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Albino & Leucistic Animals (Pigmentation Deficiency)

Marionville is only a day-trip away from me and I've been trying to get down their on one of my weekends.




White Squirrel Wars

Olney, IL; Marionville, MO; Kenton, TN; Brevard, NC; Exeter, ON



Not one, but five towns use albino squirrels as their claims to fame, and none is particularly happy about the others. Kenton, Tennessee, accommodates about 200 of the furry rodents. Residents insist that the squirrels "have been here the longest" and claim they were left by a "Gypsy caravan" in 1869. Is Kenton, we asked, where the other towns got their white squirrels? "Well, they had to come from somewhere."

Olney, Illinois, is the loudest booster of all albino squirrel towns, titling itself Home of the White Squirrels. It scoffs at the other towns' albinos. "Most of theirs have dark eyes," they told us. The town conducts and promotes an annual white squirrel count, when locals scour the landscape inch by inch to determine population or migration trends.

Laws on the Olney books give the squirrels right-of-way on every street; residents are fined if they try leave town with one. Local police patches bear an outline of a bushy-tailed albino. Big Squirrel is watching you.

Olney has overhyped themselves, according to a Marionville, Missouri, spokesperson, also publicized as Home of the White Squirrels. "They've got our backs up," Marionville told us, an opinion they've held ever since Olney appeared making preemptive superiority claims on the Today Show in 1965. Marionville believes the squirrels arrived in town "just after the Civil War" and that they escaped from a traveling circus. "The squirrels in Olney were kidnapped from Marionville," they explain.

Marionville claims to possess the largest, oldest colony of white squirrels in the world, around 300 to 600 here since at least 1854. The local Lions Club actively encourages the squirrels, building little wooden dwellings and planting nut-bearing trees. Marionville even contains a White Squirrel Bed and Breakfast, where visiting humans can stay.

Common gray squirrels found in Marionville are trapped and kicked out.

As "Home of the White Squirrel," Brevard, North Carolina, also appreciates their white squirrels, although they have dark eyes and are not albino. There has also been some interbreeding between the white and grays [According to tipster Dan Hay, "causing some to have gray caps and sometimes gray strip down back."].

Brevard College's "White Squirrel Research Institute" has charted the geographic distribution of pale critters in their region. Brevard's white squirrels are legally "protected." The town holds a White Squirrel Festival around Memorial Day Weekend.

The northernmost white squirrel enclave is over the border in Canada. The town of Exeter, Ontario appears bent on total White Squirrel Supremacy, celebrating an annual White Squirrel Festival and cheerily publicizing their pale pals. A 1986 naming contest dubbed the mascot "White Wonder." There's even a song (watch the music video).

But the Exeter squirrels aren't albinos -- their eyes are dark.

These communities revere their mascots, to the point of enacting stiff fines if humans should intentionally harm or even annoy a white squirrel.


Still, calamities do happen, whether it is a fall from a power line or an inattentive SUV driver on a cell phone (wait...that's all of them). Road crews quickly spirit away remains, shielding townsfolk and visitors from unpleasant views.

Marionville had come up with the best solution, preserving its most intact critters on ice and then shipping them to the Funeral Home with Perky Animal Dioramas, as we discovered during a visit.

Then there are ... Black Squirrel Squabbles.

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/set/squirrels.html
 
Rare albino ray is caught in the Solent

Trawlermen have landed an albino ray thought to be the first found in British waters.

The 80cm-long fish was caught in the Solent and is now being cared for at the Blue Reef Aquarium in Portsmouth.

Experts are surprised that the ray survived so long without camouflage to hide from predators.

They have nicknamed him Gamma Ray because the lack of markings mean it is difficult to determine accurately which species he is. 8)

Robbie Robinson, the aquarium's curator, said: “Gamma Ray would have stuck out like a sore thumb on the sea bed.”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/u ... 858285.ece
 
Pictured: The rare albino tadpoles found in garden pond that have astonished scientists
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 9:54 PM on 19th May 2008

Experts on amphibians have been caught on the hop by a rare batch of albino tadpoles living in a garden pond.

Tiny pale globules of frog spawn and tadpoles are now under observation at a secret and closely guarded address in Carmarthenshire, west Wales.

