The First Records of Albinism in Several Colubridae Species in Ukraine
Abnormal colouration in reptiles, such as melanism, albinism and leucism, provides important insights into ecological stress, genetic variability and population dynamics in reptiles, a group of vertebrates that reacts to various environmental stresses early on. This study presents the first document...
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| Дата: | 2025 |
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| Автори: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
| Формат: | Стаття |
| Мова: | Англійська |
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Publishing House "Akademperiodyka" of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
2025
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| Онлайн доступ: | https://ojs.akademperiodyka.org.ua/index.php/Zoodiversity/article/view/823 |
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| Назва журналу: | Journal Zoodiversity |
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Journal Zoodiversity| _version_ | 1856543281752571904 |
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| author | Marushchak, O. Yu. Smirnov, N. A. Hrynchyshyn, T. Yu. Nekrasova, O. D. Koval, N. P. Horbey, O. Ya. Bakun, V. A. Pupins, M. Mykytynets, H. I. Vlašín, M. Shorokhov, O. S. Shevchuk, V. O. Khomyn, I. G. Georges, J.-Y. |
| author_facet | Marushchak, O. Yu. Smirnov, N. A. Hrynchyshyn, T. Yu. Nekrasova, O. D. Koval, N. P. Horbey, O. Ya. Bakun, V. A. Pupins, M. Mykytynets, H. I. Vlašín, M. Shorokhov, O. S. Shevchuk, V. O. Khomyn, I. G. Georges, J.-Y. |
| author_sort | Marushchak, O. Yu. |
| baseUrl_str | |
| collection | OJS |
| datestamp_date | 2025-12-18T11:49:27Z |
| description | Abnormal colouration in reptiles, such as melanism, albinism and leucism, provides important insights into ecological stress, genetic variability and population dynamics in reptiles, a group of vertebrates that reacts to various environmental stresses early on. This study presents the first documented cases of albinism and leucism in Colubridae snakes in Ukraine, providing new data for the wider European context. Between 2000 and 2025, eight cases of colouration anomalies were recorded: four in Aesculapian snakes (Zamenis longissimus (Laurenti, 1768)), three in dice snakes (Natrix tessellata (Laurenti, 1768)) and one in a grass snake (Natrix natrix (Linnaeus, 1758)). These observations were supported by photographic or video evidence and primarily occurred in two localised regions: Zakarpattia for Z. longissimus and the Dniester estuary for N. tessellata. One albino Z. longissimus specimen was successfully kept in captivity, enabling long-term observation of its growth and behaviour. These findings suggest the presence of local concentrations of recessive alleles and imply that environmental pressures could perpetuate such traits. Our data enrich current knowledge of herpetological diversity and colouration anomalies in Eastern Europe, highlighting the value of long-term monitoring and citizen science in biodiversity research. |
| first_indexed | 2026-02-08T08:00:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | zoodiv-article-823 |
| institution | Journal Zoodiversity |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-02-08T08:00:44Z |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publisher | Publishing House "Akademperiodyka" of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine |
| record_format | ojs |
| spelling | zoodiv-article-8232025-12-18T11:49:27Z The First Records of Albinism in Several Colubridae Species in Ukraine Marushchak, O. Yu. Smirnov, N. A. Hrynchyshyn, T. Yu. Nekrasova, O. D. Koval, N. P. Horbey, O. Ya. Bakun, V. A. Pupins, M. Mykytynets, H. I. Vlašín, M. Shorokhov, O. S. Shevchuk, V. O. Khomyn, I. G. Georges, J.-Y. Natrix Zamenis snakes leucism Eastern Europe abnormal coloration Abnormal colouration in reptiles, such as melanism, albinism and leucism, provides important insights into ecological stress, genetic variability and population dynamics in reptiles, a group of vertebrates that reacts to various environmental stresses early on. This study presents the first documented cases of albinism and leucism in Colubridae snakes in Ukraine, providing new data for the wider European context. Between 2000 and 2025, eight cases of colouration anomalies were recorded: four in Aesculapian snakes (Zamenis longissimus (Laurenti, 1768)), three in dice snakes (Natrix tessellata (Laurenti, 1768)) and one in a grass snake (Natrix natrix (Linnaeus, 1758)). These observations were supported by photographic or video evidence and primarily occurred in two localised regions: Zakarpattia for Z. longissimus and the Dniester estuary for N. tessellata. One albino Z. longissimus specimen was successfully kept in captivity, enabling long-term observation of its growth and behaviour. These findings suggest the presence of local concentrations of recessive alleles and imply that environmental pressures could perpetuate such traits. Our data enrich current knowledge of herpetological diversity and colouration anomalies in Eastern Europe, highlighting the value of long-term monitoring and citizen science in biodiversity research. Publishing House "Akademperiodyka" of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine 2025-09-23 Article Article application/pdf https://ojs.akademperiodyka.org.ua/index.php/Zoodiversity/article/view/823 10.15407/zoo2025.06.519 Zoodiversity; Vol. 59 No. 6 (2025): Zoodiversity Zoodiversity (Vestnik Zoologii); Том 59 № 6 (2025): Zoodiversity 2707-7268 2707-725X 10.15407/zoo2025.06 en https://ojs.akademperiodyka.org.ua/index.php/Zoodiversity/article/view/823/357 Copyright (c) 2025 Oleksii Marushchak, Nelia Koval, Oleg Horbey, Volodymyr Bakun, Oksana Nekrasova, Taras Hrynchyshyn, Nazar Smirnov, Halyna Mykytynets, Mojmir Vlašín, Jean-Yves Georges |
| spellingShingle | Marushchak, O. Yu. Smirnov, N. A. Hrynchyshyn, T. Yu. Nekrasova, O. D. Koval, N. P. Horbey, O. Ya. Bakun, V. A. Pupins, M. Mykytynets, H. I. Vlašín, M. Shorokhov, O. S. Shevchuk, V. O. Khomyn, I. G. Georges, J.-Y. The First Records of Albinism in Several Colubridae Species in Ukraine |
| title | The First Records of Albinism in Several Colubridae Species in Ukraine |
| title_full | The First Records of Albinism in Several Colubridae Species in Ukraine |
| title_fullStr | The First Records of Albinism in Several Colubridae Species in Ukraine |
| title_full_unstemmed | The First Records of Albinism in Several Colubridae Species in Ukraine |
| title_short | The First Records of Albinism in Several Colubridae Species in Ukraine |
| title_sort | first records of albinism in several colubridae species in ukraine |
| topic_facet | Natrix Zamenis snakes leucism Eastern Europe abnormal coloration |
| url | https://ojs.akademperiodyka.org.ua/index.php/Zoodiversity/article/view/823 |
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