Researchers at the Anteaters and Highways Project (AHP) said the only living albino giant anteater known to date appears to be thriving in the wild in Brazil. New photos of the animal were posted on Facebook (its owner, Meta, was considered extremist and banned in Russia).
The giant albino anteater was first spotted by conservationists in Brazil in December 2022. The unique animal was named Alvin. He was later seen clinging to his mother, who had his usual color, on his back. This behavior is seen in all young giant anteaters (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) up to 10 months. According to Live Science, Alvin was caught and wore a GPS vest to track his future movements.
On May 10, 2023, the organization posted new pictures of Alvin on Facebook. The termite is currently about 1.5 meters long and weighs almost 14 kilograms, which means it is over 1 year old and close to full maturity. Alvin also changed the GPS vest after passing the first one.
Albinism is a genetic disease in which animals do not produce melanin, the pigment that gives color to their skin, fur, feathers, scales and eyes. As a result, individuals with albinism appear completely white and have pink or red eyes. Their eyes and skin are very sensitive to light, which can lead to poor vision and make the animal more susceptible to sunburn. Albinism is a recessive trait, meaning both parents must carry one copy of the gene.
The main threat to most albino animals is the higher risk of predation because their color differentiates them from the environment. In August 2021, AHP researchers discovered the body of another young male albino giant anteater, the first of its kind ever discovered. There were traces of predation on the body. Scientists took a DNA sample from the body of a dead anteater. They plan to determine if there is a relationship between the animals. If they are not directly related, this may indicate that the gene pool of the species has decreased so much that rare albinism has begun to spread in the population.