Leucistic Melanistic Deer

I was inspired to make this thread after coming across this picture today.

Leucistic melanistic deer. Diabeticdisfunction piebald credits. Leucism ˈ l uː s ɪ z əm k ɪ z is a term used to describe a wide variety of conditions which result in the partial loss of pigmentation in an animal which causes white pale or patchy coloration of the skin hair feathers scales or cuticles but not the eyes. Similar to albinism leucism is a genetic condition that causes partial pigmentation loss in animals. Confusingly many deer biologists and hunters use piebald to describe all leucistic deer.

Common menil melanistic and leucistic a genuine colour variety not albinistic. Common menil melanistic and leucistic a genuine colour variety not albinistic. Diabeticdisfunction black tailed deer fyi. Killercrocz common credits diabeticdisfunction melanistic piebald credits.

The title explains everything. Leucism occurs when color pigments are produced in a lower amount than normal and normal skin fur or feather patterns and textures remain. These deer do not have any spots nor do they have a light underbelly. In reality white deer are typical a result of leucism a pigmentation pattern controlled by a recessive gene.

This is a subspecies of mule deer. Much variation occurs in the coat colour of the species with four main variants. However some areas now have fairly stable populations of white wild deer rather than just the occasional one or two. Common and menil are darker and melanistic is very dark sometimes even black easily confused with the sika deer.

The white is the lightest coloured almost white. Pictures of melanistic albino and leucistic animals go here. Leucistic animals lack pigment over all or part of their bodies leucistic deer can be varying levels of white some contain white splotches some are half brown and half white some appear nearly all white. It is occasionally spelled leukism some genetic conditions that result in a leucistic appearance include piebaldism.

Melanistic color melanistic colored deer have black or grey brown coats. They have white colored coats and the fawns have cream colored coats. The different types of albinism all have to do with the body s inability to produce melanin leading to white gray or cream colored hair and skin but not necessarily red eyes. Much variation occurs in the coat colour of the species with four main variants.

The white is the lightest. Leucistic color like all other leucistic animals leucistic fallow deer look very similar to albino. White deer may arise more often in captive populations due to inbreeding and the absence of predators. This hereditary and rare trait results in a white or patchy appearance of skin hair feathers.