Experts from Froglife were called in after at least four separate blobs of albino spawn were found deposited in the pond.

They believe the "highly unusual" discovery could point to a significant frog population carrying the rare recessive gene for albinism.


No adult albino frogs have so far been discovered but their frog spawn and tadpoles have the characteristic pink eyes and off-white skin colour.

"Albino individuals of adult frogs, toads and newts have been reported in the past, though sightings are considered very rare," a spokesman said.

"Cases of multiple albinistic individuals in a breeding population are even rarer."

The sighting was reported to Froglife's Wildlife Information Service - a public advice service encouraging people to get involved with amphibian and reptile conservation.

Details of the unusual find, and a YouTube link to a short video of the albino frog spawn and tadpoles, appear on the group's website.

"This is certainly one of the stranger inquiries we've had recently," said Lucy Benyon, Froglife's wildlife information officer.

"What's unusual about this is that the batches of white tadpoles suggest that a number of adults that carry genes for albinism possibly exist in the area, not just one."

"Usually though albino amphibians fail to live to a breeding age - their white colour makes them a blindingly conspicuous beacon for the various animals that depend on frogs for food." she added.

She said that further research into the multiple cases of albino tadpoles will be looked into over coming months.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... tists.html
 
New white whale spotted
By Alison Feeney-Hart
BBC News, Sydney

A new white humpback has been sighted off Byron Bay on the east coast of Australia.

The newcomer, which was filmed by a television news helicopter, has excited marine scientists who think it may be related to Migaloo - to date, the only known all-white humpback whale.

Migaloo is somewhat of a celebrity down under. Why? "Because as far as we know, he is globally unique," said Professor Peter Harrison from the Whale Research Centre, Southern Cross University.

It now seems that Migaloo, (whose Aboriginal name means "white fellow") might have competition.

Although predominantly white, the new whale does have some black markings near its head and tail. So who is the newcomer?

A white calf was spotted with a normal humpback mother in Byron Bay two years ago. Experts say the new whale could be the offspring of Migaloo but further tests need to be carried out.

A record number of humpbacks have been spotted off the Australian coast this year on their annual migration north to their breeding grounds.

One thing scientists do agree on is that this second white whale has never been seen in these waters before.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7519263.stm
 
Pink elephant is caught on camera
By Rebecca Morelle
Science reporter, BBC News

A pink baby elephant has been caught on camera in Botswana.

A wildlife cameraman took pictures of the calf when he spotted it among a herd of about 80 elephants in the Okavango Delta.

Experts believe it is probably an albino, which is an extremely rare phenomenon in African elephants.

They are unsure of its chances of long-term survival - the blazing African sunlight may cause blindness and skin problems for the calf.

Mike Holding, who spotted the baby while filming for a BBC wildlife programme, said: "We only saw it for a couple of minutes as the herd crossed the river.

"This was a really exciting moment for everyone in camp. We knew it was a rare sighting - no-one could believe their eyes."

Albino elephants are not usually white, but instead they have more of a reddish-brown or pink hue.

While albinism is thought to be fairly common in Asian elephants, it is much less common in the larger African species.

Ecologist Dr Mike Chase, who runs conservation charity Elephants Without Borders, said: "I have only come across three references to albino calves, which have occurred in Kruger National Park in South Africa.

"This is probably the first documented sighting of an albino elephant in northern Botswana.

"We have been studying elephants in the region for nearly 10 years now, and this is the first documented evidence of an albino calf that I have come across."

He said that the condition might make it difficult for the calf to survive into adulthood.

"What happens to these young albino calves remains a mystery," said Dr Chase.

"Surviving this very rare phenomenon is very difficult in the harsh African bush. The glaring sun may cause blindness and skin problems."

However, he told BBC News that there might be a ray of hope for the pink calf as it already seemed to be learning to adapt to its condition.

Dr Chase explained: "Because this elephant calf was sighted in the Okavango Delta, he may have a greater chance of survival. He can seek refuge under the large trees and cake himself in a thick mud, which will protect him from the Sun.

"Already the two-to-three-month-old calf seems to be walking in the shade of its mother.

"This behaviour suggests it is aware of its susceptibility to the harsh African sun, and adapted a unique behaviour to improve its chances of survival."

