https://jad.lu.ac.ir/ Journal of Animal Diversity en daily 1 Mon, 01 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0330 Mon, 01 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0330 https://jad.lu.ac.ir/article_736770.html 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. https://jad.lu.ac.ir/article_737386.html Urban environments are increasingly recognized for their potential to support biodiversity conservation at both local and landscape scales. However, the ecological functioning of managed urban green spaces remains insufficiently understood. This study investigated whether the classical Species–Area Relationship (SAR) is maintained within anthropogenically modified urban landscapes by examining two golf course ecosystems in Karnataka, India, as model systems. Zion Hills Golf County (ZHGC) represented a larger, less urbanized, and structurally heterogeneous landscape, whereas Bangalore Golf Club (BGC) represented a smaller, spatially constrained site embedded within a densely urbanized matrix. Faunal diversity was evaluated using species richness, abundance, evenness, and the Shannon–Wiener and Simpson diversity indices. Statistical analyses included one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson correlation, and linear regression. ZHGC supported substantially greater species richness (104 species) than BGC (59 species), reflecting its larger habitat area and greater ecological heterogeneity. Although differences in alpha diversity were not statistically significant (one-way ANOVA: F = 0.235, P > 0.05), linear regression revealed strong and highly significant positive relationships between habitat area and species richness (ZHGC: R² = 0.9581, P < 0.0001; BGC: R² = 0.9665, P < 0.0001). Species richness increased with habitat area and decreased with spatial isolation, indicating that SAR patterns remain robust even within engineered urban landscapes. Although these managed ecosystems cannot replace natural forests, our findings demonstrate that large, structurally complex urban green spaces can make meaningful contributions to biodiversity conservation in metropolitan regions. The persistence of SAR patterns in these modified ecosystems underscores the ecological value of well-designed and sustainably managed urban green spaces as complementary habitats that enhance biodiversity retention in rapidly expanding cities.