TOP 15 RARE Albino Animals
ALL OVER THE WORLD TOURISM MOST FAMOUS PLACES
Transcript
00:00The natural world is full of incredible animals that have a wide range of different colors.
00:05Some of the most unusual colored species are albino animals.
00:09These animals have very little or no pigment at all due to a genetic mutation.
00:14Although they look unusual and sometimes off-putting, many albino animals look absolutely beautiful.
00:19So join me for today's video as we take a look at 15 of the most beautiful albino animals.
00:25Number 15.
00:26Penguin Penguins are some of the most beautiful birds
00:29in the world when they have the feather colorations that you'd normally expect from each species.
00:34But on extremely rare occasions they may look very different from the black and white that
00:38we know them for.
00:39There's a number of reasons why a penguin may be a different color, such as nutrition
00:43and their overall health, but the main factor is genetic.
00:47Albinism is incredibly rare in any penguin species, and the result is a chick that's
00:51completely white apart from their beak, eyes, and skin, which is pink.
00:56Some albino penguins, however amazing they look, are unfortunately also blind, so it's
01:00unlikely they'll live for long in the wild.
01:02But there have been instances where they were born in zoos, and zookeepers were able to
01:06step in to prolong their lives.
01:08Leucistic penguins are also occasionally discovered, and as long as they're able to avoid predators
01:13that can see them more easily, they do sometimes reach adulthood.
01:16And in one species, the Gentoo penguins, there's another condition called Isabellanism that's
01:21very similar to leucism and actually helps them to camouflage in entirely new places
01:25around the coast of Antarctic islands in a way that's given them a competitive edge
01:29over their peers.
01:31Number 14.
01:32Kangaroo.
01:33It's estimated that there are between 40 and 50 million kangaroos living in the wild
01:38in Australia, and with such a large population, there are quite a few white kangaroos across
01:43the country.
01:44The first scientific reports of albinos and kangaroos date back to the mid-19th century,
01:48as they're seen by some communities as incredibly good-lucked.
01:52With pristine white fur and a complete lack of pigmentation, this can be caused by albinism
01:56or leucism, and their numbers have actually been seen to increase in recent years.
02:01It's thought to happen once every 50 to 100,000 births, and it's estimated that at any one
02:05time there are as many as 500 of them in the wild.
02:09They are, however, less likely to survive because of their lack of natural camouflage,
02:13and it means that they're easy targets for predators.
02:16In Australia, though, recent droughts and the dingo fence that keeps wild dogs away
02:19from large areas of the southeastern parts of the country mean that there are far lower
02:23numbers of predators than normal, and the chances of white kangaroos surviving are greatly
02:28improved.
02:29Studies of kangaroo populations have also found that the animals go to lengths to protect
02:33each other, and when one is born with albinism, they'll often be surrounded by a mob if a
02:38predator is nearby to help fend off an attack.
02:40There's no doubt that they're incredible-looking creatures, and with the changing climate and
02:44extra protection from other kangaroos, they'll continue to be an increasingly common sight.
02:5013.
02:51Hummingbird There are 361 known species of hummingbirds
02:56that can be found across the Americas, and not only are they best known for their unique
03:00way of flying that allows them to hover and move backward, they also have a range of vibrant
03:05colors.
03:06On extremely rare occasions, though, a hummingbird is born without albinism or leucism, and instead
03:11of being an array of hues, their feathers will be white and their bills, eyes, and feet
03:15can either be white or black, making them one of the cutest birds ever.
03:19For birdwatchers, seeing an albino hummingbird is one of the luckiest experiences of all,
03:24more so because the chances of the animal surviving for long are very low.
03:28Not only are they easier for predators to see, but their feathers are also much weaker
03:32than those with the pigment, so they're likelier to break during migration, and they're also
03:36believed to be far more likely to suffer from other genetic anomalies that make them more
03:40susceptible to disease and environmental problems.
03:43Because of their low chance of survival, it's not known for sure just how rare albinism
03:47is in hummingbirds, or whether it's even possible in all the different species, but it's believed
03:52to be most common with ruby-throated hummingbirds, and only around a dozen of them have ever
03:56been captured and tagged by researchers.
03:5912.
04:00Orangutan The chances of primates being born as albino
04:05are around the same as with humans, which is somewhere between one every three to twenty
04:09thousand births.
04:10It's such a disadvantage in the wild, though, that it's highly unlikely that they'll ever
04:14reach adulthood, or even be seen by humans, but it has happened a couple of times.
04:19Alba the orangutan was originally discovered by a villager in a forest clearing in Borneo
04:24in 2017, and after she was captured, she was kept in a cage in a nearby village.
04:28The Save the Orangutan Foundation found out about this and managed to rescue her, at which
04:32point they gave her a full medical checkup and began to work to reintroduce her to the
04:37wild.
04:38Alba is the only albino orangutan to have ever been found, and despite having reduced
04:41vision and hearing, she was released into the Bukit Baka Bukit Raya National Park in
04:45central Kalimantan, Borneo, a while later.
04:48She was continuously tracked and monitored, and found to have fitted in well with the
04:52other orangutans.
04:53Of all the animals the center has rescued and helped through its history, Alba certainly
04:57has garnered the most attention because of how beautiful she is, and the longer she survives,
05:02the greater the chance there may be of having children of her own who could themselves also
05:06have the same unique coloration that she does.
05:1011.
05:11Koala Bear Koalas are tree-dwelling bears that are native
05:15to Australia, and as anyone who's ever seen one in real life will tell you, they're one
05:19of the cutest and most beautiful animals in the world.
05:22Growing to around 33 inches or 85 centimeters tall, they're usually silver-gray to chocolate
05:27brown in color, but occasionally one is born without any pigment, and they're even more
05:31stunning than the others.
05:33Koalas aren't technically albino, and according to the Australian Zoo in Queensland, are instead
05:38the result of a recessive gene that's inherited from their parents.
05:41It's often referred to as the silvering gene, and it's where young animals are born with
05:45white or very pale fur, and they often shed this as they get older and replace it with
05:50normal colors.
05:51This doesn't always happen, though, and in extremely rare occasions, the koala will stay
05:54snowy white for their entire lives.
05:57They have virtually no chance of surviving in the wild because of how much easier it
06:01is for predators to hunt them, but there are a limited few available to see in Australian
06:05zoos.
06:06It's quite possible, though, that if these individuals are able to breed, then they'll
06:09be able to pass on the gene to further generations, and white koalas will become more common.
06:1410.
06:16Dolphin The 42 known dolphin species around the world
06:20are usually either dark gray or pink in color, but just like other animals, genetic mutations
06:25can cause some individuals to look very different.
06:28Dolphinism is incredibly rare, and because they're an aquatic animal, no one can really
06:32be sure how often it happens because of how likely it is that they will fall victim to
06:36a predator at a young age, but occasionally a fully healthy one is spotted.
06:40Recently, a team of researchers documented an albino Rissos dolphin in Monterey Bay off
06:45the coast of California, and to make it an even more exciting encounter, they believe
06:49it was the same dolphin that had been spotted in 2015 as a pup.
06:53Named Casper, he's been seen a few times and normally only ventures near the coast as part
06:57of a larger group of dolphins, which is good because he needs to be surrounded by them
07:00to add extra protection, and he's definitely developed avoidant behaviors compared to what's
07:05typical of his species.
07:06Still, he's just as curious, so will sometimes go up close to whale-watching boats and other
07:11slow-moving vessels, and if you're lucky enough to be on one at a time, you'll see up close
07:15a creature that very few people have ever witnessed with their own eyes.
07:199.
07:21Snake Almost every animal has the potential to be
07:24born as an albino, but one of the most common types to exhibit the lack of coloration are
07:29snakes.
07:30There are actually a number of different ways the condition can present itself, from those
07:34that are fully white with red eyes to those that only lack certain pigments, so for example
07:38instead of being yellow, white, and red, maybe yellow and white.
07:42Corn snakes and Burmese pythons are particularly susceptible to genetic abnormalities, and
07:47it's no coincidence that they're also a popular species to be kept as pets.
07:51Collectors will often attempt to create snakes with new and interesting colors to appeal
07:54to collectors, and this process can accidentally create snakes that, when they breed, are far
07:59more likely to have albino offspring.
08:02Regardless of their origin, and even if you aren't particularly fond of snakes, there's
08:06no escaping the fact that albino ones are undeniably adorable.
08:10They're highly prized by collectors, and are able to pass the albino trade on if they mate
08:13with another, but this should only be done with great care by experts, because it could
08:17lead to another genetic abnormality too.
08:218.
08:23Squirrel There are more than 100 different known species
08:25of squirrel, and they're the animals that can be found on virtually every continent
08:29around the world.
08:30Normally, because of the prevalence of the eastern gray squirrel and red squirrel, you'd
08:34expect them to be one of those two colors, but some develop leucism, and this leads them
08:39to grow perfectly white fur instead.
08:41In the wild, this makes it far more difficult for them to evade predators, so their chances
08:45of survival are slim, but there are several communities that are made up of almost entirely
08:50white squirrels, the largest colony of which can be found in only Illinois.
08:54They've become such a well-known sight there that white squirrels feature on the local
08:57police department's badge, and the animals have the right-of-way on all the town's streets,
09:02with a $500 fine given to any driver that hits one.
09:05There are a number of other towns in the United States that also have significant white squirrel
09:09populations, and several university campuses do too.
09:12It's the human fascination with them that's the main reason they're able to survive these
09:16places and not only have the populations manage to establish themselves, but they flourish.
09:217.
09:23Peacock There are three distinct species of peafowl,
09:26one from India, one from Southeast Asia, and one from Africa.
09:30While they have noticeable differences, the one thing that they're known for the most
09:34is their extravagant train of feathers that Charles Darwin first suggested were a means
09:38to attract a mate.
09:39They're undoubtedly one of the most spectacular and colorful birds in the world, and they
09:44come in various shades of blue and green, but perhaps the ones that stand out the most
09:48are those that seemingly lack any pigmentation at all.
09:51Occasionally, a pure white peacock is born, and rather than being true albinism, this
09:55is usually the result of leucism, which means that pigment cells are unable to move to the
09:59surface during development.
10:01As this is a genetic condition, white peafowls that breed with each other will often produce
10:05white offspring, and the owners now do this on purpose because they're just as popular
10:10as the colorful variety.
10:11Surprisingly, the white ones usually go on to develop longer tail feathers, which means
10:16these birds have more weight to carry around with them, but this usually means they have
10:19to develop stronger muscles and are actually fitter as a result.
10:23In the wild, the presence of color or not doesn't seem to affect which peacock a female
10:28will choose, and instead, it's the size that matters most, something which is believed
10:32to indicate a healthier individual.
10:356.
10:36White Tiger As the largest species of wild cat, tigers
10:40are some of the most majestic creatures in the world, but while most take on the characteristic
10:45orange coloration with black stripes, there are some that are even more special.
10:49Occasionally, a tiger is born with leucism, which means that its coat doesn't produce
10:53any orange pigment at all and is white instead, but still with the black stripes.
10:58These white tigers are extremely rare and are thought to be born once every 10,000 births,
11:03with an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 tigers existing in the wild across the Indian subcontinent
11:07at any one time, and something that only happens once every two or three generations.
11:12Leucism happens because of a predictable genetic defect, however, which means that in captivity,
11:17the trait can be bred, and because white tigers are in such high demand for zoos and performances,
11:22there are now believed to be around 300 of them worldwide.
11:26This is an ethically dubious thing, because it can result in unhealthy inbred animals,
11:30especially as there's also demand for stripless white tigers, something that's even rarer
11:35and more difficult to achieve.
11:37That means far more tigers are bred in captivity than there should be.
11:41Despite these concerns, there's nothing quite as amazing as seeing a naturally born white
11:45tiger, and it's one of the most spectacular creatures the natural world has to offer.
11:50Number 5.
11:51Vulture Around the world, there are 23 known species
11:55of vulture, each of which is a bird of prey that's known for scavenging dead animals and
11:59are recognizable for their bald heads.
12:02This lack of plumage is actually an important way for them to keep clean while they eat,
12:06and also helps them regulate their temperature in combination with the dark coloration of
12:10their feathers on their bodies, and this makes it even more unusual that albino vultures
12:14are even able to survive into adult life.
12:17This does happen on occasion though, and results in the vultures having pure white feathers
12:21and pink eyes.
12:23While you may not think that vultures are the prettiest of all birds, there's something
12:26about an albino one that's far more majestic and impressive than their counterparts, and
12:31they have for a long time been seen as a good luck omen by cultures whenever they appear.
12:36As with almost all species, albinism in vultures makes them far more susceptible to predators,
12:40but because there are very few natural predators of vultures, this danger isn't as substantial,
12:45and the coloration doesn't affect their ability to hunt either, and there's no risk of the
12:49carrion they feed on trying to escape because it's dead already.
12:544. Zebra Found in the grasslands and savannas of eastern
12:58and southern Africa, there are actually three different species of zebra, all of which have
13:02the famed white and black stripe markings.
13:04Amazingly, these patterns are unique to each individual, almost like a fingerprint, and
13:09the main purpose of having them is believed to act as a deterrent to biting insects that
13:13get confused by the sharp contrasts.
13:16In extremely rare circumstances, thought to be every half a million births, a recessive
13:20gene exhibits itself that interferes with the way the pigment in the black stripes is
13:24formed, and this creates something known as a blonde zebra.
13:27It's a type of partial albinism that means there's significantly less melanin in the
13:31skin than is typical for a zebra, so instead of having black stripes, they appear golden
13:36or cream-colored instead.
13:38Quite how this affects their interaction with biting insects or with other animals isn't
13:42quite clear, because very little is known about albino zebras in the wild.
13:46There are, though, a group of them that live in the private Mount Kenya National Park,
13:50and it's now thought that the gene responsible for this is actually more present in zebra
13:54populations in Kenya than had previously been realized.
13:583.
14:00WALLABY Closely related to kangaroos, there are 49
14:03species of wallaby that are native to Australia and New Guinea, each of which have their own
14:08unique traits and natural habitats.
14:10Most of them are gray or brown, but an environmental fluke has meant that in Tasmania, there's
14:15a large population of pure white wallabies, and they're some of the cutest animals you'll
14:19ever see.
14:20On Rooney Island, which is just off the coast, there are no natural predators of a species
14:25called Bennett's wallabies, and at some point in the past, a genetic defect has been passed
14:29on through the population.
14:31With the classic signs of albinism, they have snow-white fur and pink eyes, noses, and claws,
14:36and are particularly sensitive to the sunlight and vulnerable to disease.
14:40If they had been born almost anywhere else, they would almost certainly have been taken
14:44by predators while they were young, but on this island, there's no danger to them at
14:48all, and they've been able to thrive.
14:50Even though they have poor eyesight, they have plenty of foliage and berries to feed
14:54on, and because they're so adorable, people that live on the island take care of them
14:57if they start exhibiting any signs of cancer or other ailments.
15:01Rooney Island is the only place on Earth you can see these beautiful creatures, so if you're
15:05able to go, you're almost guaranteed to see one up close.
15:092.
15:12Western lowland gorillas are native to forest and swampland regions across Africa, and are
15:16the ones you'll normally see in zoos around the world.
15:19Growing to almost 6 feet or 1.8 meters tall, and with such incredible strength that they've
15:24been said to have the power of eight Olympic weightlifters, one of the common names for
15:28them is Silverback because of their black, brown, and gray hair that gets grayer as they
15:33age in a similar way to humans.
15:35Albinism in gorillas is extremely rare, so much so that only one has ever been seen.
15:41Known as Snowflake, he was born in the wild in Equatorial Guinea, and at a young age was
15:45taken into captivity at the zoo in Barcelona, Spain in 1966.
15:49With white hair, pink skin, light-colored eyes, reduced vision, and increased sensitivity
15:54to light, he had the same symptoms as humans with the condition.
15:57It was caused by a recessive gene that was only able to express itself because of inbreeding
16:02in the gorilla population, and itself has given a greater insight into their social
16:06dynamics.
16:07After being transferred to the zoo, Snowflake became somewhat of a celebrity because of
16:11his incredible appearance, and once they realized that he was a one-off, plans were put into
16:15place to establish a breeding program with the hope it would create further white gorillas.
16:20Snowflake spent his entire life in the zoo and died in 2003 due to a cancer that developed
16:25because of his albinism.
16:26By that time, though, he had fathered 22 offspring, and at the last count, 21 grandchildren, but
16:31none of them show any signs of being albino like he was.
16:361.
16:38Turtle
16:39Around the world, there are currently thought to be 360 known species of turtle, from tortoises
16:44that live on land to terrapins and the huge sea turtles, and they're undoubtedly some
16:49of the most majestic and amazing creatures on the planet.
16:52Their main feature is that their bodies are covered by a thick shell that grows mainly
16:56from their ribs, and it's made up of as many as 60 different bones, and they're usually
17:00black, brown, or green in color, so they camouflage well with their surroundings to avoid predators.
17:06Scientists believe that every species of turtle has the potential to develop the genetic abnormalities
17:10responsible for albinism, and when this happens, every part of the newborn turtle is white,
17:15apart from their eyes which are red or pink.
17:18The true numbers of how common this is aren't known, but estimates are that it happens once
17:22every 100,000 births, which is five times rarer than in humans.
17:27Knowing for certain is difficult, though, because life is dangerous enough for a properly
17:30camouflaged turtle, let alone one without any pigment, so they're usually taken by predators
17:35at a very young age.
17:36Sometimes some are found by people before this can happen, and they're the most beautiful
17:40things you can imagine.
17:41With an almost unbelievable coloration and virtually helpless because of their poor vision,
17:46zoos and wildlife centers tend to see them as a golden ticket because they're sure to
17:50attract visitors who want to see them for themselves.
17:53One of the rarest and most special in the world can currently be seen at the Tropiquarium
17:57Zoo in Switzerland.
17:58They recently announced the birth of an albino Galapagos giant tortoise, the largest turtle
18:03species of all, and they're hoping that by keeping it safe, it'll be able to grow to
18:07full size and become the poster child for fundraising efforts to try to help prevent
18:11the species from becoming extinct.