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Characteristics of an Albino Lion

An albino lion, like other albino animals, lacks pigment in the hair, skin and eyes. This gives the albino lion an easily recognizable look, though its behavior is consistent with that of regular lions. The term "albino lion" is also sometimes used to describe a white lion, an animal that is not technically albino.

Fur
- The fur of the albino lion is pure white, without pigment to give any color. The hair is so pale, in fact, that it's possible to see the skin underneath. Because of this, the fur of an albino lion sometimes looks pinkish because of the skin showing through.
Skin
- The albino lion's skin is pale pink. The pink color is due to a lack of pigment. The skin looks almost like that of a hairless cat and can sometimes take on a translucent look. The albino lion can be sunburned easily because of this.
Eyes
- The eyes of an albino lion look pale pink, with no other color around the pupil. Some strains of albino lion have a bit of color in the hair or skin, but all have only pink in the eyes. This can sometimes cause a milky look in the eyes. Also, it makes the albino lion's eyes more sensitive to bright light than those of other lions.
White Lion
- White lions are a type of lion with snow white hair. The white lion does have pigment in the eyes and skin, and it has a different genetic makeup than the albino.

Animals & Science