He added: "I have learned that elephants are highly adaptable, intelligent and masters of survival."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7951331.stm
 
Rare albino swallow sends twitchers wild with oh-so-brief appearance
By Chris Brooke
Last updated at 10:18 AM on 17th August 2009

One swallow doesn't make a summer, but this chap would probably do well in the winter.

While his pure white plumage might mark the albino out to predators against blue skies, he'd surely be nicely camouflaged in the snow.

There's said to be a one-in-18,000 chance of albinism affecting a bird, making this swallow a rare spot.

Twitcher Steve Copsey, who pictured it in Rhynie, Aberdeenshire, said he stood out 'like an angel' among a flock of his regular companions.

An albino usually has weak eyesight and brittle wing and tail feathers, which may reduce its ability to fly. They are also often bullied by their own species. However, this chap mixed happily with the others.

Swallows arrive in Britain in spring and migrate 6,000 miles back to southern Africa in September or October. But if this one didn't mind the cold and fancied hanging about for a Scottish winter, he'd fit in splendidly.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z0OWjwNmQ0
 
The rare Albino wallaby putting rivals in the shade at wildlife park
Home Staff

A rare albino wallaby has been born at a British wildlife park — despite the owners having no adults with the skin-altering condition.

The tiny joey is still tucked away in its mother Erin’s pouch but will start to venture out on its own when it reaches six months old.

Staff at Seaview Wildlife Encounter say the joey is a ’genetic throwback’ because albinism is most commonly passed from parents to their offspring.

And they hope the young marsupial will prove a huge attraction when the park, which is near Seaview, in the Isle of Wight, re-opens after the winter in ten days’ time.

The general manager of Seaview Wildlife Encounter, Jules Brittan, said: “This is so exciting for us.

“When our last adult male albino died about 18 months ago we thought that was the end of albino wallabies here.

“But then this little one came along. It must be some sort of genetic throwback.

“We haven’t been able to determine whether the joey is male or female yet because it is still in its mother’s pouch.

“We can only see its little head and front paws when it decides to have a look outside.”

In the wild, albino joeys have a very slim chance of survival with only one in 10,000 making it as far as adulthood.

This is because their unusual white colour leaves them unable to conceal themselves from predators, such as dingos and foxes.

Their lack of skin pigmentation also leaves them vulnerable to the impact of the sun in their natural habitat of Australia.

Ms Brittan added: “Our staff actually apply sun block to their ears, nose and tail to protect them from the sun.

“In captivity we can manage their condition but in the wild they are very vulnerable and have a struggle to survive.

“It’s just so exciting — this little one is a real wonder of nature.”

Albinism is an inherited condition which occurs as a result of gene mutations that affect the production of pigmentation.

True albino animals lack melanin and are white with no markings and have unpigmented pink eyes.

Wallabies are members of the kangaroo family and can live up to about nine years in the wild.

They are smaller than their cousins, and can weigh up to 24kg.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/s ... 070424.ece
 
The white bird that's a bit of a black sheep: Twitcher snaps an ALBINO blackbird
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 11:49 AM on 28th March 2010

A householder snapped a very unusual visitor to her garden - a white blackbird.
Fiona Crofts spotted the rare albino bird sitting on the fence in her garden in Deeping, near Peterborough.
Avid bird watcher Fiona said in six years of 'twitching' it was the first time she had ever seen anything like it.
Fiona, 26, said: 'At first I thought it was a dove, so I ran to put my glasses on, but it wasn't until I got a closer look I realised it was actually a blackbird.

'I couldn't believe it, I was quite shocked I've never seen a completely white blackbird before, that's for sure.'

Fiona watched and took photos of the bird for around five minutes before it flew away.
She said it must have been a fleeting visit, as she has not seen her feathered friend since.

Erica Howe, from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), said she was certain the bird was an albino blackbird, which are very rare in the wild.
But she said, being pale an interesting meant the bird did not have an easy time surviving in the wild.
She said: 'The problem albino blackbirds have is that they stand out quite a lot.
'This means they are vulnerable to predators such as cats, foxes and larger birds of prey and are easily targeted.
'Albinism occurs in more than 160 species of birds in Britain and tends to be genetic passed on from parents.

