Abstract
Leucism appears in various groups of vertebrates, although it is rare in mammals. For Argentina, we do not know of any documented registry for small rodents. The objective of our work is to report the first cases of leucism in cricetid rodents in the Puna Desert of Argentina. Field work was carried out in the Multiple Use Provincial Reserve Don Carmelo (San Juan, Argentina), located in the Puna Desert. The animals were captured in 9 grids formed by 36 Sherman-type traps, established in plots located between 3.100 and 3.300 m, in the years 2013-2014. We recorded 6 cases of leucism in 3 species of cricetids: Eligmodontia sp. (n = 3), Abrothrix andina (n = 2), and Phyllotis xanthopygus (n = 1). This work represents the first report of cases of leucism in small mammals from Argentina. The cases in the studied population could be due to the low gene flow imposed by the high environmental severity of an extreme desert, probably related to genetic causes derived from climatic and ecological factors, as these are non-anthropized environments.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
