White Deer?

[Trooper]

Charles Howard, the owner of the famous Seabiscut was friends with William Hearst, who had a collection of the European white fallow deer at his private zoo in San Simeon. In 1949, Howard purchased 53 of them and brought them to his Ridgewood Ranch, (The Seabiscut Ranch).

I don’t have an expensive camera but I was finally able to sneak up on this herd of white deer. The White Fallow deer are unique and have very distinct coloration that is not albino but a true white coat pattern. The Seneca white deer carry a set of recessive genes for all-white coats.

Does anyone know if the Seneca white deer and the White Fallow deer are the same, if not, what’s the difference between the two? :shrug:

 

[Fraggle Rocker]

There is also a herd of white deer in Michigan. They've been attested by the native people since the 1700s.

White coloration is good camouflage in the winter, but lousy in the summer. So on the balance it's only a slight disadvantage to survival and this explains why it has not disappeared.

There are no wolves in California so the white deer in San Simeon only have to worry about coyotes, bears and the occasional cougar.

Out here in Maryland the deer have virtually no natural predators so they're multiplying like rabbits (we call them "rats with hooves") and the automobile is their biggest killer. I'm wondering when a mutation for bright red coloration will spring up. That would be a tremendous survival advantage since drivers would much prefer not to hit them. I ran into one and it did $7K damage to my truck.

They're much more massive than pedestrians!

 

[Trooper]

There is also a herd of white deer in Michigan. They've been attested by the native people since the 1700s.

White coloration is good camouflage in the winter, but lousy in the summer. So on the balance it's only a slight disadvantage to survival and this explains why it has not disappeared.

There are no wolves in California so the white deer in San Simeon only have to worry about coyotes, bears and the occasional cougar.

Out here in Maryland the deer have virtually no natural predators so they're multiplying like rabbits (we call them "rats with hooves") and the automobile is their biggest killer. I'm wondering when a mutation for bright red coloration will spring up. That would be a tremendous survival advantage since drivers would much prefer not to hit them. I ran into one and it did $7K damage to my truck.

They're much more massive than pedestrians!

Wow! Great video.

I wish I had his lens. I could get some great shots. I'm thinking about upgrading.

He said that the professor of genetic studies said that those deer were albinos. He also said that there were many forms of albinism and pink eyes were not necessary. The ones here have black noses, as well. I don’t know if the Seneca and the Fallow are the same but Wikipedia states that neither are albino.

Although, I do wonder, since they carry a set of recessive genes for all-white coats, is this also another form of albinism?

You're awesome!

Thanks, Fraggle.

 

[scheherazade]

Here's a couple of other interestingly colored deer for your collection.

A couple of albino moose just because they are also most unusual.

http://www.danielnpaul.com/AlbinoMoose.html

 

[milkweed]

Here's a couple of other interestingly colored deer for your collection.

Piebald coloration (when they are not albino).

It used to be illegal to shoot an albino deer in MN. They changed that law recently (05 or 06?). I had an albino buck that would spend the winters on the edge of our woods, then he moved on in the spring. Watched him for several years on my walk to the bus stop.