'Nearly a third of albino birds in Britain are thrushes and blackbirds, but they are very rare.
'There are different levels of albinism in blackbirds. Some are completely white, while others have only a few white patches or feathers.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z0jYcRRMBE
 
Yet another misuse of the word "twitcher" by lazy journalists. Why is it so hard for them to get the distinction between twitchers and birdwatchers?
Harumph,
Disgruntled birdwatcher (not a twitcher)
 
Fats_Tuesday said:
Yet another misuse of the word "twitcher" by lazy journalists. Why is it so hard for them to get the distinction between twitchers and birdwatchers?
Harumph,
Disgruntled birdwatcher (not a twitcher)
Well, that seems to be the description she applied to herself:
Avid bird watcher Fiona said in six years of 'twitching' it was the first time she had ever seen anything like it.
Not that it's anything I expect to lose sleep over... 8)

Going completely off-topic, last night I was speaking to someone who reckoned that Romanies and Gypsies are completely different groups and should not be confused. Not according to the dictionary they aren't! ;)
 
It's a possibility she's an actual twitcher, but in past experience with the press, they always like to attach the label to anyone who's interested in birds. It wouldn't even surprise me if the lady has mistakenly picked this up herself and is mislabelling herself.

I haven't slept properly in 10 years because of this and before that, I couldn't sleep because of people pausing and saying "Not!" after statements. I think I need to worry less about language and see this as just another interesting example of its evolution.
 
Mylor fisherman catches rare albino devil crab
8:20am Friday 3rd September 2010

By James Toseland - Falmouth Penryn Packet »

A rare albino devil swimming crab has been hauled up in the pots of a Mylor fisherman.

The white crustacean, which also has red eyes, was caught by Cameron Henry who fishes on the Peter John II.

The velvet swimming crab – which is also known as a devil or witch crab - was caught about a quarter of a mile out to sea, south of Flushing Quay.

Realising the rarity of his catch, Mr Henry contacted staff at the Blue Reef Aquarium in Newquay where it is now on display.

“Albino crustaceans in general are extremely rare, however no one here has ever heard of an albino swimming crab,” said Blue Reef’s David Waines.

“Normally these types of crab are a deep blue or purple colour so to get one like this is very unusual indeed.

“As well as being rare white or albino crustaceans do not tend to survive for long in the wild as they rely on their natural camouflage to protect them from predators.

“However devil crabs are renowned for their extremely aggressive behaviour and it may be that in spite of being such an obvious target this particular crab was able to fight off would-be hunters.

“Although they rarely exceed 10cms in length they will try and attack even the largest intruder including humans, waving their claws violently from side to side,” he added.

Velvet swimming crabs get their name from the fact that their shells are covered with dense, velvety hair and they are also able to use their paddle-like hind legs to swim away from attackers like cuttlefish.

They are found from northern Norway to the Mediterranean and the Black Sea living on rocky shores below the low tide mark and are often found lying in wait under stones in rockpools.

http://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/fp ... evil_crab/

It "was caught about a quarter of a mile out to sea, south of Flushing Quay"- that's hardly 'out to sea'; it's the mouth of the Penryn River! ;)
 
My best guess would be that it's xanthic.

Xanthism can have many causes, but the most normal is a genetic anomoly that stops the dark black/brown pigmentation developing, leaving just the red/yellow. A true albino would have no pigment at all.
 
My first thought was that it'd been rolling about in mud by an 'iron spring' or 'Chalybeate spring/well'...
 
Haven't I seen you somewhere before? Albino squirrel goes nuts for its own reflection
By Daniel Miller
Last updated at 1:25 PM on 25th September 2011

This albino squirrel clearly thinks she's the fairest of them all after rescue-centre staff named her Snow White and placed a mirror in her enclosure.
The plucky critter was saved from certain death after being attacked by two grey squirrels who wanted to banish her from their woodland.

She was taken to the Hart Wildlife Rescue near Alton in Hampshire where staff named her Snow White after unusual appearance.
Caragh Hunter, Senior Clinical Assistant at the centre said: 'She had blood coming from her nose and was in a very poor way when she came in.
'We put a small mirror in her cage so we could keep an eye on her wherever she was hiding.
'She began looking in it almost straight away. After three days on painkillers and antibiotics she was right as rain.

