Albino Animals That Somehow Live Out There In Our World
Some animals are born with a condition called albinism. That means that they don't have any pigment or melanin in their skin. This is a super rare condition that rarely occurs naturally, if at all!
Albino animals are more susceptible to predators, which means many don't live long enough to pass on their genes. These albino animals that you're about to see have survived, even though the odds were stacked against them. Keep reading to see some of the coolest, palest animals on the planet.
Meet Zoe, the Golden Zebra
Zebras are usually black and white, but not Zoe. Zoe is one of the rarest zebras in existence thanks to her unusual stripes, which appear white and gold. She was born on the island of Molokai in Hawaii in 1998 before being moved with her mother to the Three Ring Ranch, an animal sanctuary on the big island.
Zoe is the only known "Golden Zebra" in the world, but she actually doesn't have albinism. Instead, she has what's known as amelanism — a pigmentation abnormality.
You Can Own an Albino Iguana for $2,500
Most iguanas are naturally a mixture of brown and green hues so they can blend in with their surroundings and avoid becoming dinner. But albino iguanas do exist and they look like something straight out of Game of Thrones.
Albino iguanas are not stark white and instead are a pale yellow. Interestingly, over time they develop colorful markings. If you want one of these to call your own, you're in luck! Several iguana breeders specialize in albino iguanas, but be prepared to spend around $2,500.
Two Albino Wombats Were Found In Ceduna, Australia
In 2012, Australian wildlife rescuers were taken aback when they discovered not one, but two, albino wombats wandering the southern outback.
These cuties, now named Icy and Pola, were found tired and hungry near Ceduna. Today, they've been nursed back to health and are thriving at the Ceduna Fauna Rescue Centre. Val Salmon, manager of the sanctuary, says they've had just one other albino wombat in 30 years!
White Turkeys Are Very Rare
It' not every day that you see an all-white turkey! This bird was spotted alongside its brown-feathered friend in a snowy patch of land. While this turkey is white, he's not technically albino.
All turkeys can carry a recessive gene that can result in their being born with white feathers. They still have pigment in their skin, just not as much as their friends! Researchers think about one in every 100,000 turkeys will be born white, so this is still a rare sighting.
This Albino Chipmunk Is Too Cute
We bet you thought chipmunks couldn't get any cuter, right? Think again. While brown chipmunks aren't unusual, all white ones like this little guy are. “Only a small percentage of animals carry the recessive gene, so the chance of the pairing of recessive genes in an individual animal is slight,” according to the Missouri Conservationist magazine
While it's rare, keep your eyes open when you're taking a stroll through the park. You might just catch a glimpse of one.
Migaloo the Humpback Whale Might Have Produced Albino Offspring
Meet Migaloo. Migaloo is an albino humpback whale first spotted in Australian waters in 1991, where he made quite the big splash (sorry). Albino humpback whales are extremely rare, but researches believe that Migaloo may have fathered not one, but two, albino calves!
MJ and Migaloo Jr. have been making sporadic appearances along the eastern coast of Australia. Seeing a whale is already an incredible experience, so it's hard to imagine what seeing an albino whale would be like.
Albino Hummingbirds Have White Feather and Pink Eyes
Although very rare, albino hummingbirds do exist! While some of these are true albino hummingbirds, other are known as 'Leucistic' hummingbirds, which aren't truly albino.
Albino hummingbirds have white feathers covering their entire body along with pink eyes, bill, and feet. The genetic mutation that causes albinism in hummingbirds is unusual, so consider yourself lucky if you ever see one of these beauties in the wild!
This Piebald Moose Doesn't Look Real
This white moose gained celebrity status after a local politician captured footage of the stunning creature in Sweden. Not only does this moose have white fur, but even his antlers have no pigmentation.
Despite its all-white appearance, this moose technically doesn't have albinism. Instead, its coloring is due to a recessive gene that causes the animal to grow white fur.
This Giraffe Has Lost His Spots!
In September 2017, two all-white giraffes were spotted in Kenya. The two were a mother and baby and were quick to turn heads thanks to their appearance.
These giraffes have leucism, which is a genetic condition that causes loss of color from an animal's skin, but not their eyes.
Snowflake Was the World's Only Albino Gorilla
This is Snowflake, an albino Western lowland gorilla. He lived from 1964 to 2003 after being diagnosed with an unusual form of skin cancer related to his albinism.
Scientists believe Snowflake's albinism was due to inbreeding since he his parents shared 12% of their DNA. Snowflake's mystical appearance came at a cost. He has poor vision and the pain from his cancer caused him to lose interest in activities and isolate himself until he was put down.
