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Albino & Leucistic Animals (Pigmentation Deficiency)

It will be 'all white' - Albino lobster comes face-to-face with his former self
Updated 10:24am Tuesday 12th August 2014

IT WILL be ‘all white’ on the night again as albino lobster Claws came face-to-face with his former self after moulting.
Staff at Weymouth Sea Life Park breathed a sigh of relief after their one-in-a-hundred million albino lobster Santa Claws moulted and turned out all white again.

The unique crustacean was given to the Weymouth attraction by an astonished Bridport fisherman just before Christmas 2011 – hence his festive themed name. [One for the punsters!]

After his moult Claws posed for a picture with his former self.
Curator Fiona Smith said: “It was odds on his new coat would still be white, but when an animal is as rare as this one there’s always that anxious feeling that maybe his white shell was a one-off aberration and the next one would be the normal bluey-grey.”

Claws lives in the outdoor rock pool feature and since arriving at the park he has grown a few centimetres, hence his need to moult and get a new coat.
Aquarist John Elliott said: “Lobsters manage to squeeze out of their shell leaving everything intact, even the claws.
“So now we can put his old suit on display and use it to amaze visitors with when we’re showing off Santa and passing on a few secrets of lobster biology.”

There is a brief period after shedding their shells when lobsters are soft-bodied and vulnerable to attack, so they usually fine a handy hole to hide in until their new shell hardens.
Happily for Santa Claws, in his private submarine home, there was no such danger.

Staff have been trying to brush off a growth of algae on his shell but Claws has decided the feature is there to stay and won’t let them brush him, swiping his claws around to show his displeasure.

http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/114031 ... rmer_self/
 
Albino lobster on display in Southend is 'one in a million'

A "one in a million" albino lobster has become a tourist attraction at an Essex aquarium.
The crustacean was caught off the Dorset coast but was moved to Sea Life Adventure in Southend.

It is thought only one or two albino lobsters have been found in the UK in the last two decades. The invertebrates are usually dark blue in colour.
The lobster is being used for educational activities, demonstrating the "rich diversity" of sea creatures.

Another albino lobster was found by fishermen off the Dorset coast in 2011. [See previous post.]
Albinism is caused by low levels of melanin, which means there is a lack of colour pigment.

The invertebrate was found off the Dorset coast but now lives in Southend
Senior aquarist Amelie Brackin said: "Because he is a rarity - and therefore something of an oddity - his albinism allows us to demonstrate the uniqueness of the great many creatures living in our seas."

She said many people assume lobsters are red, as they appear once they have been cooked.
"They're intrigued when they see their true colour is actually dark blue but are even more fascinated to see a white one.
"Although they are extremely rare compared to normal lobsters, albinos are not impossible to find - albeit your chances are approximately a million to one," she added.

The aquarium is asking members of the public to come up with a name for the crustacean.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-29107738
 
Not too far from here...

Rare Albino Bottlenose Dolphin Spotted Off Florida Coast

An albino bottlenose dolphin, recently spotted off the east coast of Florida, was caught on video flashing its white dorsal fin above the water's blue waves.

The rare white dolphin is the star of an amateur video filmed by Danielle Carter, a volunteer with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Carter took the video when she unexpectedly noticed the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) swimming along the Indian River in Central Florida.

http://www.livescience.com/49346-albino-bottlenose-dolphin-sighting.html
 
Well, since Live Science is an absolutely authentic and reputable website, and I'm not experiencing any such problems when I click the link, I suspect the issue is with you and yours. But thanks for sharing. :rolleyes:
 
Rescued albino badger cub Casper nursed back to health in St Ives
By CMChloe | Posted: May 22, 2015

An eight-week-old albino badger cub that was found in a cage on the Devon border was rescued and nursed back to health in St Ives.
Casper, who was given the name due to his pale complexion, was discovered by wildlife police earlier this year who believe the young animal had been dug out of his den by badger baiters.
Police took the badger to the RSPCA who contacted St Ives-based Cornwall Badger Trust to take care of him.

Kathryn Driscoll, ecological surveyor and volunteer with Cornwall Badger Trust, said: "His full story is not yet known but he must have suffered great stress and we don't know where the other badgers, his family social group, went either. He has recovered well and is strong and inquisitive."
Casper was taken in by Bob Speechly and his partner Julie, who set up the trust and have been rescuing badgers for years with the help of local volunteers.
He also set up the vaccination of badgers in Cornwall five years ago, working on the West Penwith Project with former MP Andrew George and Dr Rosie Woodroffe.

