IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Cronemberger, C.; de Aguiar Pereira, F.; de Faria Bacellar, A.E.; da Silva, L.G. | |
| First record of leucism in puma from Serra dos àrgÆos National Park, Brazil | |
| 2018 Cat News (68): 38-41 | |
Although polymorphic phenotypes are common in wild felids, leucism is a rather rare characteristic and consists in the general cleaning of the animal's coat, assigning a white colouration pattern. This characteristic is genetically controlled, with recessive inheritance. We present the first record ever of leucism in pumas_ Puma concolor_ recorded in wild populations, from Serra dos àrgÆos National Park, Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil. This record was documented with a great sampling effort, with camera traps from 2010 to 2016, being registered only in two of the twenty-four sampling stations in 2013. The record of this rare phenotype will be the baseline for later studies on the genetic basis of leucism and the adaptive relevance of this phenotypic characteristic in wild cat populations. |
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