Title
The first record of a wild hypopigmented oriental small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus)
Author(s)
Maximilian L. Allen;Marsya C. Sibarani;Laji Utoyo
Published
2019
Publisher
Ecotropica
Abstract
Hypopigmentation, a condition affecting the pigmentation of cells in animals, occurs throughout the animal kingdom, from reptiles to birds and mammals. The most common forms of hypopigmentation are albinism (a complete
absence of melanin in hair, skin, and eyes; Da Costa Toledo et al. 2014) and leucism (a total or partial loss of multiple types of pigmentation that results in either white, pale, or patchy coloration of an animal’s skin, hair, feathers, or
scales; Ellegren 1997, Edelaar et al. 2011). Hypopigmentation can also be acquired and change progressively over an individual’s life (Muller 2017). Hypopigmentation appears sometimes to be more common in certain geographic locations (Forrest and Naveen 2000, Edelaar et al. 2011), and the aberrant coloration caused by hypopigmentation often has negative consequences for an individual’s fitness (Sage 1962, Ellegren 1997). There are, however, instances
in which hypopigmentation appears to be locally advantageous (Edelaar et al. 2011), or have other potential evolutionary advantages (e.g., Reed & Freeman 1991, Owen & Shimmings 1992, Sobroza et al. 2016). Here we report the
first record of hypopigmentation of a wild oriental smallclawed otter (Aonyx cinereus).
Keywords
Aonyx cinereus;Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park;leucism;oriental small-clawed otter;Sumatra
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