Abstract
Pure white animals have long been regarded as unusual and prized by hunters. For the first time, we report an incidence of a white lesser mouse deer (Tragulus kanchil), observed by camera trap in Brunei Darussalam. This adult individual was recorded on four separate occasions in the same location. Although the underlying cause of this rare phenotype is undeterminable from camera trap images, the individual does not display the pink eyes commonly characteristic of albinism. It is surprising that this individual has survived to adulthood, as its bright white colouration makes it more vulnerable to predation, as well as a target for hunters. Further study of this individual could reveal insights into how it has survived, and the genetic health of the local population of T. kanchil.
Funding source: IAPETUS2 Doctoral Training Partnership (NERC)
Funding source: Newcastle University Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Funding source: Newcastle University Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering and Research, England
Funding source: Royal Geographical Society with IBG
Award Identifier / Grant number: RGS-IBG Postgraduate Research Award
Funding source: Pioneer Award 2021
Acknowledgments
Many thanks to Sawai, Rebekah Puttick, Bethany Holdsworth, and Lucy Eberhardt for field assistance throughout the project. We would like to thank the Brunei Forestry Department, Ministry of Primary Resources for granting a forest entry permit (JPH/UND/17 dated 12 October 2021) to conduct research. We are grateful for the support of the Institute for Biodiversity and Environmental Research at Universiti Brunei Darussalam.
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Research ethics: The studies have been approved by research ethics committees at both Newcastle University (Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body; ID 897 16/09/2021) and Universiti Brunei Darussalam (FOS Research Ethics Committee, Universiti Brunei Darussalam; UBD/FOS/E2(g) 10/07/2021).
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Author contributions: Natasha Mannion, Rachel Gaulton, Salwa Khalid, Marion Pfeifer, and Ferry Slik contributed to the study conception and design. Natasha Mannion and Jerry Wong conducted data collection. Joseph Charles contributed to species identification. Material preparation was performed by Natasha Mannion. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Natasha Mannion and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Competing interests: The authors have no competing interests to declare that are relevant to the content of this article.
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Research funding: The research leading to this finding received funding from the IAPETUS2 Doctoral Training Partnership (NERC), with additional support by the Newcastle University Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, (Pioneer Award 2021), the Newcastle University Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering and Research England, and the Royal Geographical Society with IBG (RGS-IBG Postgraduate Research Award).
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Data availability: The data summarised in the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. The dataset generated during the wider camera trapping study are not yet publicly available due to their forming the basis of Miss Mannion’s PhD research, which is not yet complete. The data referred to in the current study (camera trap images, summary of camera trap records, location) are not made publicly available due to the risk of hunting in the study area.
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