Cases of albinism and leucism in amphibians in Italy: new reports


https://doi.org/10.4081/nhs.2017.311
Vol. 4 No. 1 (2017)
Submitted: 10 October 2016
Accepted: 16 February 2017
Published: 7 April 2017
Speleomantes, Rana, newt, Salamandra, chromatophores, tadpoles
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Authors

  • Enrico Lunghi
    enrico.arti@gmail.com
    Universität Trier Fachbereich VI Raum-und Umweltwissenschaften Biogeographie, Trier, Germany; Museo di Storia Naturale dell’Università di Firenze, Sezione di Zoologia “La Specola”; Natural Oasis, Prato, Italy.
  • Alessandro Monti Studio Professionale Tu.G.A., Rovello Porro, Italy.
  • Arturo Binda Associazione Le Contrade Onlus, Inverigo, Italy.
  • Ionne Piazzi Gravedona ed Uniti, Italy.
  • Maurizio Salvadori Parco Naturale Paneveggio Pale di San Martino, Primiero San Martino Di Castrozza, Italy.
  • Roberto Cogoni Unione Speleologica Cagliaritana, Quartu Sant’Elena, Italy.
  • Luigi Andrea Riefolo Dipartimento di Scienze dei Materiali, Università degli Studi di Milano Bicocca, Italy.
  • Carlo Biancardi C.S. Fauna Vertebrata “L. Cagnolaro”, Società Italiana di Scienze Naturali, Milano, Italia; Department of Biological Sciences, CenUR L.N., Universidad de la República, Paysandú, Uruguay.
  • Sergio Mezzadri Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Piacenza, Italy.
  • Domenico Avitabile Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.
  • Gentile Francesco Ficetola Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano; Université Grenoble-Alpes, Laboratoire d’Ecologie Alpine (LECA), Grenoble; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laboratoire d’Ecologie Alpine (LECA), Grenoble, France.
  • Manuela Mulargia Siniscola, Italy.
  • Salvatore Manca Speleo Club Nuoro, Italy.
  • Pauline Blaimont University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, United States.
  • Anna Rita Di Cerbo C.S. Fauna Vertebrata “L. Cagnolaro”, Società Italiana di Scienze Naturali, Milano, Italy.
  • Raoul Manenti Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.
Findings of abnormally pigmented amphibian individuals provide interesting insights on intraspecific phenotypic variability as well as on variation among populations inhabiting different habitats. Amphibian coloration is determined by chromatophores (specific epidermal cells), and a variety of abnormalities related to them have been reported. In this study we reported cases of albinism and leucism in six species of Italian amphibians, including some endemic species. For some taxa, like Hydromantes sarrabusensis, H. flavus, H. supramontis and Bufo viridis, we describe the first observations of albinism and leucism.

Supporting Agencies

The Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, The National Speleological Society, Instrumentl

Lunghi, E., Monti, A., Binda, A., Piazzi, I., Salvadori, M., Cogoni, R., Riefolo, L. A., Biancardi, C., Mezzadri, S., Avitabile, D., Ficetola, G. F., Mulargia, M., Manca, S., Blaimont, P., Di Cerbo, A. R., & Manenti, R. (2017). Cases of albinism and leucism in amphibians in Italy: new reports. Natural History Sciences, 4(1), 73–80. https://doi.org/10.4081/nhs.2017.311

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