I was  the Peterborough Crown Game Preserve the other day and my friend took these images of this doe.  Can it be a partly albino or is there another explanation?

Terry Carpenter

Note: I believe that the doe is leucistic, which means that it is lacking normal skin pigmentation. “Leucism is a general term for the phenotype resulting from defects in pigment cell differentiation and/or migration from the neural crest to skin, hair, or feathers during development. This results in either the entire surface (if all pigment cells fail to develop) or patches of body surface (if only a subset are defective) having a lack of cells capable of making pigment.” from Wikipedia – D.M.

Leucistic White-tailed Deer - Peterborough Crown Game Preserve - May 2015 via Terry Carpenter

Leucistic White-tailed Deer – Peterborough Crown Game Preserve – May 2015 via Terry Carpenter

Categories: Sightings

Drew Monkman

I am a retired teacher, naturalist and writer with a love for all aspects of the natural world, especially as they relate to seasonal change.