First-ever video footage of a black lynx
Video footage of a black lynx has been captured for the first time. The extremely rare sighting has thrilled researchers and conservationists worldwide.
A black Canada lynx was filmed for the first time by a scientist near the city of Whitehorse in Canada's Yukon territory.
The new study on the first documented evidence of melanism in Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) was published on 10 October in the journal Mammalia . Wildlife biologist Thomas Jung of the Yukon environment agency captured a rare sighting of the dark-coloured wild cat with his camera, which he believes only a few people have ever seen.
The abstract of the research paper states that variation in coat colour among mammal species is of ongoing interest, likely due to its potential to adapt — or not — to the environment. Furthermore, the study highlights that coat colour in the genus Lynx is stable and varies little compared to other felids.
The study further notes that members of the species L. canadensis have a coat that is normally silver-grey in winter and reddish-brown during the summer months, with dark spots and black hairs at the tips of their ears and tails. A so-called rare «pale colour morph» is only occasionally observed, suggesting partial albinism.
Black Canada Lynx
The video recorded by Jung was uploaded on Thursday, 20 October, by the YouTube channel Science Alert . In the 30-second video, a dog can be heard barking at the black Canada lynx, which was standing still in a field. From the camera's vantage point, it suddenly moved in a horizontal direction.
The short clip was recorded with a mobile phone southeast of Whitehorse in the aforementioned Canadian territory. The exact population of Canadian lynxes with melanism or dark fur is currently still unclear. The recording does, however, confirm that the biological phenomenon of melanism can occur throughout the animal kingdom, particularly in mammals.
What is melanism?
Melanism is a condition of the skin or fur attributable to increased dark pigmentation of the plumage, resulting in a blackish appearance.
Melanism is also associated with mutations in a specific gene encoding the melanocortin-1 receptor, a protein responsible for regulating melanin pigmentation, according to a 2017 study published in the journal BioOne.
For years, scientists have observed various animals with adaptive melanism, including cats, canids, squirrels, and coral snakes.
