Hobbies And Interests
Small Mammals
A population of albino squirrels in Olney, Illinois, is legally protected. The squirrels' poor vision makes them vulnerable, and the residents feed and care for them. About 13 states prohibit hunting albino animals. There are also albino chipmunks, albino rabbits and albino skunks. Albino rats, mice and guinea pigs have been used for years in the lab and make fairly good pets.
Tigers
Albino tigers are rare, although a Mexican gangster once kept an albino tiger as a pet. The white tigers that are usually seen in zoos and circuses are not albinos, because they still have faint stripes and markings, and some color in their lips, paw pads and noses. Not all white animals are albinos, and one can tell by the color of the animal's eyes. If the eyes aren't red or blue, the animal's not an albino.
Elephants
White elephants are symbols of power and royalty in Southeast Asian cultures. An albino elephant named Pawa lived in the London Zoo in 1926. The king of Thailand keeps a small herd of white elephants, even though they're probably not all albinos. Still, it is the tradition to offer a white elephant to his majesty if one is found. A white elephant has come to mean something that is rare, expensive and fairly useless.
Birds and Reptiles
Albino peacocks are fantastically beautiful and seem to be prized by humans, but in the wild, albino birds, especially normally dark ones like crows, have trouble finding mates, perhaps because the patterns and colors of feathers are signs of suitability. Albinism appears in reptiles, though they also have a yellow pigment that can be seen.
Albino Gorilla
Snowflake was an albino gorilla that lived at the Barcelona Zoo in Spain for 37 years. Like many albinos, he was vulnerable to skin cancer and was euthanized in 2003.