A stripeless variant of the Striped Hyena Hyaena hyaena sultana (Mammalia: Carnivora: Hyaenidae) in southwestern Saudi Arabia

Aberrant pelage phenotypes are rarely documented in wild carnivores, particularly in elusive and predominantly nocturnal species. A stripeless pelage variant of the Striped Hyena Hyaena hyaena sultana from Jabal Faifa, Jazan Province, southwestern Saudi Arabia is reported. Three Reconyx camera traps were installed to study faunal diversity in the area from 22 December 2025 to 5 June 2026, providing a nominal survey effort of 498 camera-trap nights. The survey produced 194 summarized photo/video records representing 11 vertebrate taxa. Arabian Partridge Alectoris melanocephala was the most frequently recorded taxon, whereas Indian Crested Porcupine Hystrix indica and Striped Hyena were the most frequently recorded mammals, with Striped Hyena recorded in 46 photographs. One Striped Hyena photographed at a camera station exhibited apparently absent dark flank striping. Other hyenas recorded by the same camera under comparable infrared conditions displayed the characteristic dark vertical stripes of the species clearly, reducing the likelihood that the focal phenotype resulted from illumination or camera artefacts. Because ocular, skin and genetic characteristics could not be examined, the animal is described conservatively as a stripeless pelage variant rather than assigning it to albinism or leucism. Continued monitoring and non-invasive genetic sampling are recommended to determine whether the phenotype represents an isolated developmental anomaly or a heritable local variant.