INHERITANCE OF ALBINISM IN THE MEADOW VOLE (MICROTUS-PENNSYLVANICUS)

An albino male Microtus pennsylvanicus, live-trapped in an old-field c ommunity in Butler County, Ohio, was successfully bred with four consp ecific wird-type females in the laboratory. Individuals from the resul ting generations were bred with nonlittermates of the same generation or previous generations. This case of albinism was shown to be inherit ed as an autosomal recessive trait. No significant differences were ob served between litter sizes of voles bred in an experimental albino co lony and those bred in a separate wildtype colony. Homozygous albino o ffspring, however, exhibited a significantly lower body mass than homo zygous and heterozygous agouti offspring at 20 days of age.