We have a squirrel living in our tree that has a white tail. Only the tail. Its looks healthy, no skin disease. The tail is nice and fluffy, but oddly white. Is it possible for an animal to be partly albino?
http://birdsbyal.blogspot.com/2008/01/white-tail-squirrel.html http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?i...firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&sa=G
Not all white animals are albinos. White dogs, cats, cows, leopards, sheep, rats, bunnies, ermines, foxes, etc., certainly aren't. Why do you think a squirrel has to be albino to be white? Can you get close enough to see if he has no pigment in his eyes? That's the giveaway. It's very common for animal populations that have established themselves in northern regions with lots of snow to slowly develop white pigmentation for camouflage. Polar bears are descended from grizzlies. Although oddly enough, the squirrels that are coming down from Canada are black. It's been hypothesized that being more visible keeps them from being run over by cars, which are the most dangerous "predators" in cities. I see black squirrels all the time in Washington now.
in adition to FR's post. Its more than just being "white" which makes someone (or something) albeno. Its an inability to produce pigment and there for there whole body is VERY pale and there eyes are red because the pigment also gives us eye colour
the white on a cat or dogs chest is partial albinism. during development pigment cells start off at the neural thingamajig on the back and work their way around to the chest. sometimes they dont make it all the way.
because the only white squirrels I have ever seen are albinos. I don't know how it all works. An albino mates with a normal squirrel and has Snickers (that's what we named him)
Not albino, just white. http://www.whitesquirrelinstitute.whitesquirrelfestival.com/whitesquirrels.htm http://www.ci.olney.il.us/Visitors/WhiteSquirrel.htm http://www.thom.org/gallery/set/squirrels.html There's a town with a whole colony of white squirrels.
Do you know for sure? You'd have to see their pink eyes. You can't usually get that close to a squirrel except in a city park where they've learned to act cute and mooch food like raccoons. White fur can simply be a mutation.
I don't remember their eye colour. I saw a possum once with pink eyes Snickers has deep brown soulful eyes. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
This albino gator has blue eyes. Does this mean its not really an albino?? http://naturalplane.blogspot.com/2009/02/rare-blue-eyed-albino-alligator.html