Meet The Albino Barking Deer: Rare, Beautiful and Vulnerable!

            This unique little deer is truly a sight to behold with its striking white fur, pink nose, and ruby-red eyes. Adorable as they are, their rarity makes them a target for hunters, putting their fragile existence at risk.

 Interesting Facts

Prominent Characteristics:

            The albino barking deer differs from the typical barking deer primarily in its entirely white coat, which results from a genetic mutation. Its pink nose and red eyes are due to a lack of melanin. Other characteristics are similar to those of the common barking deer: it has large tear glands, short body fur, and a short tail. Male albino barking deer have short antlers with two small points on each side. The front points are straight and pointed, while the rear points curve upward without branching, ending in sharp, inward-arching tips. The antlers are shed annually. Additionally, males have long canine teeth protruding from their lips, while females have smaller canines and no antlers, but possess a small tuft of fur on their head where the antlers would typically be.

            Albino barking deer typically lead solitary lives, inhabiting dense grasslands and forests. They forage in open fields or low shrubs during the evening to early morning hours, while seeking refuge in dense vegetation to rest during the day. Additionally, the albino barking deer possesses highly sensitive hearing, vision, and olfactory senses. When startled, it will flee and emit a vocalization resembling a dog’s bark.

Primary Diet:

The albino barking deer primarily feeds on leaves and twigs, consuming them more frequently than grass. Occasionally, it will eat fruit and may also ingest mineral-rich soil to supplement its diet.

Habitat:

           The albino barking deer inhabits dense grasslands and forests with thick vegetation, providing cover from predators. It is distributed across South and Southeast Asia.

Reproduction:

Female albino barking deer reach sexual maturity at around 7–9 months, while males mature at 11–12 months. They are capable of breeding year-round. 

Females have a gestation period of 7–8 months and typically give birth to a single offspring. After giving birth, they can mate again within a few days, allowing females to produce offspring approximately every 7 months.

Lifespan: 

The albino barking deer has an average natural lifespan of 10–15 years.

Conservation Status:

            The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) does not classify the albino barking deer as a distinct characteristic of the species, as it is a genetic variant of the common barking deer caused by a gene mutation.

Interesting Fact: 

The albino barking deer owes its unique coloration to a genetic mutation, resulting from a rare defect in its genes.