Albinism in Animals

Science class taught us that the traits of the parents get passed down to their offspring.  For example, two people who have genes for brown eyes will mostly likely have brown-eyed children.

A Leucistic American Goldfinch (photo: Gay Schroer)

But what happens when two perfectly normal parents produce an albino offspring?  Albinism is caused by a genetic mutation that prevents the development of melanin, the pigment that colors our eyes, skin, and hair.  That lack of pigment causes albino animals to appear entirely, or at least mostly, white, and have pale blue or pink eyes.  Some animals are naturally white, like Mute Swans for example, but only albinos will have the pale eyes.  Animals that depart from their normal coloration and have some white on their body, but not completely white, are leucistic.

In the wild, being albino can cause a variety of problems. The white coloration causes the animal to stand out, making it easier for potential predators to spot. However, the white coloration might also make the animal unrecognizable as a prey species.

Another issue caused by albinism is that members of the albino’s own species may reject it. Albino animals, especially birds, may not be able to find a mate because they lack the coloration and patterns necessary to catch the eye of the opposite sex.

A wild Albino Barred Owl (Photo: Kelly Bietsch)

Albinism also affects eyesight. Melanin helps in the development of the eye, and animals that lack melanin often have poor vision. An albino’s eyes are often more sensitive to light, less able to distinguish color, and less able to perceive depth. It is possible that an albino animal would have more trouble finding food or seeing danger, thus decreasing its chances of survival.

In the wild, albinism is not common. The frequency of albinism occurring varies from species to species, but generally albinism is more common in birds than in mammals. According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, albinism occurs in approximately one out of every 10,000 mammal births, while approximately one out of every 1,764 birds is albino. Although most, if not all, species can produce albinos, the only commonly albino species are those that are domesticated. Many people like to have albino pets, whether it be a cat, snake, or rat.

Kahn, WBS's albino Burmese Python (photo: JoHanna Burton)

At the World Bird Sanctuary, we do have a couple of albino animals. One of the most popular animals (depending on how you feel about snakes) is Kahn, our albino Burmese python. A normally pigmented Burmese python is patterned tan and dark brown, with dark eyes. Kahn is patterned white and pale yellow, and if that weren’t enough to convince you that he is albino, you could take a look at his pink eyes.

Kahn enjoying his pool on a hot summer day (photo: JoHanna Burton)

You can come to visit Kahn at World Bird Sanctuary's Nature Center, and on warm summer days you might just find him outside with a naturalist, enjoying a refreshing bath.

Submitted by JoHanna Burton, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist

You Can't Con A Kahn

Welcome back readers!  Here's a riddle for you: what has no arms, no legs, is white and yellow, and has allergies?

Kahn makes an appearance at a Birds in Concert performance (photo by Gay Schroer)

If you were thinking Khan the albino Burmese Python that resides at the World Bird Sanctuary, then you're correct!  This species is one of the largest snakes in the world!

Here is a picture of Kahn taking a bath outside.  He seems to love the water! (photo by Lisbeth Hodges)

Burmese Pythons (Python bivittatus) are native to Southeast Asia.  They are a popular reptile pet in the pet trade.  Their diet is mostly small mammals and they will also eat birds.

Burmese Pythons average up to 200 pounds and range from 8-16 feet long.  Kahn is on the smaller scale.  He is just shy of 13 feet and weighs 76 pounds.  The longest snake species in the world is the Reticulated Python.  They can get up to 33 feet long!  The heaviest living snake in the world is a Burmese Python named “Baby” that is 27 feet (8.23 meters) long and weighs 403 pounds (183 kilograms)!  If you visit the Serpent Safari Park in Illinois you can see him! 

Burmese Pythons are popular animals for people who want to have an exotic pet.  However, when purchasing their pet many people don’t realize how large they become. When they get too big for their owners they will sometimes be released into the wild.  At other times these giant snakes will escape from their homes and become feral animals.

These snakes were first reported around the year 2000 in the Everglades National Park here in the U.S., and have been a problem ever since. They have proliferated in the  Everglades in Florida and are now considered an invasive species.  Between 2000 and 2002, over 1,800 were removed from the area by the National Park Service.  The Park Service believes it is only a small fraction of what is still present today.

Kahn came to us from a friend of Walter Crawford, Executive Director of the World Bird Sanctuary.  He is at least twenty years old now.  The normal lifespan is 20-25 years in the wild, but can increase up to 30-35 years in captivity. 

One of the most frequent questions that I get asked is, “Is that snake poisonous?” Snakes are not poisonous.  Snakes are either venomous or non-venomous.  All the snakes at World Bird Sanctuary are non-venomous constrictors.  The term constrictor refers to how some snakes kill their prey.  Kahn’s diet consists of frozen, then thawed rabbits.  When he is given the rabbit, he first constricts (squeezes) it for a period of time.  If the rabbit is large enough, Kahn then unhinges his jaw and slowly starts to swallow. 

In the beginning of the blog I mentioned allergies.  Yes, this snake does have allergies! He has seasonal allergies just like people!  We check his nose every day and give him drops as necessary.  He also has a humidifier in his exhibit to help keep the air moist around him.  Kahn has a unique color mutation called albinism that affects the pigment in his skin.  Below you can view a picture of a normal colored Burmese next to a close up picture of Kahn.

Normal colored Burmese Python (photo from the Wikimedia Commons files)

Close-up of Kahn (photo by Lisbeth Hodges)

Kahn is available for adoption in our Adoption program.  To find out more information, call 636-861-3225.  All adoption donations are tax deductible. 

This season Kahne can be seen at the nature center at the World Bird Sanctuary, which is open daily from 8am-5pm. 

Kahn is a very handsome snake; you should stop on by and visit him! 

Submitted by Lisbeth Hodges, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist