Amazing Photos of Albino, Leucistic, Piebald, and other Animal Oddities

Albinism is usually a result of a genetic mutation. Mutations occur in a variety of ways. Once a mutation such as albinism occurs, the resulting animal can pass that genetic mutation on to it's offspring.

Many times, mutations are recessive genes. That means that the normal gene will dominate the recessive gene, and any animal carrying the normal gene, and mutant gene, will appear normal.

Occasionally, mutations are dominant though, which means that any baby that inherits the mutation that is dominant, will show the mutation in it's phenotype.

Leucistic Animals will have greatly reduced skin pigment, and in most cases will be either mostly white, or all while, but unlike the albinos that have pink eyes, Leucistic animals have black eyes.

I have been extremely lucky, to have been able to observe a wild Leucistic Hawk for the last several years. The hawk leaves just before Spring, and then returns to our area in the Fall.

A Piebald animal has patches of skin with pigment, and patches of skin with no pigment, which make them what most people call spotted.

Wild piebald animals are rarely seen, but they do occur.

Sometimes, instead of lacking pigment, animals can have lots more of it. This is many times referred to as melanism.

This black Eastern Gray Squirrel, has much more pigment than normal.

When I was much younger, and much dumber, I shot a black squirrel while hunting. Wish I could go back and undo that. It was the only one I saw in my lifetime.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (P.D.) Details