'We have now moved her to a larger enclosure and given her a bigger mirror. She just loves looking at herself in it.
'I'm sure she's asking the mirror 'who is the fairest of them all?

'In the fairy tale, Snow White marries her prince and becomes the new Queen - she's certainly become queen of hart.
'Albinos don't have very good eyesight - and are often picked on by others in the wild.
'She's been with us for a few weeks now and will soon be off to a squirrel sanctuary where she'll be able to spend the rest of her days in safety.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z1Z3VJqlg3
 
Rare white whale calf spotted off Australia
http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-09-rar ... ralia.html
September 29th, 2011 in Biology / Plants & Animals

This September 24, 2011 picture released by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority shows a white humpback whale calf breaching in Cid Harbour in the Whitsunday Islands area near Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

An extremely rare white humpback whale calf has been spotted near Australia's Great Barrier Reef in an event witnesses described Thursday as a "once in a lifetime experience".

Believed to be just a few weeks old, the baby humpback was seen at Cid Harbour in the famous reef's Whitsunday Islands area by local man Wayne Fewings, who was with his family in a boat when he spotted a whale pod.
"We were just drifting when I noticed the smaller whale in the pod was white. I couldn’t believe my eyes, and I just grabbed my camera," Fewings said.
"Then the white calf approached my boat, seeming to want to check us out. I was just so amazed at seeing this animal, it made me think how truly astounding the Great Barrier Reef is," he added of the sighting on Saturday.
"I feel very lucky to have witnessed this, it's a once in a lifetime experience."
Reef official Mark Read said white whales were highly unusual, with only 10-15 believed to exist among the 10,000-15,000 humpbacks living along Australia's east coast, and purely white ones -- like the calf spotted on Saturday -- rarer still.
Its parents could both have been dark humpbacks carrying the recessive white whale gene, but Read said one or either may also have been white themselves, raising speculation it was the offspring of famous white humpback Migaloo.
Migaloo -- the name is an Aboriginal word meaning "whitefella" -- is the world's best-known all-white humpback and has built up a loyal following in Australia since first being sighted in 1991.
Read said it was impossible to speculate on the baby humpback's parentage without genetic tests to compare with samples taken from Migaloo.
"There is another couple of purely white whales and then there's a very very low number of animals that are a sort of blotchy colour," Read told AFP.
"It is pretty unusual, but we'd be purely speculating in terms of relationships to Migaloo."
Humpback whales are currently on their southern migration and Read said the baby white would be feeding heavily from its mother as it laid down fat stores for the "cold Antarctic waters."
Its sex was unknown and Read said there were no plans to bestow the young mammal with a name of its own.
"We'd be pretty comfortable for him or her just to simply remain anonymous and just live out its life in relative peace and harmony," Read said.
Australia's east coast humpback population has been brought back from the brink of extinction following the halting of whaling in the early 1960s, he added, describing it as a "conservation success story."
 
Eye am for real: One-eyed albino shark-clops 'is not a fake', say experts
By Sara Nelson
Last updated at 7:30 PM on 18th October 2011

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 California this summer.
The one-eyed shark has achieved cult status since Pisces Fleet Sportfishing published pictures of it in July, giving rise to rumours of Photoshopping or other hoaxes.

But shark researchers who have examined the creature say it is genuine, although it is unlikely it would have survived after birth, MSNBC reported.
Shark expert Felipe Galvan Magana, of Mexico’s Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias del Mar, said: ‘This is extremely rare. As far as I know, less than 50 examples of an abnormality like this have been recorded.’

The shark’s condition is known as cyclopia, and is a rare congenital disorder characterised by the failure of the front portion of the brain to properly divide the orbits of the eye into two cavities.
Cyclopia occurs within the spectrum of brain and face defects known as holoprosencephaly, which in severe cases can result in miscarriage or stillbirth.

In 2005 a kitten born with only one eye and no nose caused a similar online stir.
The feline, one of two in a litter, became known as Cy (short for Cyclops) and died within a day

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z1bDVl37z0
 
Albinos have always fascinated me since I was young. I always dreamed to own a albino squirrel as a pet, therefore you cannot imagine how happy these pictures have made me! :)

The one eyed albino shark (and feline) are the opposite: They frighten me somehow. It might be a disorder, but it looks really scary! Like a little alien!
 
