Leucistic vs. Albino: What’s the Difference and Why Does It Matter?

Among the wonders of the animal kingdom, few things can be as perplexing as distinguishing leucistic creatures from albinos. With both conditions showcasing a striking white coloration, it’s no wonder they often get mistaken for each other. Mastering this distinction holds great importance in nature’s diversity.

So, what sets leucism apart from albinism? Leucism arises from a partial loss of pigmentation caused by a genetic mutation that inhibits melanin and other pigment production, resulting in animals having white, patchy, or pale plumage, scales, cuticles, and coats. Conversely, albino animals lack melanin—the natural pigment responsible for hair/fur, skin, and eye coloration—leaving them entirely white.

The Main Difference

Leucism is a genetic condition that causes a reduction in all types of pigments, not only melanin. As a result, leucistic animals have pale or white patches of fur/hair, skin, plumage, scales, or cuticles. However, the condition doesn’t affect the eyes, so they look normal. A leucistic bird, for example, might have a few white or pale feathers. But since the bird still produces some melanin, the rest of their plumage and eyes look as they would without the genetic mutation.  

Caused by melanin deficiency, albinism is a genetic condition that leaves those with it entirely white or milky in color. Even their eyes are a telltale sign. They will appear pink or red in color since someone or something with albinism produces no melanin. What is seen as pink or red is, in fact, blood vessels behind the eyes and under the skin.

Both are inherited conditions, and the frequency of albinism in wildlife varies considerably as estimates range from one in 20,000 to one in 1 million. According to the National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation, about one in every 18,000-20,000 Americans (meaning in the United States) are born with albinism.

People cannot be leucistic because their skin only has one type of pigment—melanophores, which contains melanin—and leucism affects all pigment production; therefore, only birds, reptiles, and mammals with many pigment cells can inherit leucism. While it affects pigment production, it is not the complete absence of pigment. These animals’ cells have the ability to produce pigments, just not in significant quantities. Additionally, the characteristics of some human abnormalities mimic those of leucism and may be mistaken for that genetic disorder.

Vitiligo

The Global Vitiligo Foundation estimates that about 70 million people worldwide have vitiligo. This autoimmune disorder typically affects the skin, leading to white patches on various body parts, including the face, hands, genitals, and feet. In some individuals, the hair may also turn silver or white. These areas usually lose their pigmentation after the body’s immune system eradicates melanocytes, which produce melanin.

Like leucism, vitiligo is hard to mask. Congenital vitiligo, in which the condition presents itself at birth, is quite rare. In most cases, this disorder manifests between a person’s second and third decade of life, first starting as several white patches that gradually spread across the body. The parts of affected skin vary from one person to another.

Contrary to popular belief, vitiligo is not contagious. Its cause is still unknown, although there is speculation of a genetic component. Scientists believe the inheritance pattern is more complicated because different causes may bring about the condition, including genetic mutations, stress, and autoimmune diseases. Environmental factors such as exposure to harmful chemicals and ultraviolet radiation may also trigger the disorder. Research indicates that about one-fifth of people living with vitiligo have a close relative who is also affected. Notably, the disorder doesn’t affect any sex or race more than another, but it’s more noticeable in individuals with darker skin tones.

Waardenburg Syndrome

Waardenburg syndrome mirrors leucism in that it affects the pigmentation of an individual’s hair and skin. It differs from leucism because it does affect the eyes somewhat. Those with this genetic disorder have mainly pale blue eyes or heterochromia, another condition in which one eyes is blue and the other brown.

In most cases, Waardenburg syndrome manifests itself at birth or during the early life stages. But in some rare instances, the disorder may be diagnosed at later age. All the same, patients display all of some of these symptoms:

• Pale color skin, eyes, and hair
• Blue eyes or heterochromia
• Wide-set eyes
• A white patch or gray patch of hair
• Deafness in one or both ears
• Slightly reduced intellectual function
• Cleft lip (extremely rare)
• Problems straightening joints

It’s worth mentioning that despite the complications associated with Waardenburg syndrome, people with it lead normal lives and have a normal life expectancy. Canadian YouTuber and video game streamer Stef Sanjati has the condition, and it is speculated that Michael Jackson’s daughter Paris Jackson has the condition. 

Leucistic and Albino Wildlife

Although leucistic and albino wildlife are some of the most captivating creatures in nature, their lives are far from easy. To begin with, an individual with any of these conditions sticks out like a sore thumb, putting them at a disadvantage when hiding from predators. Unfortunately, some barely even make it to adulthood for that specific reason.

