Black Spotted Deer
Posted by: Loren Coleman on July 26th, 2009
Indian news services are reporting on Sunday, July 26, 2009, in the Sakaal Times of Pune, India, and in The Hindu of an intriguing example of melanism in a deer.
Needless to say, this may be a rare mutation or a new color morph seen near Coimbatore, India, but it is doubtful, as the article states in the Sakaal Times headline, that it is a “New species of deer spotted.” (Since it seems to be a black spotted deer, I am not unaware that the Indian headline writer may have been attempting a bit of a pun here.)
The Hindu photo.
The Sakaal Times article says, in part,
In one of the most interesting developments in the field of wildlife, a rare animal species of spotted deer with black coat has been recorded by the Sanctuary Wildlife Warden recently.
Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary [Kerala, India], Warden Sanjayan Kumar said he spotted and photographed this black spotted deer during a field visit on July 19, at Parambikulam range and this might be the first of its kind as therewere no authenticated report or photographs of black spotted deer shot in the wild.
He said ”this phenomenon of black coat in spotted deer is presumed to be the same as the occurrence of black (melanistic) colour variant in Black Panther or Black Leopard, the presence of high melanin pigmentation in the hairs and skin.
Melanism is carried by a recessive allele in leopards ( whereas it is carried by a dominant allele in jaguar). As in Black Panther a close examination of the black coat of this rare photographed spotted deer also revealed the typical spots of spotted deer which are still there, but are hidden by the excess black pigmentation.”
Kumar also said there was also a possibility that this animal might be a cross between Spotted deer and sambar deer. Only genetic or DNA studies could bring out the facts.
This report of the presence of black spotted deer would definitely generate interest among a large sections of wildlife enthusiasts, wildlife photographers and researchers for further research and study on the melanistic phenomenon in Spotted Deer, he added.
The Spotted Deer or Cheetal (axis), which commonly inhabits the regions of Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh and India, was the most common deer species in Indian forests.
Source
About Loren Coleman
Loren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” leading living cryptozoologist. Certainly, he is acknowledged as the current living American researcher and writer who has most popularized cryptozoology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Starting his fieldwork and investigations in 1960, after traveling and trekking extensively in pursuit of cryptozoological mysteries, Coleman began writing to share his experiences in 1969. An honorary member of Ivan T. Sanderson’s Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained in the 1970s, Coleman has been bestowed with similar honorary memberships of the North Idaho College Cryptozoology Club in 1983, and in subsequent years, that of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club, CryptoSafari International, and other international organizations. He was also a Life Member and Benefactor of the International Society of Cryptozoology (now-defunct).
Loren Coleman’s daily blog, as a member of the Cryptomundo Team, served as an ongoing avenue of communication for the ever-growing body of cryptozoo news from 2005 through 2013. He returned as an infrequent contributor beginning Halloween week of 2015.
Coleman is the founder in 2003, and current director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine.
Very pretty animal.
I wonder if these Deer have the same “significance” in India that White Harts or White Lions have in the Scottish Highlands or Africa? Are they a symbol of Good Luck or Good Times, I wonder?
Hmmm…..
Good picture. Hope more are found.