Lakshman, a wildlife biologist at Nehru Zoological Park, said leucisim is a rare disease in which animals lose their pigmentation, resulting in white, pale or mottled skin or hair.
Post Date – 11:34 PM, Wednesday – 12/14/22
Leucistic (white squirrel) inhabits the Rayasamudram tank in Ramachandrapuram, Sangareddy district. Photo by T Karnakar Reddy.
Sangaredy: A white squirrel, also known as a leucistic squirrel, was found on the bank of Rayasamudram pool in Ramachandrapuram, Sangareddy district, which is said to be very rare in the country. Officially, so far, no albino squirrels have been documented in the state. This juvenile squirrel in Ramachandrapuram was seen playing in a tree with his mother and a sibling. They were all normal, with three stripes and a regular grey-brown colour.
Lakshman, a wildlife biologist at Nehru Zoological Park, said leucisim is a rare disease in which animals lose their pigmentation, resulting in white, pale or mottled skin or hair. Since the squirrel’s eyes were normal, Lakshman said it was not an albino squirrel. The eyes of albino animals are usually pink.
Albino animals have a lower survival rate because they are easily spotted by predators. Experts say albinism is relatively rare in small mammals such as squirrels. The development of leukemia has been linked to different factors such as pollution, environmental changes, low-quality diet and hair follicle damage.
“Researchers will be encouraged to report records of albinism in wild animals in order to gain a better understanding of the phenomenon and insights into the ecological and physiological impact of this condition, which has major implications for the survival of the animals,” said Arochikanathan Samson, Balasundaram Ramakrishnan and Subbaiah observes Bhargavi in their article on leucistic squirrels. The three researchers first spotted the spotted brown squirrel in South India in September 2016. They found it in Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu. Wildlife experts have spotted two more in Goa and Maharashtra.
