Comparative study of the physical parameters of melanosomes in hair of different colour varieties of Mustela putorius furo

Animal coat colour is determined by various factors, including the type of pigment, its quantity, the shape of pigment cells, and their distribution throughout the body. For mammals, melanin (eumelanin and pheomelanin) is the primary pigment responsible for body colour. The aim of this study was to analyse the physicochemical basis of the fur colouration in Mustela putorius furo, in order to identify the causes of the differences in coat colour between ferrets and farmed polecats. The research material consisted of hair samples from 104 individuals. The research included isolating the pigment from the hair using concentrated acids and alkali (H2SO4, HCl, and KOH) and taking photographs of cross-sections of the guard hairs using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Analysis of SEM images and microscopic preparations showed differences in the shape, size, number and intensity of pigment granules between the colour varieties studied. Most of the observed melanosomes were ellipsoidal in shape (eumelanosomes), while only some granules, of smaller size, were oval in shape (pheomelanosomes). Individuals with black fur had the largest pigment granules, while those with light brown fur had the smallest. No melanosomes were observed in albinos.