#xanthochromism

[cannedpeachess]

No because the way I get so VISCERALLY angry when someone refers to an animal as albino when they’re actually leucistic, erythristic, or xanthochromatic is both deeply irrational and greatly unhealthy

ALBINISM

Total loss of melanin in the body, i.e. skin, hair/fur/feathers, and eyes (the eyes look pink/red because the lack of melanin in the eye exposes the blood vessels within it to light, which then reflects their red hue)

LEUCISM

Partial loss of melanin in the body; the pattern of melanin distribution is unique in each case, so some people or animals with this condition may have patches of typically-colored skin/hair/fur in addition to pigmented eyes, while others may only have the aforementioned ocular pigmentation

ERYTHRISM

Abnormal prevalence of reddish pigment in the skin/hair/fur/feathers of an animal; concentration of this pigment varies case by case, so humans/animals with the condition can present anywhere from only slightly pink to intensely red in color; to my knowledge, the condition does not affect the eyes

XANTHOCHROMISM

Abnormal prevalence of yellow pigment in the skin/hair/fur/feathers of an animal; similar to erythrism, color intensity can vary from light golden hues to deep yellows; again, to my knowledge, the condition does not affect the eyes

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk

[todaysbird]

this male northern cardinal is a bright yellow instead of the species’ typical red. this bird was spotted by amateur birdwatcher jeremiah vreeland in port st lucie, florida. this bird shows an example of xanthochromism, where a typically red pigment is muted and displays as yellow. it’s believed that this extremely rare mutation has very low odds, and this cardinal is probably one of less than 10-15 individuals on the planet with this appearance.

[great-and-small]

Finally captured my holy grail! This extraordinarily rare yellow cardinal lives in a natural area that is literally 5 minutes from my old apartment and it took me MONTHS to finally get a good look at him, like one week before I moved out. I was out searching for this handsome bastard nearly every weekend, driving myself mad trying to get a photo of him, until finally he deigned to flit down right in front of me and pose AND he let me excitedly call over some nearby kids to share in the moment before he flew off. Couldn’t stop smiling.

This one-in-a-million mutation (called xanthochromism) occurs when the male cardinal lacks an enzyme responsible for converting yellow pigments in their food into the typical red of their feathers. I am a bit obsessed with the genetics of color and pattern mutations in wildlife and finally seeing this little dude up close was worth the wait.

[snoof-is-a-bug-enjoyer]

ah fuck

why not add the fish

the xanthochomatic common snook from 2024

[theworldismyoysterandiamthepearl]

“We love a rose gold cween!🤩  This beauty’s glam shot was taken in Barry County, #Michigan. We believe the coloration is due to a genetic mutation called xanthochromism. In these cases, yellow pigment fills up areas where there’s a red deficiency. Honestly image search it, you won’t be sorry.”

quote and pic from https://www.instagram.com/usfws/

[todaysbird]

this bright yellow cardinal, affectionately known as “tweets”, currently resides on the university of florida campus. typically male cardinals are a distinctive red; this bird’s coloration is due to a genetic mutation called xanthochromism. xanthochromic birds lack an enzyme that properly converts yellow to red, leaving pigments in their body the original yellow.

[todaysbird]

this ‘rose gold’ northern cardinal has obvious abnormal coloration; it’s believed this is due to xanthochromism, or an overproduction of yellow pigmentation. it was photographed in the wild in michigan.

[todaysbird]

this rare yellow northern cardinal was spotted in rushville, illinois. while this coloration is very rare, birds like this one have been spotted in increasing numbers in recent years. this bird has a genetic mutation called xanthochromism, where red pigmentation is absent or diluted and filled in by yellow pigmentation.