TY - JOUR
T1 - A Leucisitic Fisher (Pekania pennanti) and the Prevalence of Leucism in Wild Carnivores
AU - Olson, Lugas O.
AU - Allen, Maximilian L.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 E-flow BioOne. All rights reserved.
PY - 2019/1/1
Y1 - 2019/1/1
N2 - Animal coloration has adaptive roles for communication, concealment, sexual selection, and physiological function. Genetic mutations sometimes cause abnormal coloration such as leucism, in which an animal appears partially or entirely white, except for exposed soft skin tissue. Here we document a leucistic fisher (Pekania pennanti). Fisher fur normally ranges from deep brown to black, but the function of the pelt color is not understood. The literature on the occurrence of leucism includes 33 other records of leucism among carnivores. Reporting cases of rare coloration in the wild helps to understand the distribution, prevalence, and significance of abnormal colors.
AB - Animal coloration has adaptive roles for communication, concealment, sexual selection, and physiological function. Genetic mutations sometimes cause abnormal coloration such as leucism, in which an animal appears partially or entirely white, except for exposed soft skin tissue. Here we document a leucistic fisher (Pekania pennanti). Fisher fur normally ranges from deep brown to black, but the function of the pelt color is not understood. The literature on the occurrence of leucism includes 33 other records of leucism among carnivores. Reporting cases of rare coloration in the wild helps to understand the distribution, prevalence, and significance of abnormal colors.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85069226552&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85069226552&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1674/0003-0031-181.1.133
DO - 10.1674/0003-0031-181.1.133
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85069226552
SN - 0003-0031
VL - 181
SP - 133
EP - 138
JO - American Midland Naturalist
JF - American Midland Naturalist
IS - 1
ER -