Abstract
Pigmentation anomalies in wild mammals are rare and poorly documented in wild boar (Sus scrofa) populations. Leucism, characterized by partial loss of melanin while retaining normal eye pigmentation, represents one of the least frequently reported coloration anomalies in the species. During a camera-trap survey in Bamo Mountain, Zagros Mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan, an unusually pale-colored wild boar consistent with leucism was recorded. The individual exhibited cream to light-blond pelage with retained darker pigmentation on the snout and distal limbs, while the eyes remained normally pigmented. Its morphology and behavior were otherwise consistent with those of a typical wild boar. The animal was recorded on three independent occasions by motion-activated camera traps deployed for Persian leopard (Panthera pardus tulliana) monitoring in mountainous oak woodland habitat. Although progressive greying cannot be completely excluded based solely on camera-trap footage, the observed characteristics are more consistent with leucism. This observation represents the first documented record of a wild boar from Iraq exhibiting characteristics consistent with leucism and highlights the value of camera-trap surveys for detecting rare phenotypic variation in wild populations.
Recommended Citation
Ali, Bahez F.; Raza, Hana A.; and Horeni, Nabaz
(2026),
First Photographic Record of a Pale-Colored Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) Consistent with Leucism in the Zagros Mountains, Iraqi Kurdistan,
AUIQ Complementary Biological System: Vol. 3:
Iss.
3, 1-6.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.70176/3007-973X.1071
Available at:
https://acbs.alayen.edu.iq/journal/vol3/iss3/1
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.70176/3007-973X.1071
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