38 Incredible Albino (and Leucistic) Animals

Updated August 23, 2018 4.5M views 38 items

Albino animals have a genetic mutation that causes an absence of tyrosinase in their pigment cells, which means they don't produce melanin pigments. While true albinos are thought to be rare in the wild, a number of animals have a similar genetic abnormality called leucism that also manifests in white fur, feathers, scales, or skin. This albino animals photo gallery includes several leucistic animals. How do you tell them apart? It's all in the color of the eye. As you may know, true albinos have red or pink eyes, but leucistic animals may have black, brown, or even blue eyes.

However these animals are classified, they're all super cool to look at. After all, what's a giraffe without its spots? How about a cardinal that isn't the traditional bright red? But while we may often see albino mice or albino rabbits, it's not often that we catch glimpses of many other albino animals. This is, in part, because bright white animals are very vulnerable to predators. A zebra's black stripes aren't just for show - they're protective camouflage that conceal it from lions, leopards, hyenas, etc. The life expectancy of an albino baby animal born in the wild is very short.

For more pics of cool animals, check out these lists of marine invertebrates photos, the most beautiful animals, and the animals with the cutest babies.

Dolphin
Photo: Metaweb / GNU Free Documentation License
Local fishermen call this rare pink dolphin "Pinky" -- she has been spotted several times in Calcasieu Lake, Louisiana, most recently in 2015. Albino dolphins are very rare and unfortunately, their pretty pink color makes them extremely vulnerable to predators.
Source: ABC News
Alligator
Photo: Pinterest
"White Diamond" lives at the Serengeti Park in Hodenhagen, Germany.
Wallaby
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY
Caretakers at the Seaview Wildlife Park on the Isle of Wight put sunscreen on these guys' noses each morning to prevent sunburn.
Orangutan
Photo: YouTube
This rare orangutan was rescued from an Indonesian village in May 2017. The five-year-old animal was kept in a cage in Borneo, but when the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation discovered his existence, they fought to free him.
They named the orangutan "Alba" which means "white" in Latin.
Turtle
Photo: Nigel Wilson / flickr / CC-BY-ND 2.0
This baby albino Green turtle was found newly hatched in Australia. Albino births among Green turtles are so rare, there is probably only a one in many hundreds of thousands chance of spotting one. Sadly, their lack of color makes them easy prey.
Giraffe
Photo: Pinterest
There are no known albino giraffes in the world, but several leucistic giraffes - like Omo, pictured above in Tarangire National Park in Tanzania - have been spotted.
In September 2017, a pair of pale giraffes was spotted in Kenya. The mother and calf hardly have any spots at all.
Raccoon
Photo: Pinterest
This up-to-no-good pair was spotted in Texas.
Kangaroo
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0 DE
Alberta the Albino lives with her joey at the Marlow Animal Park in Germany.
Peacock
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
White peacocks are not albino, but a genetic mutation called leucism causes a lack of pigment in their plumage.
Python
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY

Lion
Photo: Pinterest
A white lion is not albino, but its coloring is caused by mutation of the same gene that causes albinism.
Humpback Whale
Photo: Metaweb / GNU Free Documentation License
This albino humpback whale makes occasional appearances around the Australian Gold Coast. They call him Migaloo.
Gorilla
Photo: Pinterest
"Snowflake" was found in modern-day Equatorial Guinea in 1966. Though he died in 2003, he remains the only albino gorilla known to man.
Asian Elephant
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY
The rare "white elephant" in Burma is traditionally believed to herald good fortune.
Hedgehog
Photo: Metaweb / CC-BY
A Ranker staffer used to have an albino hedgehog. His name was Nigel.
Cardinal
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY
This cardinal is gynandromorphic, meaning it is "half male and half female." It's not really albino at all. Sorry, we just think it looks cool.
Lobster
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY
Ruby the albino lobster is truly one in a(n estimated 30) million.
Penguin
Photo: Adrian Pingstone / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
This little African Penguin, named Snowdrop, lived at the Bristol Zoo.
Ruby-Throated Hummingbird
Photo: Pinterest
More like ruby-eyeballed hummingbird.
Skunk
Photo: Pinterest
These two albino skunks were born in a wildlife rescue centre in England.

Sea Turtle
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY
This leucistic sea turtle was rescued during the 2004 tsunami in Sri Lanka.
Moose
Photo: Metaweb / CC-BY
Matches snow.
Raven
Photo: Metaweb / GNU Free Documentation License
How would you like to find this guy rapping, rapping at your chamber door?
Iguana
Photo: Metaweb / CC-BY
And some buddies.
Zebra
Photo: flickr / CC0
Koala
Photo: flickr / CC0
Shh, it's sleeping.
Ladybug
Photo: Metaweb / CC-BY
Sittin on a berry.
Squirrel
Photo: Metaweb / GNU Free Documentation License
Human
Photo: Metaweb / GNU Free Documentation License
Betta Fish
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY
If we were into fish fighting, this is the guy we would back.

Alligator

Raccoon

Kangaroo

Hedgehog

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

Skunk

Sea Turtle

Raven

Iguana

Zebra

Koala

Ladybug

Squirrel

Human

Betta Fish