First record of albinism in white-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus in South America recorded in the Ecuadorian Andes

Albino deer in the Ecuadorian Andes

Abstract

The white-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus is a widely distributed species across the Americas, inhabiting diverse temperate and tropical ecosystems. Both a lowland and highland subspecies occur in Ecuador. Color variation in vertebrates is mainly driven by changes in melanin concentration and can produce conditions like albinism, leucism, and melanism. Such pigmentation disorders have been reported in cervids worldwide but here we report the first case of albinism for O. virginianus in South America. The observation was made during a camera trap study conducted from October 2020 to February 2021 in Ecuador’s eastern Andes, approximately 50 km east of Quito, on private lands in páramo and montane forest ecosystems. An albino white-tailed deer, presumed to be female, was recorded once on January 8, 2021, at 3,969 m. in páramo habitat. Characterized by completely white fur, red eyes, and pink nose, hooves and ears. This individual represents the only record of albinism from 147 white-tailed deer detections during the study period. This is the first record of albinism in a white-tailed deer in Ecuador and South America. Albinism is rare in wild mammals and may affect survival, reproduction, and increase predation risk. This observation adds to and highlights color variations in Andean mammals, suggesting genetic constraints in populations.