Deer
This little fawn is the physical embodiment of serenity. I find it hard to believe that this little guy is even real. Like, seriously, how is any living thing that peaceful?
I think I'm going to call him Bambi, because that seems like an appropriate name for a fawn.
Puffin
I learned something new today. I learned that albino puffins still have colored beaks. I guess whatever colors their beaks isn't melanin or skin pigment.
I also learned that puffins are way smaller than you think they are. They're super hard to spot from far away.
Porcupine
This white porcupine kind of looks like the hair that sits on the top of Donald Trump's head. Actually, I think that's an insult to the porcupine. Sorry, porcupine.
He looks like a rabbit, just without the long ears and with a whole bunch more spikes.
Camel
The only bad thing about being an albino camel is that when they get dirty, it's a lot easier to tell that they're dirty. Dirt just blends right into brown camels.
With a white camel, you can see every speck of sand and mud. He still looks great though!
Monkey
This monkey looks like a wise old man. I think it's probably a girl monkey, but I still think she looks like a wise old man.
That white fur just looks so soft and lovely. This monkey knows that it's cool to be unique. She also knows that bananas are the best fruit.
Skunk
A skunk without its black stripes kind of just looks like a weasel. A fat weasel. I wonder if an albino skunk smells any better than a regular skunk?
Probably not. I don't think they store their stink in their stripes. It would be cool if they did, though.
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
I don't really have a problem with snakes. I know some people are super afraid of them, but I think snakes are pretty cool. This rattlesnake is especially cool. I like the weird flaps they have on either side of their head.
Albino snakes are worth so much money.
Sea Lion
This little albino sea lion is almost too cute for words. He looks like a little aquatic teddy bear.
He also looks kind of sleepy. Apparently, it's hard work being an adorable albino sea lion pup. All of that swimming really tires you out. At least it looks like his friends don't treat him any different.
Fox
This is a true albino fox. Some of the animals on this list are white because of a genetic mutation rather than true albinism. A mammal that is truly albino will have red eyes and no melanin whatsoever.
Whether it's albinism or a genetic mutation, white animals still look pretty cool.
Cardinal
Cardinals are known for their bright red feathers. This Cardinal looks like a Christmas miracle. I love all the green, red, and white going on in this picture.
This cardinal looks like it's half bird and half snowball. Albinism makes mammals' eyes red because it affects rod cells in your eyes— but birds eyes are made of mostly cone cells, so albino birds don't get red eyes like albino mammals.
Lemur
This regular lemur mother gave birth to an exquisite albino lemur baby. I bet she's pretty proud, parading that little guy around.
Pigmentation disorders like albinism are linked to hearing loss in mammals, so I hope this little lemur can still hear with those big ears.
Echidna
Echidnas may be the coolest animals in the world. Echidnas are monotremes, which means that they are mammals that lay eggs. There are only two surviving monotremes left in the world— the echidna and the platypus.
This albino echidna is super rare, and honestly, kind of creepy looking.
Crow
Everyone knows that crows are black. It's a well known fact. Only, not all crows are black. Albino crows actually exist.
They're white, they have no melanin, and this one is apparently very, very angry. What did that black crow ever do to him?
Robin
That's right, this is a robin redbreast, only, this one doesn't have a red breast, or any coloring for that matter. This robin is entirely white.
Both male and female robins have that signature red breast, but male robins are brighter, while the females are a bit duller.
Black Bear
This black bear doesn't look so black to me. Technically, this is not an albino bear. He doesn't have the signature red eyes.
This is just a bear with a rare genetic mutation. He kind of looks like a polar bear, but I promise, this is still a black bear even though he's not black.
Lobster
I wonder if an albino lobster tastes any different from a red lobster. The lobster meat from an albino lobster is probably all white, too.
I feel like eating an entirely white lobster would feel a bit unsettling. This thing is probably too valuable to eat, anyway.
Beaver
I didn't know I needed a white beaver in my life until I saw this picture. Also, he doesn't look like he's going to be white for very much longer.
The good thing about being an albino beaver is that when you want to camouflage yourself, you can just roll in a bunch of mud.
Raccoon
Some people think that raccoons are pests and they just make a mess of your garbage. The truth is, the raccoons were here first. We filled their home with garbage, and now they're just doing their best to stay alive.
Raccoons have been able to thrive in urban centers, so I think they deserve some respect.
Stingray
Ok, I know I said that hummingbird was like a ghost, but this stingray is really ghosty. Maybe I just still have Halloween on the brain.
Stingrays are like the magic carpets of the sea. This albino stingray is too cool for school. A school of fish— get it?
