Margay also hide their spots: first records of melanistic Leopardus wiedii from Colombia and Costa Rica

Abstract

Melanism has been commonly recorded in tropical felids, especially within the genus Leopardus. However, so far there are no reports of the existence of melanism in Leopardus wiedii. Herein, we present the first report of melanistic individuals of margays, obtained in Colombia and Costa Rica. The low frequency and scarcity of melanistic margay records along its distribution reflect that this is potentially not an ecological or adaptive advantage for the species, and likely the mutation is not established, or even follows a random frequency in the populations.Keywords: Cryptic species; Melanism; Mutation; Natural history; Wild felids ResumenEl melanismo ha sido comúnmente registrado en felinos tropicales, especialmente del género Leopardus. Sin embargo, hasta ahora no ha habido reportes de la existencia de melanismo en Leopardus wiedii. Aquí presentamos los primeros reportes de individuos melánicos de margay obtenidos en Colombia y Costa Rica. La baja frecuencia y escases de registros de margay melánicos a lo largo de su distribución posiblemente refleja que este fenómeno no sea una ventaja ecológica ni adaptativa para la especie, y posiblemente la mutación no se ha establecido o su frecuencia es incluso aleatoria en la población.

Natural Selection of Melanism in Costa Rican Jaguar and Oncilla: A Test of Gloger’s Rule and the Temporal Segregation Hypothesis

“…Of the six felid species that occupy Costa Rica, three are known to exhibit melanistic polymorphisms—jaguar ( Panthera onca ), jaguarundi ( Herpailurus yagouaroundi ), and northern tiger cat ( Leopardus tigrinus oncilla ); there are no records of melanistic puma ( Puma concolor ) or ocelot ( Leopardus pardalis ) in Costa Rica, and melanistic margay ( Leopardus wiedii ) have only recently been reported (González-Maya et al., 2018). It is reported that about 10% of jaguars globally are melanistic (Silva, 2017), and melanism in this species is inherited as a dominant trait caused by a 15-bp deletion in the MC1R gene that produces eumelanin in the background regions of the coat (Eizirik et al., 2003; Haag et al., 2010).…”

Chapter 39: Margay

“…The hair is relatively short, thick, and soft. The species shows an extensive range of coloration, from a pale gray to ocher brown or cinnamon on the back, with shades that decrease in intensity ventrally (González-Maya et al 2018). From the ventral part of the mandible to the belly, the color is yellowish to white.…”

“…The tail has about 12 dark-toned rings which do not completely close at the bottom (Reid 1997, de Oliveira 1998). Although rare, melanic individuals have been documented in Colombia and Costa Rica (González-Maya et al 2018).…”

First record of margay (Leopardus wiedii) in cloud forest of Guatemala

“…In México, there are records of margays in cloud forests for the states of Guerrero, Jalisco, Morelos, Oaxaca, and San Luis Potosí, at elevations between 800 and 2,750 m (Aranda et al 2012;Carvajal-Villarreal et al 2012;Cinta-Magallón et al 2012;Almazán-Catalán et al 2013;Aranda and Valenzuela-Galván 2015). In Costa Rica and Colombia, this cat was documented at altitudes of 1,529 and 2,313 m, respectively (González-Maya et al 2018).…”