They're not calling this Orca an albino, but as the White Whales thread got scrunched into here, here will have to do for this story:

White killer whale adult spotted for first time in wild
By Richard Black, Environment correspondent, BBC News

Scientists have made what they believe to be the first sighting of an adult white orca, or killer whale.
The adult male, which they have nicknamed Iceberg, was spotted off the coast of Kamchatka in eastern Russia.
It appears to be healthy and leading a normal life in its pod.

White whales of various species are occasionally seen; but the only known white orcas have been young, including one with a rare genetic condition that died in a Canadian aquarium in 1972.

The sightings were made during a research cruise off Kamchatka by a group of Russian scientists and students, co-led by Erich Hoyt, the long-time orca scientist, conservationist and author who is now a senior research fellow with the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS).
"We've seen another two white orcas in Russia but they've been young, whereas this is the first time we've seen a mature adult," he told BBC News.
"It has the full two-metre-high dorsal fin of a mature male, which means it's at least 16 years old - in fact the fin is somewhat ragged, so it might be a bit older."
Orcas mature around the age of 15, and males can live to 50 or 60 years old, though 30 is more commonplace.

"Iceberg seems to be fully socialised; we know that these fish-eating orcas stay with their mothers for life, and as far as we can see he's right behind his mother with presumably his brothers next to him," said Dr Hoyt.

The cause of his unusual pigmentation is not known. The captive white orca, Chima, suffered from Chediak-Higashi syndrome, a genetic condition that causes partial albinism as well as a number of medical complications.

It is possible that an attempt may be made to take a biopsy from Iceberg; but with researchers reluctant to do so unless there is a compelling conservation reason, they are hoping instead for closer observations including a detection of eye colour.

The project Dr Hoyt co-leads, the Far East Russia Orca Project, has pioneered visual and acoustic monitoring in the inhospitable Kamchatka seas, and has produced a number of papers on the communication of killer whales.
This may lead to improved understanding of the animals' complex social structure, which includes matrilineal family clans, pods consisting of several families, and much larger "super-pods".
A related project aims to study and conserve habitat for all whales and dolphins around the Russian coast.

In recent years a white humpback whale nick-named Migaloo has drawn intense interest in Australia, while the Arctic beluga is naturally white.
The most famous white whale, though, is the fictional sperm whale that drove Captain Ahab to his eventually fatal fury in Moby Dick.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17783603
 
At the other end of the colour range i one saw a totaly black giraffe at Lake Manyara, Tanzania in 1985.
 
lordmongrove said:
At the other end of the colour range i one saw a totaly black giraffe at Lake Manyara, Tanzania in 1985.
We demand photos!

(They didn't have photoshop then, did they? ;) )
 
I had photos but they were taken by my late farther's wife who later devvorced him (amicably). I see her now and again. I'll have to ask her if she still has them.
 
Owners bring albino crow on holiday to the Lizard: PICTURES
6:00am Saturday 14th September 2013 in News .

The packet.co.uk has brought you some strange stories in the past, but perhaps none as strange as an albino crow on holiday on the Lizard.
The bird was turning heads at Mullion Cove on Monday after its owners brought it out for a show and tell.

Called Polaris, the crow lives with John and Lisa of the International Centre for Birds of Prey, a worldwide conservation group based in Gloucestershire.
They rescued Polaris after he was thrown out of the family nest as a chick, presumably because of its rare colourings.

Visitors to the cove were fascinated by the bird, which had already visited Land’s End and had stopped off at Mullion before making his way to The Lizard.

Bob Felce, who lives in Mullion, was among those who happened to be at the cove when Polaris caused a stir.
He said: “People were asking if he was an albino chough. They look quite similar, but only in shape. He was an interesting visitor for other visitors in the cove and it was a real change to see something like that.”

http://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/10 ... ES/?ref=mr
 
Rare albino kangaroo sighted in Australia
Rare albino kangaroo spotted near Canberra, prompting wonder at its success in evading wild dogs and foxes
By Jonathan Pearlman, Sydney
3:30PM GMT 15 Nov 2013

A rare albino kangaroo has been spotted roaming bushland outside Australia’s capital, surprising wildlife experts who say such creatures are easy prey and usually die young.

