FLICKR, NOMADIC LASS
Facial coloration helps gray wolves and other canids communicate with conspecifics, according to a study published this week (June 11) in PLOS ONE. A team led by Shiro Kohshima of Kyoto University’s Wildlife Research Center in Japan examined 320 images of canids from 25 different species, classifying them according to their facial color patterns.
Canids with light irises, including gray wolves and red foxes, were categorized as A-type (11 species). Those with dark irises but light skin or fur around the eyes, such as fennec foxes, were B-type (nine species), while those with dark irises and dark coloration around the eyes, like bush dogs, were C-type (six species). The researchers found it easiest to gauge gaze direction in A-type canids, whereas the same was somewhat ...