Additionally, most animals with albinism rarely survive in the wild due to a lack of protection from UV radiation. A great example is an albino alligator. Unaware of its condition, the reptile can unknowingly sunbath itself to death during its early stages. Sadly, albino individuals also experience other dire problems like cancer. For instance, the famous albino gorilla, Snowflake, died from skin cancer in 2003.

Like other affected species, birds with albinism and leucism bear the cost of having the conditions. Besides being more vulnerable to predation than normal-plumaged birds, they also have issues with flight. Since some or all of the creatures’ feathers lack melanin, they fray easily, making it harder for them to fly in search of food or safe shelter. Things are even worse for albino birds. Unlike their leucistic counterparts whose iris pigmentation is dark, birds with albinism can have impaired vision. Regrettably, most of them die shortly after fledging.

Albino and leucistic creatures also have more to worry about than predation and health problems. The animals are poachers’ number one target, mostly because of their exotic looks. Most illegal hunters capitalize on the stunning appearances of these animals to make big bucks.

Finding a mate can prove problematic, too. Animals use, among other things, coloring to identify potential mates. For instance, in 2020, entomologist and passionate birder John Walters revealed an albino robin couldn’t find a mate for four years because males could not recognize her.

Wildlife with Leucism

Whitetail Deer

Did you know North America is home to about 30 million whitetail deer, and it is estimated that 1-2 percent of them may be leucistic. Typically, members of the family Cervidae boast reddish-brown to tan coats that usually fade to grayish-brown in the winter. Leucistic whitetail deer are entirely white, even their hooves are translucent or white, but their eyes and noses retain normal pigmentation.

Piebaldism, another genetic condition that affects melanin production, produces a small amount of melanin, so if you encounter a deer with patches of white but the rest of its coat is reddish-brown, it most likely this deer has piebaldism, not leucism.

White Lions

Often mistaken for albino lions, white lions are another leucistic species. Two tawny parents with the recessive gene for white coat colors produce these individuals. South Africa’s Timbavati region is home to the world’s only white lions. They live in the same savannah grasslands as other lions do. These apex predators are less vulnerable than other species with leucism to all predators but one—poachers. The IUCN has listed white lions as a vulnerable species.

Kermode Bears

Kermode bears, a subspecies of the American black bear, live in the north and central coastal areas of British Columbia. These bears are usually black, but they are not exclusively black. It is estimated that there are between 100 and 500 fully white Kermode bears. White Kermode bears are affectionately called spirit bears. These bears bear the name of scientist Francis Kermode, who studied them for much of his career. Despite their white fur, they still have pigmentation in their eyes and skin, making them leucistic, not albino. In 2020, photography guide Steven Rose captured a series of photos of a spirit bear fishing in the Great Bear Rain Forest.

Wildlife with Albinism

Migaloo the White Whale

Migaloo is a male albino humpback whale believed to have been born in 1986. It was first sighted was in 1991 in Byron Bay, Australia; today, it’s among the 30,000-plus whales that migrate through the location yearly. Migaloo is known to swim with other white humpbacks, including Willow, Bahloo, and Migaloo Jnr. Its uniqueness makes it a protected species under Queensland and Commonwealth Government legislation. Hence, no vessels can get within at least 1,640 feet (500 meters) of the albino animal.

Alba the Orangutan

Bright blue-eyed Alba is famous for being the first and only known albino orangutan. She made headlines in 2017 when she was rescued from villagers in Borneo. Then, she was only 5, and her owner at the time claimed to have stumbled upon her in a nearby rainforest. Alba was severely dehydrated when the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF) found her. Thankfully, the organization nursed her back to health and re-introduced her to the wild in 2018. She now thrives in the Borneo rainforest, playing with her kind, including her best friend, Kika.

White Cloud, the Iconic Bison

Mahpiya Ska translates to White Cloud from the Sioux language. The name was given to a true albino buffalo (no cattle pedigree, either) born in 1996 at the Shirek Buffalo Ranch in North Dakota. She was deaf and had poor eyesight, common defects associated with albinism. She was loaned out to North Dakota’s National Buffalo Museum (now the North American Bison Discovery Center), where she grazed and moseyed about and where her presence drew thousands of visitors each year. Shortly before her death from old age in November 2016, she was returned to the Shirek Buffalo Ranch, and that is the place where she went to meet the man in the sky. She did have several calves, but only one displayed a white coat, but he was determined not to be albino but rather leucistic. He sadly died in 2019 after falling into a ravine.