The pink and white album: Amazing albino animals

Chipmunk

albino Chipmunk

(Image credit: Kevin James | k.d.james | flickr)

Rather than having the characteristic black-and-white stripes running down their tawny bodies, albino chipmunks are white with pale butterscotch stripes. This albino chipmunk was photographed at Noah's Ark Zoo Farm in North Somerset, United Kingdom, in June 2011.

albino Iguana

albino Iguana

(Image credit: Mgkuijpers | Dreamstime)

Similar to albino pythons, albino iguanas have light yellow coloring over their light pink skin. Though albino animals are not usually blind, as one myth puts forth, the lack of pigmentation in their eyes allows light to penetrate directly through the structures of the eye rather than only pass through the pupil. This can lead to vision problems over time, but does not cause them to completely lose their eyesight.

Remy Melina was a staff writer for Live Science from 2010 to 2012. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication from Hofstra University where she graduated with honors.