stripes, which cover a large part of the body of the animal, making it appear melanistic.
Melanism related to the process of adaptation is called adaptive. Most commonly, dark individuals become fitter to survive and reproduce in their environment as they are better camouflaged.
This makes some species less conspicuous to predators, while others, such as black panthers, use it as a foraging advantage during night hunting.
Adaptive melanism has been shown to occur in a variety of animals, including mammals such as squirrels, many felines and canids, and coral snakes.
Here is a random collection of some beautiful Melanistic and Pseudo-melanistic animals.

Видео Melanism in Animals канала Extinction Blog