Record of a leucistic pampas fox Lycalopex gymnocercus (Carnivora : Canidae) in northeastern of Argentina

Abstract

Leucism is a frequent chromatic mutation in mammals that causes partial or complete fur depigmentation. This type of mutation is interesting because they have physiological and ecological implications. We report here the first record of leucism in a pampas fox Lycalopex gymnocercus (Carnivora: Canidae), photographed using a camera trap in the northeast of the province of Corrientes, Argentina. Although cases of hypopigmentation are apparently very rare among pampas foxes, they could actually be more frequent than previously assumed. 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.