Name: Elizabeth B.
Status: other
Age: 40s
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: 2000-2001
Question:
I live in a rural, wooded area between a brook and an
area of green acres. There's a herd of about 18 deer that live in the
green acres but come through our yard to drink at the brook and eat all
my flowers. Last spring, a partial albino was born (She looks like a
dalmatian). A neighbor told me the herd shuns her because of her
coloring, that this is a natural thing among animals. She is always the
last in the group (I think she also has some physical problem because she
hobbles) and I often see her alone. Is this true? Whenever i've suprised
them getting my newspaper in the morning, it seems to me that one or two
wait up for her. Also, I think she's deaf. Is that common with albinos?
Replies:
Usually there are no particular behavioral traits associated with albinos,
or as far as I know any other physical traits, like deafness or being lame,
but if there was some other defect that caused the unusual color it might be
associated with other problems. Albinism is simply a quirk that causes loss
of pigmentation. I don't think other animals of the same species would shun
an albino; however they are often more vulnerable to predators because they
stand out.
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