Variation among ungulates in pigmentation of the bare skin of the anus, perineum, udder, inguinal area, and stifle-fold

The perianal/perineal bare skin, ventral to the whitish base of the tail, is somewhat pigmented in the blesbok (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/69719656).

The following shows that in the vicuna, as in the guanaco, the bare skin on the ventral surface of the tail is pale (depigmented), despite the pigmentation of the perineal skin, around the anus and vulva.

https://www.shutterstock.com/it/image-photo/del-chimborazo-natural-fauna-national-park-2226795159

This contrasts with gazelles, in which the bare skin on the ventral surface of the tail is blackish:

Gazella marica

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/arabian-sand-gazelle-natural-habitat-conservation-1955798821.

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/arabian-sand-gazelle-natural-habitat-conservation-1955798722

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/arabian-sand-gazelle-natural-habitat-conservation-1955798839

Posted on March 27, 2024 05:27 PM by milewski