Melanism

Melanistic black eastern grey squirrel (*Sciurus carolinensis*)

Melanism is the congenital excess of melanin in an organism resulting in dark pigment.

Pseudomelanism, also called abundism, is another variant of pigmentation, identifiable by dark spots or enlarged stripes, which cover a large part of the body of the animal, making it appear melanistic.^[2]

The morbid deposition of black matter, often of a malignant character causing pigmented tumors, is called melanosis.^[3]

^ Morales, E. (1995). The Guinea Pig : Healing, Food, and Ritual in the Andes. University of Arizona Press. ISBN 0-8165-1558-1.
^ Osinga, N.; Hart, P.; van VoorstVaader, P. C. (2010). "Albinistic common seals (Phoca vitulina) and melanistic grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) rehabilitated in the Netherlands". Animal Biology. 60 (3): 273−281. doi:10.1163/157075610x516493. S2CID 84554567.
^ Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913). Melanosis Archived 2013-07-29 at the Wayback Machine. C. & G. Merriam Co. Springfield, Massachusetts. Page 910

[1] Morales, E. (1995). The Guinea Pig : Healing, Food, and Ritual in the Andes. University of Arizona Press. ISBN 0-8165-1558-1.

[2] Osinga, N.; Hart, P.; van VoorstVaader, P. C. (2010). "Albinistic common seals (Phoca vitulina) and melanistic grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) rehabilitated in the Netherlands". Animal Biology. 60 (3): 273−281. doi:10.1163/157075610x516493. S2CID 84554567.

[3] Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913). Melanosis Archived 2013-07-29 at the Wayback Machine. C. & G. Merriam Co. Springfield, Massachusetts. Page 910

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