After being looked after for several weeks, Casper was released into the Secret World Wildlife Rescue in Somerset, where he is doing well with a new social group.
Bob and Julie rescue badgers, foxes and birds along with other wildlife. They regularly attend fayres and hold stalls to help raise money for the trust.

For more information or to donate visit www.cornwall-badger-rescue.co.uk


Read more: http://www.cornishman.co.uk/Rescued-albino-badger-cub-Casper-nursed-health-St/story-26553468-detail/story.html#ixzz3arPUELkZ

Not sure this is a genuine Albino, though. Four photos on page.
 
Maybe its a farmer-badger hybrid.

If the Sunday Sport says it's true, it's bible law man!

badger.jpg
 
'Albino' (like leucism, melanism and erythrism) is a woolly, unscientific term with everyone seeming to have a different interpretation as to what that is.

I agree; there are whole complexes of genes referred to as 'albino', which can have very differing effects (the 'pointed' markings of Himalayan rabbits and Siamese cats, for instance, are are variant of an albino gene), a well as other alleles that can easily be confused.

I once bred a 'fake white' rabbit. It didn't actually carry any 'albino' type genes, just a combination of ones that produced English spotting, chinchilla (which reduces production of yellow pigment) and yellow (which reduces black pigment). The 'yellow' gene very often doesn't stop all black pigment developing, so he had the 'ghosts' of the English spots showing up as just the tiniest black tips on the ends of the hairs in those areas. It sounds attractive, in description, but actually he just looked like someone had picked him up with oily fingers :)
 
I agree; there are whole complexes of genes referred to as 'albino', which can have very differing effects (the 'pointed' markings of Himalayan rabbits and Siamese cats, for instance, are are variant of an albino gene), a well as other alleles that can easily be confused.

I once bred a 'fake white' rabbit. It didn't actually carry any 'albino' type genes, just a combination of ones that produced English spotting, chinchilla (which reduces production of yellow pigment) and yellow (which reduces black pigment). The 'yellow' gene very often doesn't stop all black pigment developing, so he had the 'ghosts' of the English spots showing up as just the tiniest black tips on the ends of the hairs in those areas. It sounds attractive, in description, but actually he just looked like someone had picked him up with oily fingers :)

Thanks. I learn (and then usually forget) something everyday :)
 
A fisherman has discovered what appears to be a shark with a single eye in the centre of its face.
The albino ‘cyclops’ fetus was cut from the belly of a pregnant bull shark caught in the Gulf of Califo

I believe this is a video of said shark, also a cyclops turtle, and some other cyclops critters (with an annoying voiceover) It looks almost fake; that huge eye looking so human and non-shark-ish, but seems legit.

 
A couple of amateur photographers were left thrilled after they managed to capture a rare and elusive white kingfisher on camera.

The all-white bird had become legendary among photographers at the Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda - although it had only been spotted a handful of times.

The birds - usually known for their brightly coloured plumage - are often spotted flitting along the river banks.

But this unusual critter is believed to suffer from a rare condition called Leucism - meaning its feathers have no pigment.


PAY-The-incredibly-rare-white-Kingfisher.jpg


http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/kingfisher-white-photographers-finally-catch-7317470
 
Beautiful' albino turtle found on Australia beach
9 February 2016


Wildlife volunteers say they were stunned to find an extremely rare albino turtle on a beach in Australia.
The tiny creature was one of 122 hatchlings from a green turtle nest on Castaways Beach on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.
The volunteers from Coolum and North Shore Coast Care were surveying the nest on Sunday when they found it.

_88172557_turtle1.jpg


http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-35528979
 
Rare white sparrow spotted near Plymouth
By NeilShaw | Posted: May 17, 2016

A rare white sparrow has been spotted in a back garden near Plymouth.
David Price saw the bird in his garden at Venterdon at the weekend.
The bird is leucistic, rather than albino, as it has some pigment.

The condition effects one in a million new-born sparrows meaning you generally only see one every two years across the UK.
Of the birds that are born, few survive to maturity as their lack of camouflage makes them easy prey.

