Leucistic animals have lighter colored coats, but they are not quite albinos. They don’t have red eyes, and they have some pigment to them. They have a harder time surviving in the wild due to lack of regular camouflage.
Are you familiar with the spirit / kermode bear? It’s a subspecies of the american black bear, and it’s only endemic to British Columbia, Canada. They make up between 10-20% of black bears in the region.
They’re probably my favorite animal. I hadn’t heard the word ‘leucistic’ until today, but that’s exactly what they are, so thanks for teaching me a new word.
Interestingly, their white fur is something of an evolutionary advantage. When hunting salmon, the fish will avoid the dark shapes of bears, so it’s almost like they can’t see the white ones
Leucistic animals have lighter colored coats, but they are not quite albinos. They don’t have red eyes, and they have some pigment to them. They have a harder time surviving in the wild due to lack of regular camouflage.
Are you familiar with the spirit / kermode bear? It’s a subspecies of the american black bear, and it’s only endemic to British Columbia, Canada. They make up between 10-20% of black bears in the region.
They’re probably my favorite animal. I hadn’t heard the word ‘leucistic’ until today, but that’s exactly what they are, so thanks for teaching me a new word.
Interestingly, their white fur is something of an evolutionary advantage. When hunting salmon, the fish will avoid the dark shapes of bears, so it’s almost like they can’t see the white ones
That’s really cool, thank you for sharing!