Leucism in rodents: the first record for the mocó (Kerodon rupestris Wied-Neuwied, 1820), a rodent endemic to Brazil

Hamilton F. Barreto; Yuri R. S. Meneses; André B. Galina; Stephen F. Ferrari; Raone Beltrão-Mendes

doi:10.31687/SaremNMS23.6.3

Autores/as

Hamilton F. Barreto Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Brasil. Laboratório de Biologia da Conservação, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Brasil.
Yuri R. S. Meneses Laboratório de Biologia da Conservação, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Brasil.
André B. Galina Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Brasil. Centro de Triagem de Animais Silvestres, Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis (CETAS/IBAMA), Sergipe, Aracaju, Brasil.
Stephen F. Ferrari Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Brasil. Laboratório de Biologia da Conservação, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Brasil.
Raone Beltrão-Mendes Universidade Federal de Sergipe

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31687/SaremNMS23.6.3

Palabras clave:

hypo-pigmentation, mocó, skin coloration disorder

Resumen

Leucism is a skin color disorder that causes a total white or whitish coloration of the skin or parts of the skin of the affected individual. In the present study, we present the first record of leucism in mocó Kerodon rupestris. The animal was observed twice in a rocky outcrop inside a Caatinga forest on November 2020 and April 2021. To date, this is the first record of leucism in any rodent species of the family Caviidae. The long-term isolation of populations limits the flux of individuals, reduces genetic variability, and increases the chance of the occurrence of leucistic individuals.

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