Well, this was a fun surprise on this past Sunday’s photo outing.
My photo buddy and I spotted this light-colored beauty as we arrived at our photo destination but as it was still early, it was too dark to get any decent pics. We made a mental note to check the area later and I am glad we did!
By then she was on the move with the rest of the herd and gave us some nice poses. Her blonde fur really set her apart from the much darker coloring of a ‘normal’ mule deer.
Leucism is a genetic condition where pigmentation is reduced in an animal. Mammals, birds and even reptiles can have it. Leucistic animals can vary in appearance from lighter coloring like this doe to a splotchy mixture of normal and light coloring. It is not the same as albinism. Albinos have a total loss of melanin resulting in no pigmentation, even in the eyes.
