Advertisement-colouration in a carnivore: the kekebero (Canis simensis), part 2

By Antoni V Milewski and Anthony J Mills · Originally published 6 August 2026

Photographs on iNaturalistAssembled by the author in the comment thread beneath his post on jackals

Both partsPart 1·Part 2

Catoptric effects in the kekebero

The following shows a subtle aspect of the conspicuous colouration in Canis simensis.

As shown in part 1, this species possesses both a caudal flagg and a pedal flagg.

Caudal flaggAlamy 1·Alamy 2

Pedal flaggAlamy

For further illustrations, please see the two comments on the author’s post on jackals, and the photographs reproduced from them in part 1 and in the Bio-edge edition of that post.

Further illustrationsComment 1·Comment 2·Jackals, on Bio-edge·Part 1

In both cases, conspicuousness is at least partly owing to whiteness.

WhitenessAlamy

However, the white on the tail is owing only to depigmentation, whereas the white on the forefoot is owing to depigmentation (incomplete) plus ‘sheen’.

The ‘sheen’ in question is not visible in the following two photographs, owing to the angle of illumination.

Sheen not visibleGetty·Shutterstock

The ‘sheen’ necessary to ‘light up’ the inner surface of the lower foreleg, making it white, is an example of pilocatoptric effects.

Pilocatoptric effectsCatoptric effects in alcelaphine bovids, part 1

The following shows the pedal flagg in illumination lacking the ‘sheen’ effect. The pelage on the inner surface of the lower foreleg is pale owing to depigmentation, but would seem white only with the additional catoptric effect.

CitedDreamstime

The following is an even clearer illustration of the fact that the inner surface of the lower foreleg is not actually white in the sense of depigmentation.

CitedDreamstime

In the following, the pedal flagg has been activated by locomotion, but lacks the accentuation provided by ‘sheen’. It is conspicuously pale, but not white as required for full effectiveness as a social (intraspecific) signal.

CitedDreamstime

In the following, the pilocatoptric effect is complete, and the pedal flagg appears as white.

CitedDreamstime 1·Dreamstime 2

The following shows the whiteness at both the tail (depigmentation) and the foreleg (depigmentation plus ‘sheen’).

CitedGetty

The following is, overall, the best of the photos available free from iNaturalist:

Further photographs cited by the author

Added by Antoni Milewski in comments beneath the original post.

Further photographsiStock 1·iStock 2·iStock 3

Clear illustration of caudal flagg.

VideoiStock

Shift.

Mountain nyalaiStock

Unusual views of caudal flagg.

CitedAlamy 1·Alamy 2·Alamy 3