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Herpetology Notes, volume 11: 1003-1005 (2018) (published online on 26 November 2018)

Leucism in the Yellow-headed Gonatodes albogularis (Duméril and Bibron, 1836)

Freddy Alexander Grisales-Martínez1,2,* and Lucas Arias-Alvarez1

Atypical colorations in wild (hypo- in the families Gekkonidae (Delaugerre, 1981; Seufer, pigmentation and hyper-pigmentation) occur with low 1985; Hughes and Behangana, 2017), Phyllodactylidae frequency principally because they have low survival (Rocha and Rebelo, 2010; Courtis et al., 2015), and rates, due to that specimens within these conditions (Delageurre, 1981). may hatch stillborn, with malformations, and are easier Gonatodes Fitzinger, 1843 is a diverse of to be detected by prey and predators (Walter, 1938; in the family Sphaerodactylidae, with Gonatodes Hayley-McCardle, 2012; Noronha et al., 2013, Lobo albogularis (Duméril and Bibron, 1836) as one of and Sreepada, 2016). the most conspicuous due to the abundance A type of hypo-pigmentation is leucism, which consists and easy detection of their populations, and the wide in lack of eumelanin and phaeomelaninin, and it can distribution in and the north of South be partial or total (Bechtel, 1995; Van Grouw, 2006). America (Savage, 2002; Köhler, 2008; Uetz et al., 2017). with this condition present the eyes normally Sánchez-Páez et al. (2000) reports pigmented anomalies pigmented, whereas the skin have either reduced in G. albogularis with melanic males in populations of coloration or lack it entirely (Sage, 1962; Bechtel, 1995). San Andrés Island (), however there are no Leucism is controlled by a single recessive allele and is reports of leucism or albinism in the species throughout not necessarily related to genetic mutations (Owen and its distribution. Skimmings, 1992; Hayley-McCardle, 2012), unlike On 25 July 2017 at afternoon (5:00 pm), the authors albinism, which is caused by several gene mutations found an adult female of G. albogularis (snout-vent (Summers, 2009). length [SVL]: 39 mm, LC: 40 mm, Weight: 2.5 g, Fig. Types of leucism are well known in several 1) with abnormal coloration during a faunal monitory species, including incomplete leucism as the lizards around the crusher plant Procopal S.A. in the vicinity of Tarentola boettgeri and Iguana iguana (Rocha and the Sinifana stream in Bolombolo, Venecia Municipality, Rebelo, 2010; Ayala-Monedero and Álvarez-León, Antioquia Department, Colombia (5.9994°N, 2014) and complete leucism for the snakes Hemachatus 75.8177°W, WGS84, 585 m a.s.l.). The specimen was haemachatus and Python molurus, the turtle euthanized using 2% Xylocaine and deposited at the Podocnemis unifilis (Bechtel, 1995; Schmidt, 1999; Museo de Herpetología de la Universidad de Antioquia, Erikson and Kafer, 2015; Lobo and Sreepada, 2016). Medellín, Colombia (MHUA-R 15131). In the Infraorder Gekkota, leucism has been recorded The taxonomic determination was based on the absence of eyelids, fingers and toes with not dilated phalanges, the lacking retractile claws, two lateral rows of scales in fingers and toes, and presence of three supralabial scales to a point below the anterior margin of eye (Rivero-Blanco, 1979; Savage, 2002; Köhler, 1 Servicios Ambientales y Geográficos S.A., Calle 11B # 40A- 2008). Sex was determined by the absence of hemipenis 130 Piso 4, Medellín, Colombia. and undifferentiated coloration between the head and 2 Grupo Herpetológico de Antioquia (GHA), Bloque 7, body (being clearly differentiated in males). laboratorio 121. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto de Biología, Universidad de Antioquia, Calle 67 # The specimen collected presented some parts of the 53-108, Medellín, Colombia. body with a yellowish tone such as the groin, base * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] of the tail, dorsal flanks, infralabial and supralabial 1004 Freddy Alexander Grisales-Martínez & Lucas Arias-Alvarez scales, scales around the eyes, and remainder of the needed to conduct experimental studies under controlled body with translucent cream coloration (Fig. 1A). conditions that allow this hypothesis to be tested. The aforementioned pattern is