Short communication: unusual melanistic tendencies in small canids

Melanistic records in small canids are frequently attributed to poor light, wet fur, or camera white balance. Some of those explanations are correct, and some are not.

Reviewing 46 dark-furred records from northern South America, we found that at least nine could not be explained by lighting or equipment and showed consistent coat density in daylight frames.

None of those nine were collected. We argue that dark-furred individuals should be documented properly rather than written off, because coat colour is one of the few traits camera traps can record reliably.