A spokesman for the RSPB said: "Leucistic birds are an unusual sight. Unlike albinism, leucism affects the pigmentation of plumage while the bird's eyes remain a normal colour.
"The condition may make birds more vulnerable to predators as their unusual plumage makes them more conspicuous. The reduction in pigment can also weaken feathers making them more prone to wear."

Albinoism and leucism occurs in many animals, although it is rare to see wild animals with the condition because it makes them much more vulnerable to predators.

http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/Rar...ear-Plymouth/story-29281987-detail/story.html

Photos on page.
 
Rare albino squirrel pictured in Sussex garden
[Video]

The odds of a squirrel being born white is thought to be about one in 100,000 - so when one turns up in your back garden it is certainly worth reaching for a camera.
That is what care worker Suzie Chadwick did when she spotted a rare albino squirrel in her garden in East Grinstead, Sussex.

Grey squirrels - originally brought to Britain from North America - are now estimated to number around two and a half million, vastly outnumbering the native red squirrel.
But albinos remain a rarity.

The squirrel, whom Suzie believes is male, has been visiting her garden almost every day for the past week.
She says he plays with other grey squirrels and fights over the peanuts, sunflower seeds and bread on offer in the feeder - with tempers occasionally boiling over.
"He had a big scratch on his face after a fight last week," says Suzie, "but he keeps coming back because he seems to like a piece of the action."

In all other aspects, such as size and behaviour, Suzie says he seems like an ordinary grey squirrel, frequently pushing the other squirrels off the feeder.
According to Suzie he is accepted by the other squirrels but likes to show he's in charge.

She says she has not got a name for her visitor yet - but Henry and Harry are currently her favourites.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-36919221
 
Five rare white killer whales spotted together in a sign of dangerous inbreeding
'To have five – or up to eight – in one area of the Russian north-western Pacific, is an indication that there may well be inbreeding issues there'
Ian Johnston Science Correspondent
Thursday 1 September 2016

At least five white orcas have been spotted in the north-west Pacific in a sign that they could be becoming dangerously inbred, researchers have said.
Killer whales, as they are also known, are usually black and white but white ones have occasionally been seen before.
However, they are usually lone, immature animals and it is thought they have a tendency to die young as the trait can be associated with health problems.

Now researchers are concerned that at least one group of the apex predators are starting to struggle after between five and eight white orcas were seen in August last year off Russia's Kuril Islands, north of Japan.
Their findings have just been revealed in an academic paper in the journal Aquatic Mammals.

Erich Hoyt, who works with the Far East Russia Orca Project and who spotted Iceberg in 2010 and 2015, told The Independent their most significant finding was the number of white orcas in the group.
Normally, he said, they were "quite rare" and researchers in the Antarctic, where there are tens of thousands of killer whales, might never have seen one.

"To have five – or up to eight – in one area of the Russian north-western Pacific, is an indication that there may well be inbreeding issues there," said Mr Hoyt, who is a member of specialist cetacean group at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and also a senior research fellow with the UK-based group Whale and Dolphin Conservation.

It is not clear whether they are albino orcas or if the colouring is for some other reason.
Mr Hoyt said while there were thought to be a total of perhaps 50,000 orcas around the world, they tended to live in breeding groups ranging from a few dozen to 600 or 700.
"If a few females are captured for aquariums or knocked down for other reasons, then you can really put the breeding unit in jeopardy," he said.
"I think all large predators are in trouble on this planet because we are sort of squeezing them from all angles.
"They are not treated as an endangered species by the IUCN Red List but that's mostly because they haven't been evaluated."

Chemical pollutants, such as PCBs from widespread plastic rubbish in the oceans, are a particular problem.
Plants grow on plastic, it is consumed by marine life and then concentrates in animals higher up the food chain, with top predators like orcas the most severely affected.
"Killer whales are the most contaminated species on Earth," Mr Hoyt said.

But one white male is believed to be at least 22 as he was already mature when he was last spotted in 2010.
Named Iceberg, his relatively advanced years are cause for some hope.
"That is remarkable we have got a mature whale, which you can tell from the big dorsal fin. He was at least 15 to 17 years old when we saw him in 2010, so now he's at least 22. That's significant adulthood," Mr Hoyt said.

Orcas are immature until about 15 and the males can live for up to 60 years.
The colouring of a captive white orca called Chimo was the result of Chediak-Higashi syndrome, which also caused several medical problems.
She only lived to the age of four despite females being able to survive until 100.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/s...erg-russia-kuril-islands-albino-a7220621.html
 
Rare white porpoise has been spotted off the coast of Cornwall
By WBgdavies | Posted: December 03, 2016

A rare white porpoise has been spotted off the coast of Cornwall - only the fifth ever recorded sighting in UK waters.
The amazing sight was captured on camera by eagle-eyed nature lover Henry Kirkwood, and reported to the Sea Watch Foundation, an organisation that encourages people to report what they see at sea.

When sightings officer Kathy James received the photos of a harbour porpoise with all white colouration from Henry, she was very surprised.
Harbour porpoises are usually a uniform brown to grey colour with lighter underparts, and many people all over the UK will have been lucky enough to glimpse them as they make a brief appearance at the surface to breathe.

Kathy said: "Henry's photograph shows the typical view that an observer usually has of a harbour porpoise, with a broad-based, triangular dorsal fin showing in the centre of its back. However, the big difference is that they are not usually white!"

Henry was in awe of his sighting and his father, Rupert, who got in touch with Sea Watch Foundation to report the incident, said his eyes were on stalks when he saw the photograph.

The animal was sighted off Morwenstow in north Cornwall, close to the border with North Devon. People are urged to keep an eye out for this distinctive character and to inform Sea Watch Foundation if they spot anything at www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk/sightingsform.

Henry said: "On November 28 I spent a very enjoyable day photographing the wildlife around Morwenstow, North Cornwall, focusing primarily on the resident peregrine falcons. I also had an uninterrupted view of the sea stretching from Trevose Head, 30 miles away to the south, to Lundy Island 15 miles to the north.

"Weather conditions were perfect for spotting cetaceans with a light offshore wind and small swell. In the first four hours from my viewpoint sat on top of the towering 200 feet cliffs, I had seen several seals and a couple of conventionally-coloured harbour porpoises.

"Whilst scanning out to sea, my attention was drawn to a small white glint. Initially I thought that this might be the fin of a very pale Risso's dolphin, but on closer inspection through binoculars I was amazed to see what looked like a completely white porpoise.
"I had no idea quite how unusual this observation was, until I arrived home and trawled through the internet to learn that there has been only a handful of such sightings reported, and hardly any photographs. I went back the next day to try and get some better images knowing that porpoises tend to be quite sedentary, but with no luck."

http://www.cornwalllive.com/rare-wh...-of-cornwall/story-29955054-detail/story.html
 
Meet Pearl: The amazing alligator with incredibly rare white skin
Mark Molloy
24 January 2017 • 11:47am

An unusual albino alligator with completely white skin has become the star attraction at a US theme park in Florida.

Pearl certainly lives up to her name, with her eye-catching white skin and pink eyes helping her shine brightly and stand out from the crowd at the 110-ace wildlife preserve, Gatorland.
Photos of Pearl have been widely shared on social media, with one commenting: “So beautiful that she looks fake!”
Another added: “She's absolutely gorgeous!”

Gatorland explained that the striking alligator arrived at the reserve as a baby in 2009 and is now one of the most in-demand gators at the sanctuary.
“Pearl is 10 years old and very popular at Gatorland,” a spokesman said. “She is 7.5 feet long and weighs 105 pounds.
“She arrived to Gatorland when she was 3 years old. Pearl is an albino alligator which means she has white skin and pink eyes due to the complete absence of pigmentation.”

The albino alligators kept at the park are incredibly rare, with just a handful of gators with white skin known to exist.
Another white gator at the park, Bouya Blan, was among a congregation of alligators taken from a Louisiana swamp in 2009.

"People are awestruck when they see them, and just one look into those icy, blue eyes will give you chills," explained Mark McHugh, President and CEO of Gatorland, following their arrival.
"The biggest concern is that they never would have survived in the wild. They are like little beacons out shining ‘come eat me’.”
The alligators are kept in a custom-built shaded enclosure due to their sensitivity to direct sunlight.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01/24/meet-pearl-amazing-alligator-incredibly-rare-white-skin/

Several photos on page.
 
We had a White Oyster Catcher on the beach for 3 years or so,
stood out like a sore thumb, not been seen for a few years.
 
