Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin (ISSN 0178 – 6288) . Number 108, December 2013, pp. 26-42. | Page 3

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Erythrism is very unusual in carnivores, and the condition appears most often
in raccoons, Eurasian badgers, and coyotes, Hunter noted. "There are some
spotted leopard skins and melanistic specimens—black panthers—in museums
with red undertones, but fading probably contributes to that," he said. Melanism
is an unusual development of black or nearly black color in an animal's skin, fur,
or plumage (Dell'Amore, National Geographic Daily News, 2012).
The strawberry leopard seems healthy and likely suffers no ill consequences
from his pinkish hue, Hunter said: "He's obviously a successful animal."
For instance, the leopard's coat still offers him some camouflage—leopards rely
on their spotted fur to sneak up on pre ??B?'W6?F?V?g&??26??6R20?fVWB?B?WFW'2?v??FV??t??&R??F????vV?w&??2F???Ww2?#"?????&Rv?'&?6??Rf?"F?R7G&v&W''??V?&B&RF?Rv?Rf&?2F?B7W'&?V?@?F?R?F??vR&W6W'fR??V?FW"6?B??bF?R????vW&RF??VfRF?R&W6W'fR??Rv@???6RF?R7G&?7B&?FV7F????ffW&VB'??F??vR?B&V6??Rf?"v?Rf?"?Vv??G&????V?F??r??V?FW"6?B?$?Bw2F?RfFR?b??B?b?V?&G2?"?FV??t??&R???F????vV?w&??2F???Ww2?#"??&VB?V?&BF??FW&???F?7??B?V?F??r7W?W27F?&R?GG???wwr??W77?&V7B?6???vV?WF?72??WF?B??V?&G2??F???F?RvV'6?FR( T?W77?&V7B?6??( b?V?F???VC?( T?F?W"?V?&B?WF?G2??6?VFR&V@??W'?F?&?7F?2??V?&G2v?F?6??6??FR'&?v??&???w2??&VFF?6?&6?w&?V?@?FW67&?&VB2'&?6????v??"?'Vfb?V?&G2v?F??&?vR&?6WGFW2?fR?67W'&VC??&?&&?GVRF?W'?F?&?6???7?GFVB?V?&B?v??BW'?F?&?7F?27?GFV@?v?V??R?F?R?W7F????&????v?6?'V??WF??( 2?V?&W"?( 2FV6V?&W"#0???