A short review and worldwide list of wild albino rodents with the first report of albinism in Coendou rufescens (Rodentia: Erethizontidae)

Abstract

Abstract Aberrant pelage color patterns such as albinism have been reported in some mammal groups including rodents, but in spite of the group’s richness, the phenomenon is relatively poorly documented in the literature. Albino specimens are reported in <2% of the species of rodents, four records of neotropical species were found (Delomys dorsalis, Heteromys anomalus, Octodon degus, Phyllotis andium). Of New World porcupines (Erethizontidae), albinism was documented only in the North American species Erethizon dorsatum. Here we report the first albino record from the Neotropics for this group, a stump-tailed porcupine (Coendou rufescens) in northern Ecuador.