Albinism, also called achromia, achromasia, and achromatosis is the lack, or partial lack of pigment from the skin. It’s congenital, and caused by a defect in the enzyme tyrosinase, which plays a role in producing pigments called melanins.
The eyes often appear pinky/red because the retinal blood supply is not obscured by any pigment. It seems most animals can be born albino, a notable exception is the horse, the picture below is technically not an albino.
Unfortunately, in the wild, an animal that’s bright white and has poor eyesight is less likely to catch vigilant prey and more likely to be caught by predators, so the genes that cause albinism are kept at low levels in the population.
Below is an echidna. They live in Australia and, despite their fur, they lay eggs. They’re in the same family — monotremes — as the duck-billed platypus.
CLICK HERE FOR AMAZING PHOTOS OF AN ALBINO WHALE
I went to a market in central Thailand a few years back and they were selling albino hedgehogs as pets. At least I think they were to keep as pets.
CLICK HERE FOR AMAZING PHOTOS OF AN ALBINO WHALE
This is Jackie the jackdaw from Wiltshire:
Muntjack deer:
If you were a peckish pike, which one would you go for?
And lastly, here’s the largest human albino family in the world (probably). From Coventry, it’s the Parvez family:
ABNORMAL PLUMAGE IN BIRDS: WHY IT HAPPENS
