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First record of a white phenotype Egyptian weasel (Mustela subpalmata) in Tahta, Sohag, Egypt

  • Firas Hayder ORCID logo EMAIL logo , Zimkitha J.K. Madikiza ORCID logo , Mohamed G. Awad and Emmanuel Do Linh San ORCID logo
Published/Copyright: November 18, 2024
Mammalia
From the journal Mammalia Volume 89 Issue 1

Abstract

Aberrant pelage colourations have been occasionally detected in carnivores, including mustelids. However, to our knowledge, no cases of leucism have been reported in the genus Mustela to date. On May 1, 2024, an Egyptian weasel (Mustela subpalmata) killed by locals was discovered and photographed in the town of Tahta, Egypt. The specimen exhibited predominantly white fur on its left side and head. Although eye colour was not inspected, the normal lip colouration, dirty white fur hue, and dark brown tail tip suggest a case of leucism rather than albinism. Leucism is often linked to inbreeding caused by population isolation or size reduction, which could arise through urban development, considering that roads can act as social and physical barriers to gene flow. Genetic studies are needed to elucidate the population dynamics and conservation implications for urban Egyptian weasels.

Keywords: albinism; Egyptian weasel; genetic mutation; human–wildlife conflicts; hypopigmentation; leucism
Corresponding author: Firas Hayder, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Fort Hare, Alice 5700, South Africa, E-mail:
Present address: Emmanuel Do Linh San, Department of Biological and Agricultural Sciences, Sol Plaatje University, Kimberley 8300, South Africa

  1. Research ethics: Not applicable.

  2. Informed consent: Not applicable.

  3. Author contributions: Firas Hayder wrote the first draft of the manuscript. Zimkitha J.K. Madikiza wrote and revised the paper and provided critical input. Mohamed G. Awad made the field observation and took the photo of the white Egyptian weasel. Emmanuel Do Linh San wrote and revised the paper and provided critical input. The authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.

  4. Use of Large Language Models, AI and Machine Learning Tools: The first draft of this manuscript benefited from the use of an AI tool for English language improvement and refinement.

  5. Conflict of interests: The authors state no conflict of interest.

  6. Research funding: None declared.

  7. Data availability: Not applicable.

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Received: 2024-07-08
Accepted: 2024-10-04
Published Online: 2024-11-18
Published in Print: 2025-01-29

© 2024 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

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  4. Rediscovery of a population of the plains spotted skunk, Spilogale interrupta, a species of conservation concern, from southern Texas, USA
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  13. Pigmentation anomalies and lesions in bats from Oaxaca, Mexico
  14. Camera trapping reveals the reddish phenotype of jaguarundi (Herpailurus yagouaroundi) on the western border of Brazilian Pantanal
  15. First record of a white phenotype Egyptian weasel (Mustela subpalmata) in Tahta, Sohag, Egypt
  16. Biogeography
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https://doi.org/10.1515/mammalia-2024-0099
Keywords for this article
albinism; Egyptian weasel; genetic mutation; human–wildlife conflicts; hypopigmentation; leucism

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Conservation
  3. Demographic characteristics of the endangered Barbary sheep Ammotragus lervia (Bovidae: Caprini) in the fenced Amassine reserve, Western High Atlas range, Morocco
  4. Rediscovery of a population of the plains spotted skunk, Spilogale interrupta, a species of conservation concern, from southern Texas, USA
  5. Ecology
  6. Ecology, distribution and habitat suitability analysis of the North African sengi (Petrosaltator rozeti, Macroscelidea, Afrotheria) in Tunisia
  7. New data on the poorly known Andean rodent Abrocoma uspallata (Rodentia: Abrocomidae)
  8. Complex reproductive and migratory patterns in the European free-tailed bat (Tadarida teniotis) (Molossidae)
  9. Roosting ecology, reproduction, and population fluctuations of three Hipposideros species (Chiroptera) in Indonesian caves
  10. Exploring mammalian diversity in a human-modified landscape: insights from a small Cerrado fragment surrounded by silviculture
  11. Evolutionary Biology
  12. Cytogenetic data from remote areas of Amazon: new karyotypes for spiny rats (Rodentia: Echimyidae)
  13. Pigmentation anomalies and lesions in bats from Oaxaca, Mexico
  14. Camera trapping reveals the reddish phenotype of jaguarundi (Herpailurus yagouaroundi) on the western border of Brazilian Pantanal
  15. First record of a white phenotype Egyptian weasel (Mustela subpalmata) in Tahta, Sohag, Egypt
  16. Biogeography
  17. First record of the spotted hyena Crocuta crocuta in Egypt during the past 5,000 years
  18. First records and extension of the geographic distribution of Cynomops kuizha (Chiroptera: Molossidae) in the Colombian Caribbean
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