A. strange and fascinating crocodile with completely white and blue eyes It was just born in a reptile park in Florida (USA). The baby crocodile, which weighs 96 grams and is 49 centimeters long, is approximately the size of a newborn human, but weighs only as much as a deck of cards. However, this situation will not last long, because this female calf and her brother, born with normal color, make good use of the specially designed ‘Croc Chow’ balls as well as the chicken meat given to them by their keepers. For the feeding of crocodiles.
“They are incredibly unique animals in the reptile world. We plan to showcase these early next year So that visitors can see them, learn about them and fall in love with them,” Gatorland president Mark McHugh told portal IFLScience. “But for now, we continue to keep them safe to keep a close eye on them. health and growth,” he added.
Not the same as albinism
new baby crocodile It owes its color to leucismA very rare condition in which pigmentation decreases but does not disappear. It is sometimes confused with albinism, but it is not the same because albinism is the result of a lack of melanin-producing cells, while leucism is the absence of pigmentation.
A quick test to notice the difference between both phenomena consists of the following: examine the eyes: in albino animals they are pink; Leucistic ones, such as baby alligators, are usually blue. or dark.
White crocodiles are found in the wild, but they are very rare. This is partly because several conditions that cause pale coloration are rare and autosomal recessive; so, both parents must be carriers of a certain rare genetic mutation and to be born with this unique aspect, this mutation must be inherited from both.
Lack of any type of melaninor is definitely beneficial to health. Especially if you live in the wild: albino individuals of any species are practically defenseless against ultraviolet radiation, which not only significantly increases the risk of cancer, but also affects their vision and camouflage abilities.
Although albinism is a very rare condition, leucistic alligators, such as the one currently born in Florida, are even rarer; Actually, They are so rare that this one from Gatorworld is the eighth of its kind on record. Three more people live in the same water park that has the world’s largest collection of leucistic crocodiles.
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