Journal of Animal Diversity

Journal of Animal Diversity

A new record of complete albinism in the Five-striped palm squirrel (Funambulus pennantii Wroughton, 1905) from Madhya Pradesh, India

Document Type : Short Communication

Authors
Arockianathan Samson 1
Hemant Bajpai 2
1 Bombay Natural History Society, Vulture Programme, Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre, Bhopal-462 044, Madhya Pradesh, India
2 Bombay Natural History Society, Vulture Programme, Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre, Pinjore, Haryana, India
Abstract
Albinism is a hereditary hypopigmentation disorder caused by recessive alleles that inhibit melanin production in the skin, fur, and eyes, resulting in either complete or partial loss of pigmentation. True albinism, typically characterized by white fur, pale skin, and pink eyes, is rare in wild mammals, with an estimated occurrence of about one in 10,000 births. On 12 October 2025, a completely white Five-striped palm squirrel (Funambulus pennantii) showing pink eyes, ears, and nose, confirming the diagnosis of true albinism, was recorded in Kurawar, Rajgarh District, Madhya Pradesh, India. This constitutes the first confirmed record of albinism in F. pennantii from Madhya Pradesh. The species is widely distributed across northern and central India and typically inhabits semi-urban areas, agricultural landscapes, and forest edges. Previous reports of color aberrations in Funambulus spp. from Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana primarily describe leucism rather than true albinism, making the present observation a significant addition to the limited documentation of pigment anomalies in Indian mammals. Records of albinism and related pigment disorders offer valuable insights into genetic variation, adaptive significance, and evolutionary processes—such as frequency-dependent selection that influence the persistence and ecological relevance of rare color morphs in natural populations.
Keywords
Camouflage
color aberration
genetic variation
melanin
pigment disorders
Subjects
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