123
A rare strawberry leopard was spotted in Tanzania, he writes Success in UA.
The spots on this male look faded in the sun, and its coloring is noticeably lighter than that of a normal leopard, with no black pigment around its mouth, paws and ears.
Researchers are inclined to believe that it is a real mutation. Genetic research is needed to confirm this theory, reports techno.nv.ua.
Strawberry leopards (Panthera pardus) are leopards with a rare genetic mutation that discolors their spots, giving them an unusual pink or gold hue. Similar leopards were previously observed in South Africa.
To learn more about strawberry leopards and estimate their distribution, scientists set up 319 pairs of camera traps throughout the Nyerere-Selus ecosystem. These cameras took more than 4000 pictures of leopards, which made it possible to identify 373 unique individuals. Only one of them was painted in strawberry color.
There are two theories about the origin of this mutation in Tanzania. The first suggests that strawberry leopards from South Africa may have spread this trait into the Tanzanian population. However, this is unlikely due to the long distance and geographical barriers. A second theory suggests that the mutation may have arisen as a result of inbreeding caused by trophy hunting. This explains the higher rate of sightings of strawberry leopards in South Africa.
Scientists continue to study this rare genetic mutation to understand its impact on leopard survival and adaptation in the wild.