different to the females without leucism that present greyish body coloration Acknowledgments. We thank the company Procopal S.A. with irregular spots of different size of black and brown for the use of the data obtained in wildlife monitoring for the colour throughout the body (Fig. 1B). The specimen present publication and its workers for the accompaniment. To the biologist Jesus Mendoza for the help in the field work. To showed normal coloration of the pupil and iris. Diego Rivera-Prieto and Javier Sunyer for his valuable comments This is the first record of leucism in the wild for on earlier version of the manuscript. We also thank the Museo the genus Gonatodes. Some studies suggests that de Herpetología de la Universidad de Antioquia (MHUA) for pigmentary anomalies occur at a higher level in evasive providing us workspace and company Servicios Ambientales y species characterized by nocturnal activity and fossorial Geográficos S.A. for financial support for this work. habitat, because as they are less subject to selective pressures related to visually oriented predators (Sazima References and Di-Bernardo, 1991; Esqueda et al., 2005, Abegg et Abegg, A.D., Mario-Da-Rosa, C., Cavalheiro, C.P., Ortiz, F.R., al., 2014; Entiauspe-Neto, 2017). This could be to be the Malta-Borges, L. (2014): Partial albinism in Sibynomorphus reason why hypo-pigmentation has not been registered ventrimaculatus (Boulenger, 1885) (Serpentes: Dipsadidae) in to date in species of gecko diurnal genus Gonatodes Rio Grande do Sul state, . Herpetology Notes 7: 475– and generally little reported in species of the family 476. Sphaerodactylidae with a single case documented by Ayala-Monedero, D., Mary, R., Álvarez-León, R. (2014): Short communication a report on a case of incomplete leucism in the Delageurre (1981) for the species Euleptes europea. green iguana (Iguana iguana) (: Iguanidae) in the Erickson and Kaefer (2015) suggests that leucistic caribbean colombian. Boletín Científico. Centro de Museos. animals can compensate for their anomaly by presenting Museo de Historia Natural 18: 158–162. characteristics of body quality that allows them to be Bechtel, H.B. (1995): Reptile and amphibian variants: colors, more agile in the detection-capture of prey and the escape patterns, and scales. 1St Edition. Malabar, USA, Krieger of predators. We hypothesized that this specimen could Publishing. reach adulthood due to a greater locomotor capacity or Courtis, A., Cajade, R., Piñeiro, J.M., Hernando, A., Marangoni, F. selection of denser microhabitats, new specimens are (2015): First record of albinism in the Taragüi Gecko Homonota taragui (Squamata: Phyllodactylidae). Herpetology Notes 8: 425–427. Delaugerre, M. (1981): Cas d’albinisme chez Phyllodactylus europaeus Gené, 1838: 1ercas signalé dans la famille des Gekkonidae (Sauria, Reptilia). Bulletim bi-mensuel de la Société linnéenne de Lyon 50: 213–216. Duméril, A.M., G. Bibron. (1836): Erpetologie Générale ou Histoire Naturelle Complete des . Paris, France, Librairie Encyclopédique de Roret. Entiauspe-Neto, O.M., Abegg, A.D., Quintela, F.M., Mario-da- Rosa, C., Malta-Borges, L., Loebmann, D. (2017): First record of leucism for Atractus reticulatus (Serpentes: Dipsadidae). Brazilian Journal of Biology 78: �ttp://dx.doi.org/10.1590/1519- 6984.08416. Erickson, J., Kaefer, I.L. (2015): Multiple leucism in a nest of the yellow-spotted Amazon River turtle, Podocnemis unifilis. Salamandra 51: 273–276. Esqueda, L.F., La Marca, E., Soriano, P. (2005): Partial albinism in a Venezuelan specimen of false coral snake, Oxyrhopus petola petola (Linnaeus, 1758). Herpetotropicos 2: 114–115. Hayley-Mccardle, B.S. (2012): Albinism in wild vertebrates. – Unpublished MSc thesis, Science Texas State University, San Marcos, USA. Figure 1. Leucism (A, MHUA-R 13354) and normal coloured Hughes, D.F., Behangana, M. (2017): Hemidactylus mabouia (B, MHUA-R 13355) females of Gonatodes albogularis from (Wood Slave) – Partial leucism. African Herp News 64: 33–35. Bolombolo, Venecia Municipality, Antioquia Department, Köhler, G.K. (2008): Reptiles of Central America. 2nd Edition. Colombia. 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Accepted by Philipp Wagner