FIRST RECORD OF PIEBALDISM IN Lycalopex gymnocercus (CARNIVORA, CANIDAE) IN THE PAMPA BIOME, SOUTHERN BRAZIL

Abstract

Several cases of albinism, melanism, leucism and piebaldism in mammals have already been reported in the scientific literature. Such genetic mutations are important to be reported, because it can affect the ecological interactions of Pampas Fox individuals with piebaldism, such as predation and mating.Here we report the first case of piebaldism for the Pampas Fox Lycalopex gymnocercus (Carnivora, Canidae), observed in a rural area within the municipality of Bagé,

Record of a Leucistic Pampas Fox Lycalopex Gymnocercus (Carnivora: Canidae) in Northeastern of Argentina

“…Our finding constitutes the first record of a leucistic pampas fox. The only known case of abnormally colored fur in this species corresponds to an individual with piebaldism photographed in southern Brazil (Mello et al 2020). Considering the sampling period and the number of specimens of this species that have been recorded, we believe that leucism is very rare in the area.…”

“…It's possible that field observations of these chromatic anomalies are not regularly reported in scientific journals, leading to an underestimation of their frequency of occurrence (Abreu et al 2013). Given the ecological and physiological importance of these anomalies, researchers should report all records of this type in order to understand the degree to which these genetic variants are present in wild populations of different species of vertebrates (Abreu et al 2013, Mello et al 2020.…”