Abstract
Even though there have been reports of anomalies in the colouration of several species of neotropical mammals, these events are considered to be rare within natural populations. Here we report the first case of albinism in the paca (Cuniculus paca). During the months of June and July 2017, we obtained several images of an adult albino male using camera traps in the region of Sierra Norte in Oaxaca, in the southeast of Mexico, in a medium subdeciduous forest.
Highlights
Hair and eye colour in mammals mainly depends on the quantity, quality and distribution of melanin (Ito and Wakamatsu 2008; Fertl and Rosel 2009)
Alterations or mutations in the tyrosinase gene can result in a deficiency or decrease of melanin
Santos-Moreno and Aguayo 2008) and such conditions have been categorised as albinism (Acevedo and Aguayo 2008; Fertl and Rosel 2009), leucism (Acevedo and Aguayo 2008; Fertl and Rosel 2009; Abreu et al 2013) or piebaldism (Fertl and Rosel 2009; Abreu et al 2013)
Summary
Hair and eye colour in mammals mainly depends on the quantity, quality and distribution of melanin (Ito and Wakamatsu 2008; Fertl and Rosel 2009). Santos-Moreno and Aguayo 2008) and such conditions have been categorised as albinism (total absence of body, hair and eye colouration) (Acevedo and Aguayo 2008; Fertl and Rosel 2009), leucism (total or partial absence of pigmentation in the whole body except for the eyes and/or extremities which remain with dark or blue pigmentation) (Acevedo and Aguayo 2008; Fertl and Rosel 2009; Abreu et al 2013) or piebaldism (loss of pigmentation in some parts of the body, but with normal eye colouration) (Fertl and Rosel 2009; Abreu et al 2013).
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