Our porcupine friends have given us a great opportunity this month to discuss a condition called “albinism.” Read to the end to learn about a special albino porcupine named “Coconut!”
When a baby is created, it is provided a set of instructions, called “genes,” from both parents that control which individual traits that baby receives from each parent. An albino animal is born when both parents provide an incomplete or non-working set of genetic instructions that control how much color, called “pigment,” that the baby’s body can make. If the baby does not receive a working copy of pigment genes from either parent, then the baby cannot make any pigment, and will appear with very light skin, very light blonde or white hair, and sometimes even pink eyes (the pink color comes from the fact that an albino animal’s skin is rather translucent and you can see a pink or red tint in their eyes from the blood traveling through their somewhat see-through tissues). Sometimes, an animal might have what is called “partial albinism,” meaning that they show some signs of albinism, but not all. This is because their body can produce a little bit of pigment, but just not as much as their species usually produces, because the animal’s pigment genes are only partially damaged. In white tailed deer, an animal with partial albinism often has a white coat mottled with tan spots. These deer are called “piebald” deer. Partial albinism is more common than “true” or complete albinism.
Any species of animal can have albinism- even humans! Sometimes albinism can cause issues with vision and can make any exposed skin extra sensitive to the sun, since pigment provides some protection from sunburn. Sometimes certain defects are more common with albino animals. Nevertheless, it is also possible for an albino animal to be just as healthy as any other member of its species.
An albino animal still may face additional challenges in the wild, however. For example, their bright white color will stand out in most environments, and can make it hard for them to blend in and use any camouflage that their species would usually employ, putting them at greater risk of being caught by predators. If an albino animal does struggle with poor eyesight, it can be more difficult to find food. Sometimes it is also harder for an albino animal to find a mate. And unfortunately, humans can also pose a threat to albino animals because some hunters and poachers prefer to capture rare and exotic specimens of a species. If an albino animal is captured by well-meaning humans, it is sometimes sent to a zoo or sanctuary to give it additional protection.
This article by the CBC tells all about an albino porcupine named “Coconut” that was rescued in Canada! https://www.cbc.ca/.../albino-porcupine-rescue-northern...
This article by National Geographic explores albinism in wildlife and also provides a short video that showcases different examples of albino animals across a number of different species. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/.../art.../albino-animals
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