The kangaroo, an eastern grey, is believed to be two years old. Experts said this is old for an albino kangaroo, which stands out against the Australian bushland and therefore attracts more predators such as wild foxes and dogs. Albinos are also apparently more susceptible to skin cancer and sunburn and are more likely to have sight and hearing difficulties.

“Grey kangaroos are grey for a reason — they blend in with the rest of the environment,” a parks ranger, Brett McNamara, told The Canberra Times.

The albino, first captured on film last weekend by a park ranger at the Namadgi national park near Canberra, stands in stark contrast to the family of grey kangaroos with which it roams.
However, Mr McNamara said the albino’s closeness to its family may have helped to protect it. Rangers have not been able to get close enough to the kangaroo to definitely determine its gender but believe it is female and have nicknamed it Renee.
“They do form very close-knit mobs within that valley,” he said.
“There would be a dominant male kangaroo, there would be a harem of females that he would be keeping a close eye on, then there would be some adults and obviously the juveniles coming through.”

The rangers have refused to reveal the exact location of the kangaroo amid concerns about illegal hunting.
“We are concerned about its ongoing welfare because of some illegal hunting activities that do occur in the park,” Mr McNamara said.
“That something like this can occur, I know it’s all a bit clichéd, but literally a stone’s throw from the nation’s capital - what other national capital anywhere in the world could you do something like that?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... ralia.html

"Rangers have not been able to get close enough to the kangaroo to definitely determine its gender but believe it is female and have nicknamed it Renee"
At least they avoided Snowy!

"..what other national capital anywhere in the world could you do something like that?"
Who knows what's hopping, slithering, or lurking around the Olympic site in east London nowadays? ;)
 
East Grinstead goes nuts for albino squirrels as one sets up home in garden of retired couple
By East Grinstead Courier Posted: July 07, 2014
By Jo Gilbert

SURREY is known for its wooded areas, its cricket club and affluent population.
But wildlife experts say it may soon become known for its population of albino squirrels, though no one knows why.

The odds of a pure white squirrel being born are estimated to be one in 100,000, and with 2.5 million grey squirrels in the UK, this would suggest that there are only about 25 white ones out there at any one time.

But a number of albino squirrels are known to have made their homes in Surrey, and one at least is now living in nearby East Grinstead - where a retired couple have it living in their garden.
Suzanne and Tony Marshall, who first noticed their new resident around Christmas, were so impressed by the little creature they couldn't wait to show him – or her – off to their visitors.

Suzanne, 73, said: "I read about them in the news, how rare they are. He was so small and lovely that when the family came over at Christmas we left peanuts outside the door so we could show him off to them. Now we've got into the habit and we leave peanuts out for him most days.

"There's one tree he's taken a shine to. We have five large oaks in our garden and one of them is overgrown with ivy so he loves to climb and jump around. We haven't seen any other white squirrels or what could be family members. He tends to keep himself to himself."

The Lambourn Close couple, who have two children and four grandchildren, used to run Suttons, an interior design showroom in the High Street, which is now Café Nero.
They spend their time looking after their two vintage cars and gardening, and looking forward to their almost daily visitor.
Although they have not named him – squirrels do not make good pets – they admit they do feel protective of him, and feel he must still be very young as he keeps "falling out of the trees".

Albinism is due to gene mutations affecting production of pigmentation in the skin, and can be passed on through generations.
Wildlife expert Liza Lipscombe, from the British Wildlife Centre in Lingfield, which currently has its own albino squirrel in residence, said: "Despite their unusual appearance, when you spot a white squirrel it really is a grey squirrel that's missing its natural colouring. Albinos are a natural, though uncommon occurrence, but albino squirrels are spotted quite often in parts of the South East and Surrey for some reason, although no one seems to know why.

"Albinos can have a tough time in the wild, losing any natural benefits of camouflage, or may be rejected by others of their kind. But as they are tree dwelling and very quick on their feet, squirrels have very few natural predators and albino squirrels often survive as long as grey ones."

Albi became a national celebrity and following his death flowers and tributes – including a poem – were left by the roadside where he died, together with cards, flowers and bags of nuts.

http://www.eastgrinsteadcourier.co.uk/E ... story.html

With photos
 
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