The Rare Sight of an Albino Deer

Continue reading...

Behold, a pale horse. Well, not quite, but it’s close enough. Seeing an all-white deer is almost as rare as seeing a unicorn. Witnessing them in their full form is so rare that sightings take on an almost mythical, mystic element. If you sit around enough campfires, you’ll probably hear stories about the legendary white deer and the omen of witnessing one. Even with the proliferation of game cameras, spotting one of these deer remains difficult.

Albino genes are rare in any animal. When it comes to deer, however, prey animals by nature, albino genes put them at a disadvantage. Gleaming white fur surely doesn’t help deer avoid the merciless eye of predators in the forest. But how rare are sightings of these all-white deer, and what causes this unique genetic mutation? Watch the video above, and we will explore the topic further.

Albinism

Albinism is a recessive gene trait in animals that causes a lack of pigment in hair, tissue, skin, and more. Having white fur or skin is one thing, but true albinism affects all tissue. That’s why albino animals have pink appendages and red/pink eyes.

For an animal to be born with albinism, both parents must carry the recessive albino gene. Even when both parents carry it, however, there’s only a 25% chance they will produce an albino fawn. This makes them a serious rarity. Your chance of seeing an albino deer is around 1 in 30,000. That said, the farther north you are in North America, the more likely you’ll spot one of these ethereal creatures.

While they may look beautiful to us, being an albino deer presents serious disadvantages in the wild. Besides sticking out like a sore thumb, albino animals often suffer from diminished vision, deformed hooves, arched spines, and recessed jaws. For that reason, states like Minnesota, Illinois, and Iowa protect albino deer from harvest or hunting.

Piebald vs. Albino Deer

You may think you spotted an albino deer deep in the forest, but there’s a good chance you saw a piebald deer. Piebald deer also have a genetic mutation affecting coloration but to a lesser degree than true albinos. The Piebald recessive gene causes deer to be mostly white with patches of normal fur color. Unlike albinos, Piebald deer have normal eye color.

That said, the genes responsible for causing Piebald coloration also affect other physical characteristics. They too are born with physical deformities like crooked spines, scrunched noses, and distorted hooves. For these reasons, most Piebalds don’t live to maturity.

In places where albinos and Piebalds are protected, however, they have a better chance of living long lives. Experts estimate that less than 2% of the whitetail deer population suffers from Piebald. Either way, seeing an Albino or Piebald deer will give you a campfire story for years to come.