Erythrism (Unusually Red / Reddish Animal Pigmentation)

[EnolaGaia]

Erythrism or erythrochroism refers to an unusual reddish pigmentation of an animal's hair, skin, feathers, or eggshells.
Causes of erythrism include:

• Genetic mutations which cause an absence of a normal pigment and/or excessive production of others
• Diet, as in bees feeding on "bright red (colored) corn syrup" used in maraschino cherrymanufacturing

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erythrism

 

[EnolaGaia]

This pink dolphin was photographed in Louisiana waters in 2007.

SOURCE: https://web.archive.org/web/2008122...sieucharters.com/index.cfm/MenuItemID/125.htm

 

[EnolaGaia]

Here's a pink katydid discovered in Illinois in 2011.

Rare pink katydid discovered in northern Illinois

... Though most katydids are green, once in a while someone discovers a pink one. And indeed while hiking at Middlefork Savanna near Lake Forest recently, Allison Frederick found a pink katydid. Frederick, an environment communications specialist for the Lake County Forest Preserves, discovered the pink insect during a phenology and photography workshop.

First described in 1887, “the pink katydid is so rare that they occur once out of every 500 individuals,” Frederick said. This coloration is the result of a condition called erythrism, similar to the recessive gene found in albino animals, she said.

Frederick photographed the pink katydid—one can only wonder how long this unusually colored insect that sticks out in a field of green will escape a hungry predator. ...

FULL STORY: https://web.archive.org/web/2012031...pink-katydid-discovered-in-northern-illinois/

 

[EnolaGaia]

An Ohio man recently discovered a pink grasshopper in Texas and made it a pet.

Rare pink grasshopper found in East Texas

A man ended up with an unusual pet when he made an unusual discovery among the Texas foliage -- a pink grasshopper.

Dirk Parker, 33, an Ohio man currently working in East Texas as an environmental inspector for pipelines, said he initially didn't realize how rare his discovery was. ...

Parker snapped photos of the grasshopper and returned it to where he found it, and it wasn't until later that he did a Google search for pink grasshoppers and discovered the insect has a rare condition called erythrism.

Erythrism is caused by a recessive gene, and it is rare to find grasshoppers with the condition because the pink color makes them easy targets for predators.

Parker said he returned to the same spot the next day to capture the grasshopper, which he named Pinky. ...

Parker said he is now keeping Pinky in a habitat as a pet. ...

FULL STORY (With Video): https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2022/03/24/pink-grasshopper-East-Texas/4211648155192/

 

[EnolaGaia]

Here's a one-of-a-kind pink manta ray found in Australian waters.

How did this rare pink manta get its color?
FULL STORY: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/pink-manta-ray-australia-rare