Leucistic chamois photographed in Spain

Leucistic chamois. Photo credit: Cos d'Agents Rurals de l'Alta Ribagorça.

This very light coloured chamois was seen in the 'Valle de Boi', on the edge of the Aigues Tortes National Park in northern Spain. Pyrenean Chamois are usually lighter than their Alpine cousins, but as you can easily see from the image, when compared with the the sother chamois in the image, the 'upper' chamois is much lighter still.

The chamois is not an albino, as it still has some colouration, particularly the eyes, and an Albino has no colouration at all, and pink eyes.

Click here to see our gallery of leucistic animals and birds.

Albinism, Leucism and other colour variations in animals
Leucism is a very unusual condition whereby the pigmentation cells in an animal or bird fail to develop properly. This can result in unusual white patches appearing on the animal, or, more rarely, completely white creatures.

Albinism is a different condition. The easiest way to tell the difference between the two is that in albinism the eyes are usually pink or red, and albinism affects the entire animal, not just patches.

This occassionaly causes very excited biologists to think they have discovered a new species, when in fact leucism is the cause of the unusual markings they have seen.

Courtesy of Casa del Parc Nacional d'Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici