Albino Squirrel – You might have encountered many squirrels daily, but have you ever encountered an Albino Squirrel? Albino Squirrels are a rare sight and are a sight for sore eyes. Their body is covered with snow-white fur and cherry-red eyes, easy to catch anyone’s attention due to the lack of melanin, a pigment that provides color to a being.
Albino squirrels are rare and just as sweet as regular squirrels. To enlighten you with more knowledge about an albino squirrel, we’ll take a deeper look into its life. Get ready to be fascinated:
Albino Squirrel| An introduction|
Just like the name suggests, it is a squirrel suffering from the rare disease of Albinism. The reason for its snow-white fur is the lack of pigment. And since they are very rare creatures, this often results in massive public fascination and attraction. And worldwide, several communities think of them as a sign of good luck, like the Native Americans who think of them as a sign of peace.
Also known as Fox squirrels, these can easily be exclusive Eastern Gray squirrels. Other than albinism, they get the white color from the white morph gene.
What does Albinism mean?
Albino or Albinism is a genetic mutation generally inherited by the successor that represses the body’s melanin production. Melanin is the hormone that creates a pigment that gives color to certain body parts, hair, skin, eyes, fur, etc.
Life Cycle of an Albino Squirrel or White Squirrel|
Due to their whiter fur and the sweet characteristic of that regular squirrel, even with a shorter life span, they enjoy a good lifestyle due to immense human affection.
In terms of numbers, an albino squirrel will have a life cycle of around 3 to 5 years in the wilderness. But if kept in a safer environment and with decent care, their lifespan will stretch up to 10 years. Since they are small and easy to spot in the wilderness, they easily fall prey to wild animals.
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Albino Squirrel| Facts and Traits|
1) Traits of An Albino Squirrel
An albino squirrel’s body lacks pigments that lead to its white-colored body. But along with exceptionally sweet looks, it also brings them a few difficulties. One of those problems is the eye problem. It gives their eye’s inability to be used together. That results in difficulty in depth and distance judgment. Their eyes are either blue or red due to their condition. Since there is no pigmentation in the iris, the blood vessels appear very close to the surface, giving them a bright blood-red color.
2) Body
An albino squirrel’s body is covered with snow-white fur and has a bright red-colored eye. They are usually just about the same size of that of regular squirrels.
3) Surviving in the wilderness
- Due to their catchy white color, they are often at a disadvantage of being easily spotted in the wild by their opponents. Since they have no pigments, they don’t get any color on their body that makes them unable to camouflage in the wild.
- Albinism has direct antagonism with the sunlight; since they have no body color, they have no protection against sunlight.
- One more reason for their poor survival chance is being outcasted from the herd. Due to their distinct color, they are often not considered a part of the family.
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4) What are the Chances of you encountering a White Squirrel?
Well, the chances are thin, but if you see one, you just saw 1 in 10000 squirrels.
Albino Squirrel vs. White Squirrel
There are quite a few differences between a white-colored squirrel and a squirrel suffering from albinism. For instance, a squirrel suffering from albinism will have white fur and red eyes, whereas a white squirrel will have white fur with black eyes.
Besides being larger than albino squirrels, white squirrels are not albino because they produce melanin. They are also called the Leucistic squirrels.
Leucistic Squirrel or White Squirrel
People often confuse Leucism with albinism. In albinism, no amount of melanin pigment is produced by the organism. In contrast, in leucism, only a partial loss in pigmentation production leads to pale white skin or fur, which is often confused with albinism. While in albinism, the squirrels get red color eyes, in leucism, the squirrel gets a rather pale white or cream white along with black eyes.
These are the certain types of Leucism found in the organisms:
- Tetra-leucism – in this, the organisms retain the real color of their eyes, but there is a zero production of melanin pigment.
- Partial leucism – in this condition, only certain body parts are affected.
- Spotty leucism – random patches of white or pale coloration on the body.
5) What are the Chances of encountering an Albino Squirrel?
Albino squirrels are rarer than white squirrels, and if you encounter one, consider yourself lucky since you’ll see 1 in 100,000 regular squirrels. So the odds of you coming across one are pretty slim but still be on the lookout next time you see a group of squirrels or are out in the wilderness.
6) White Squirrel-Their Relationship to the Native Americans
Albino squirrels were meant to symbolize peace during the early 14th century. And were once used by the Native American soldiers during a battle as a means of surrender to their opponent.
7) Creature of Mythology
An albino squirrel also depicts that the change is coming and urges people to prepare for it, in the mythology.
8) Current Squirrel Strength
The exact number is still unknown, but there has been an ongoing study started almost 40 years ago by Dr. John Stencil of Olney College, who has had numerous volunteers on the lookout to monitor the total number of this rare squirrel. They follow their specific routes and record the number of white squirrels, albino squirrels, and even gray squirrels.
9) Albino Squirrels – What entitlement do they have in Olney, Illinois?
Home to the albino squirrels, this town has some strict rules to preserve the already rare creature, and they are doing a very good job. Following are the certain rules regarding the preservation of Albino Squirrels in the town of Olney, Illinois:
- The police officers in the town carry a special squirrel badge and have stated that every cat owner must keep their pets on a leash every time.
- Even squirrels have the right to walk on streets and sidewalks.
- Any person who harms a squirrel will be considered a criminal and have to pay a $750 fine.
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FAQS
How Rare Are Albino Squirrels?
Yes, only about one in a million squirrels suffers from albinism. It is a disease in which the body lacks the production ability of melanin. A hormone is responsible for providing the body with its natural color. Albino squirrels are often considered as a sign of good luck in certain communities all across the world.
Are Albino Squirrels Good Luck?
According to legends, if you spot an albino squirrel at any point in a day, you will get good luck.
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