My first thought was that it'd been rolling about in mud by an 'iron spring' or 'Chalybeate spring/well'...

Found: A Very Orange Alligator
A South Carolina community has a new resident.

By Sarah Laskow FEBRUARY 09, 2017

A residential community in Hanahan, South Carolina, just outside of Charleston, has a new denizen—an alligator of an unusual orange color.

Neighbors spotted the alligator and posted its picture on Facebook.

There are many animals that come in surprising, bright colors—the pink grasshoppers and blue lobsters of the world. But orange alligators are likely not born that way. In 2011, an orange alligator appeared in Venice, Florida, and was crowned the world’s first orange alligator. At the time, a Florida Fish and Wildlife representative told The Christian Science Monitor that the color likely came “from paint, stain, iron oxide or some other element in the environment that has left a coating on the animal, making it appear orange.”

Experts also suspect that the color of this newly found alligator comes from some environmental factor, rather than a genetic anomaly. One herpetologist speculatedthat algae could be the culprit; South Carolina’s Alligator Program Coordinator believes iron oxide (a.k.a. rust) from a steel pipe could have colored the alligator.

This orange beast won’t stay this way, though. Eventually it will shed its orange skin and turn back to its original color, likely an albino white.

http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/found-an-orange-alligator
 
Found: A Very Orange Alligator
A South Carolina community has a new resident.

By Sarah Laskow FEBRUARY 09, 2017

A residential community in Hanahan, South Carolina, just outside of Charleston, has a new denizen—an alligator of an unusual orange color.

Neighbors spotted the alligator and posted its picture on Facebook.

There are many animals that come in surprising, bright colors—the pink grasshoppers and blue lobsters of the world. But orange alligators are likely not born that way. In 2011, an orange alligator appeared in Venice, Florida, and was crowned the world’s first orange alligator. At the time, a Florida Fish and Wildlife representative told The Christian Science Monitor that the color likely came “from paint, stain, iron oxide or some other element in the environment that has left a coating on the animal, making it appear orange.”

Experts also suspect that the color of this newly found alligator comes from some environmental factor, rather than a genetic anomaly. One herpetologist speculatedthat algae could be the culprit; South Carolina’s Alligator Program Coordinator believes iron oxide (a.k.a. rust) from a steel pipe could have colored the alligator.

This orange beast won’t stay this way, though. Eventually it will shed its orange skin and turn back to its original color, likely an albino white.

http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/found-an-orange-alligator
At least we now know what they make Gatorade from...
 
It's a Trump alligator.
 
First (of what turned out to be many) newt I ever say was orange. It was a palmate newt for those who are intrigued by newts. I was only about 10, I thought they were all that colour. Never saw another.
 
Albino croc encountered and photographed in Australia ...

Rare-white-crocodile-caught-on-camera-in-Australia.jpg

Rare white crocodile caught on camera in Australia
Tour boat passengers on an Australian river captured video of a rare white crocodile that swam up to the craft for a snack.

Shai Ager, an ecologist and passenger on the boat Sunday, said tour guides told them the crocodile's name is Pearl and she was first spotted in November.

"We saw the white albino crocodile and, as far as I'm aware, it was only seen last November so a lot of people weren't sure if it was still alive or not," Ager told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.

The croc was spotted on the Adelaide River, just outside of Darwin.

Ager said Pearl is estimated to be 40 to 60 years old. She said it is uncommon for white crocodile hatchlings to make it to adulthood. ...

SOURCE: https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2018/0...?utm_source=sec&utm_campaign=sl&utm_medium=18
 
I was going to point out that she's obviously not an albino (too much pigmentation, no red eyes), but I see they've addressed that in the video :)

She's a gorgeous creature, I hope she stays safe!
 
A RARE albino squirrel, thought to be one of only 25 in the UK, has been killed by a vehicle on a road. The animal was one of a small number of albino grey squirrels that have won the affection of families and children in the Edinburgh area over several years. While grey squirrels are usually vilified for preventing the spread of the native red variety, the pure white albinos are loved for their novelty. They have won sympathy as their white coats stand out and make them more vulnerable to predators, while albinos are also said to suffer from problems with their sight and hearing, which may have sealed the dead animal’s fate. There is thought to be just one rare albino remaining in the Capital.


https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman....no-squirrel-killed-on-scottish-road-1-4807444
 
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