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Some questions about albinism
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06-24-2011, 01:15 PM
I'm considering making my second character an albino coyote, but I have read somewhere that albinism can sometimes effect eyesight: is this true for all albinos, and do all their eyes have to have a pink hue to them or can a certain albino be born without eyesight defects, as well as colored eyes? I'm hoping not, because all I want is my character to have a lack of pigmentation in its fur color.
06-24-2011, 01:48 PM
According to wikipedia; yes, albinism does always affect the eyesight in some way. However if you're aiming for just purely white fur, there are other ways to go which would not be the same as albinism, but give the white result. There is also a form of albinism that -only- changes the eyes.
I'm speaking now about humans, though these disorders do occur in animals pretty much as frequently, or so I thought. I believe Leucism is what you want: it's not albinism, but gives white fur wthout eye defects. Look at link 4 below  More sources: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05 (The opposite of albinism)
06-24-2011, 01:50 PM
[html]
I couldn't resist to answer this one! Well Kite. Albinism is a general lack of pigment (melanin) in the skin. And this pigment is what protects the skin and eyes from getting burned by sun rays. Albino animals ALWAYS have light-colored eyes, which would cause an exposure of the retina to sunlight. Besides, in canines, the rims of the eyelids -which would usually be black in order to offer protection to the eyes- lack color, exposing the eyes even more to sunlight. However, your character would not be blind, so i think that if (s)he is careful and doesn't expose him/herself to the sun too much, there would be no serious problems! Take a look at this awesomsauce article about albinism if you have more doubts XD [/html]
06-24-2011, 01:57 PM
Ah, thanks Marit and Luna.
 That cleared some things up for my derpy mind, as well as reminding me of a time at the zoo where they had a white alligator. It turned out he wasn't albino, but had Leucism, which was I was probably thinking in the first place. xD But it be interesting for people to mistaken a character with Leucism for being an albino.
06-24-2011, 01:58 PM
Regarding Luna's link, nothing can be "part" albino, it either is or isn't, simple as that. I agree with Marit, albinism is not what you're looking for. P: All the searches I'm doing I just get albinism so I don't have any links, but I just suggest merely a white animal(i.e arctic wolf, white German Shepherd Dog, etc.). But that's just me wanting to do stuff the simple way.
Hope you find your answer~
06-24-2011, 01:59 PM
0_0 I hadn't heard about leucism before...god i have to get out of my crust shell.
[EDIT]Wolfs: I didn't really pay attention to the title but to the information. My mistake, i guess ^^ But in my opinion the information is good and reliable.
06-24-2011, 02:05 PM
[html]Also more brownie points to Marit for letting me discover Melanism. Look at the cute little squirrle with Melanism.
[/html] Also, I was considering doing that, Wolfs, though I rather a character without any white canine heritage since the character's name will add a little comic relief for the random fur pigmentation. (A white coyote with the surname "Black" hurr.)
06-24-2011, 02:38 PM
Leucisim often gives the piebald effect because some places containing more melanin than others... they also don't really do white but rather a yellow tint to the white because of the reduction, but not absence, of the melanin.
06-24-2011, 06:51 PM
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