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American black bear -

Black bears are North America's most familiar and common bears. They are also the continent's smallest and most widely distributed bear species.

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Black panther -

A creature steeped in myth and folklore, the black panther is the melanistic color variant of the leopard and the jaguar. These beautiful big cats are rare for their appearance, and found in the tropical forests of India, the Far East, and South America.

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American crow -

This is the common crow over much of the US and Canada. As an adult, this bird is entirely black from bill to tail, except for its brown eyes. Crows are thought to be among our most intelligent birds, and range across a wide variety of habitats.

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Black wolf -

Much maligned as a creature associated with devil worship and the occult, the black wolf is simply a melanistic color variant of the gray wolf. Occurring in North America, Europe, and in some parts of Asia, the black wolf is true to its name, save for a pair of gleaming amber-colored eyes.

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Black swan -

Ornamental in appearance and graceful with it, the black swan is common in the wetlands of southwestern and eastern Australia, and throughout Tasmania. The swan's bright red bill provides striking contrast against its ink-black plumage.

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Celebes crested macaque -

The skin and hairless face of the Celebes crested macaque is entirely jet black, a hue that accentuates its long muzzle with high cheeks, and the long hair tuft, or crest, at the top of the head. Sadly, it is registered as Critically Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

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Black carpenter ant -

Distinguished from other carpenter ant species by the dull black color of the head and body, the black carpenter ant is also possessed with a formidable set of mandibles, which can administer a sharp bite. These industrious critters are native to the central and eastern United States as well as eastern Canada.

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Ayam Cemani -

Rare and unique, the Indonesian chicken breed known as Ayam Cemani takes dark to the extreme. Their beaks, tongues, combs, and wattles appear black, and even their meat, bones, and organs are black or gray.

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Eastern indigo snake -

Resembling a thick strand of licorice, the non-venomous eastern indigo snake is native to the southeastern United States, and is the longest indigenous snake species in North America.

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Great black wasp -

Handsome and malevolent unless disturbed, the great black wasp is a strikingly large, black insect with an entirely black body and smoky black wings that shine with blue iridescence. It buzzes across much of the United States and northern Mexico.

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Black saddlebags -

Unlike most species of dragonfly that dazzle in their vibrant hues, the black saddlebags, a native of North America, is painted black. The insects are named for the black blotches at their proximal ends, which make the dragonfly look as though it is wearing saddlebags.

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Black squirrel -

If you spot a black squirrel, consider yourself lucky. Occasionally seen across North America and the United Kingdom, its distinctive appearance is due to interbreeding between gray and fox squirrels.

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Short-finned pilot whale -

The short-finned pilot whale is a member of the oceanic dolphin family and as such can be highly playful and very sociable. It's distinguished by its relatively small stocky build and black to dark gray skin. Unfortunately, short-finned pilot whale pods are known to mass strand, with up to 30 beaching themselves at any one time.

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Black widow spider -

Look but definitely don't touch! The black widow is one of the most venomous spiders in the world, although only the bites of the females are dangerous to humans. The crimson hourglass-shaped marking on the underside of the central abdomen is this arachnid's only concession to color.

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Common blackbird -

One of our most beloved passerine species, the blackbird has given rise to numerous literary and cultural references, frequently related to its song—one of most beautiful and distinctive soundtracks in the animal kingdom.

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Bull -

Powerful, muscular, and aggressive, the bull—the mature, uncastrated male of domesticated cattle—has been an important symbol in many cultures: in ancient Egypt the beast was worshipped as a divine animal, and has for centuries been venerated as a creature of the cosmos, the sacred bull in the constellation Taurus.

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Black petrel -

The plumage of the black petrel is all black, as are its legs and bill except for a small pale section. Classified as Vulnerable by the IUNC, the black petrel only nests in New Zealand, breeding on Great Barrier Island and Little Barrier Island, off the North Island.

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Chilean dolphin -

Only found off the coast of Chile and listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN, the Chilean dolphin is also known as the black dolphin for its dark gray topside. The throat, underside, and the closest part of the flippers to the body are white.

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Common chimpanzee -

Chimpanzee bodies are covered by coarse and typically black hair, which grays as they get older, rather like humans. Once widespread, the chimp is now an endangered species according to IUCN data.

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King penguin -

An extremely rare sight indeed, this is an all-black king penguin, spotted in South Georgia, an island in the southern Atlantic Ocean. To date, king penguins represent the most documented cases of melanism in penguin species, according to National Geographic.

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Black rat snake -

Several species of snake are black in color, including the non-venomous black rat snake. Native to central North America, these slippery customers are known for their excellent climbing ability.

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Wild water buffalo -

Powerful and heavy, the wild water buffalo is native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It has an ash-gray to black skin, with both males and females carrying the largest horns of any bovine species. The animal is listed as Endangered by the IUCN.

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Common raven -

Found across much of the Northern Hemisphere, ravens are large all-black passerines that have coexisted with humans for thousands of years. The bird has been the subject of mythology, folklore, art, and literature for around the same time, and in some cultures is revered as a spiritual, god-like creature.

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Bonobo -

Like its cousin the common chimpanzee, the bonobo is distinguished by a coat of coarse black hair. A slender and agile great ape, the bonobo is an endangered species found only in a small area of the Congo Basin in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Central Africa.

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Cactus longhorn -

You'll very likely brush up against this flightless coal-black beetle on your travels through the deserts of the western United States and northern Mexico.

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Rook -

Noisy and gregarious, the rook has a black-bluish-purple sheen to its plumage, but, unlike other members of the crow family, has a bare area of whitish skin in front of the eyes and around the base of the bill.

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Rhinoceros beetle -

Incredibly, rhinoceros beetles number over 1,500 different species. The exoskeletons of many, like the common rhinoceros beetle and the Japanese rhinoceros beetle, are pitch-black in color. Despite their ferocious-looking armor, these beetles are harmless to humans.

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Black howler monkey -

Like all howler monkey species, the black howler has a call that can be heard up to 5 km (4 mi) away. The species ranges across central South America, and only the adult male is black.

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Red-billed chough -

Possessed of glossy black plumage, a long curved strawberry colored bill, and red legs, this bird is known for its loud, ringing call, and buoyant acrobatic flight. Its found along the western coasts of Ireland and Britain east through southern Europe and North Africa to Central Asia, India, and China.

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Black horse -

Humans began domesticating horses around 4000 BCE, and there are more than 300 breeds of horse in the world today, developed for many different uses. The most common black horse breeds are the Friesian, Percheron, Fell Pony, Murgese, and Mérens. The most famous black horse in history is Bucephalus, the horse of Alexander the Great.

Sources: (IUCN) (Smithsonian Magazine) (National Geographic)

See also: Vintage celebrity horseback moments

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