The color as an identification feature of small mammal species

SANDOVAL SALINAS, MARÍA LEONOR; COLOMBO, ELISA MARGARITA; SANDOVAL, JOSÉ DOMINGO

Juiz de Fora

Congreso; XII Luxamérica -Conferência Latino-Americana de Iluminação-; 2014

Differences in mammal coat color are used to identify different taxa, to characterize geographic variation of them, to infer evolutionary relationships among them, etc. For a long time, visual determination of color was the rule, and this method is actually widely used in the scientific community. However, color measurement by using instruments as spectrometers is repeatable and results in an objective and accurate measurement of color. As a first approach to the analysis of fur color, we objectively characterize the coat color of two small mammal species and analyze the usefulness of the methodology. Color of 54 specimens deposited in the Colección Mamíferos Lillo (Tucumán, Argentina) was studied. Measurements were made using a diffuse illumination cabin. Spectral reflectance and color coordinates of five points of the dorsal midline were recorded with a SpectraScan PR-715. The measurement results are analyzed and the implications of choosing this colorimetric data collection method are discussed.