What Causes Albino Animals?

You may have already seen pictures of albino animals. Their striking appearance, characterized by white hair and skin, evokes much curiosity due to its rarity. While many people have encountered humans with albinism, seeing albino animals is particularly rare. This rarity is largely because most people don't live close enough to wild habitats to encounter many wild animals.

The cause of albino animals is scientific in nature. Although folklore and mythology abound regarding albinism, it is essential to understand that it results from genetic inheritance. It is caused by the complete or partial absence of melanin in the fur, skin, and iris of the animal. Melanin is composed of tyrosine, an amino acid that melanocytes convert to create a specific pigment for each animal.

The pigmentation created by melanin serves various purposes. It helps camouflage the animal, creates patterns to attract mates, and even protects against harmful UV rays from the sun. Melanin's usefulness extends to many interesting aspects of life. Bacteria use it for protection against various threats, squid use it to create ink, and some moths utilize it for thermoregulation.

Another term for albinism is hypopigmentation, describing the inability to create melanin for any of the above purposes. While melanin aids in multiple functions, it is not strictly necessary for survival. This is why many albino animals still thrive, even if they face challenges in the wild. Albinism is hereditary but recessive, meaning both parents need to carry the albino gene for their offspring to have albinism, even if they are not albino animals themselves.

Animals with an excess of melanin are known as melanistic animals. Their appearance is usually very dark or black, contrasting with other animals of their species. This is a form of hyperpigmentation. Albino and melanistic animals represent opposite ends of the pigmentation spectrum, exhibiting varying degrees of color.

Types of albino animals

Albinism manifests differently across the animal kingdom. External appearances do not necessarily look the same in all albino animals. Some may not appear extremely pale or white, despite carrying the gene. This leads to different types of albino animals, which include:

• Ocular albinism: a lack of pigmentation occurring only in the eyes of the animal.
• Complete albinism (oculocutaneous albinism type 1): affects the skin, fur, and eyes, showing different pale hues, such as white, gray, or pink.
• Type 2 oculocutaneous albinism: the individual animal has normal pigmentation in some body areas.
• Oculocutaneous albinism types 3 and 4: in these types, the role of tyrosine is unstable. Albino animals in this category have some normal characteristics, alongside white spots or areas lacking melanin.

We have mentioned that albino animals can still thrive in the wild, but their condition does have certain consequences. Physically, albinism results in the following:

• Pink or gray skin: coloration often results from the visibility of the bloodstream seen through the colorless dermis. It depends on the thickness of an animal's skin. For example, albino alligators appear very white as you cannot see the blood vessels underneath.
• Red or pink eyes: in animals with complete albinism, the eye color will be red or pink.
• Blue, brown, or green eyes: in animals with oculocutaneous albinism types 2, 3, and 4, the effects are not as pronounced, leading to paler colors but not necessarily pink.
• Pale, blond, grayish, or white fur: again, the type of albinism determines the extent of the lack of coloration.
• Sun sensitivity: intolerance or sensitivity to prolonged sun exposure can be very dangerous, especially in regions with hot climates.
• Decreased visual acuity: this can be particularly dangerous for animals that rely on sight for hunting or evading predators.
• Hearing problems: similar issues as poor vision arise for animals in the wild.

The consequences for wild albino animals extend beyond physical appearances or the reduction in acuity of some senses. In nature, an albino animal lacks the camouflage necessary to hide from predators. Additionally, their light coloration means they stand out from their environment and become easier targets. As a result, the life expectancy of wild albino animals is drastically reduced.

Albinism affects many animal species, including both vertebrate and invertebrate animals. It is challenging to determine which are the rarest albino animals globally, as they are all relatively rare. However, it is a more common trait in domestic animal species such as mice, cats, dogs, and rabbits. In the wild, known animals with albinism include gorillas, snakes, turtles, zebras, frogs, caribou, giraffes, crocodiles, and numerous others.

If you have an albino companion animal, you may need specific care information. We provide this in our articles on characteristics of an albino dog and caring for albino cats.

Due to their unique appearance and rarity, some albino animals with hypopigmentation have gained worldwide fame. While some of them have already passed away, their impact is still felt, and their uniqueness helps us learn more about the animal kingdom. Here are some of the most famous albino animals globally:

• Snowdrop: an albino South African penguin. He passed away in 2004 at a zoo in the United Kingdom, where he had gained true celebrity status.
• Snowflake: an albino gorilla and one of the best-known albino animals worldwide. No other albino gorillas have been recorded. He lived at the Barcelona Zoo until 2003, dying of skin cancer likely related to his condition at an estimated 40 years of age.
• Claude: an albino crocodile residing in California, within the swamp housed at the Academy of Sciences.
• Pearl: another female albino crocodile, this time sighted in Australia.
• Onya: a rare case of albinism in koalas, currently living in Australia.
• Migaloo: since 1991, sightings of this albino humpback whale have been reported along the Australian coast.

Below is a picture of Snowflake taken at the Barcelona Zoo:

Many animal species today face the threat of extinction. This affects both normal individuals and those affected by albinism. Due to their rarity, there are currently no records of the endangerment of albino animals. The specific genetic conditions leading to albinism in the wild are challenging to replicate. Tracing the genetic history of wild animals can be an impossible task.

There have been attempts to breed albino animals in captivity. However, as demonstrated by Snowflake the gorilla, attempts to engineer albino animals have largely been unsuccessful^[1]. Snowflake had 22 offspring in total, with 6 surviving into adulthood. None of them were albino.

Unfortunately, due to the perverse nature of hunters and poachers, rarity becomes a prize many seek. This means albino animals are not only easy targets for animal predators but are also actively sought by humans. White lions, though not actual albinos, are rarer than other lions and are highly prized by big game hunters. This does not necessarily mean they face greater danger than others, but it highlights the constant threat to unique animals.

If you want to read similar articles to What Causes Albino Animals?, we recommend you visit our Facts about the animal kingdom category.