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Category: Wildlife

Wildlife

Australia’s white animals

Have you seen the rare footage of a white moose in Sweden yet? Well, Australia has its very own share of albino native animals. White is a rare colour in nature and it’s not surprising the unusual pale hues found in people, animals and plants affected by albinism are romanticised in literature. The rare colouring is manifestation of a gene mutation that disrupts the production of melanin, which colours eyes, skin, hair, fur and leaves. Without this pigment animals or plants default to white or colourless states. This doesn’t mean, however, that all white or fair animals or people are albino. Polar bears, Kermode bears (spirit bears) and Scandinavians, for example, carry fair genes, but not gene mutations that inhibit colour. Some animals also suffer from different disorders that affect their pigmentation to a different extent. Even within albinism, there are varying degrees of colouration, ranging from coppery through to very white. And so it’s a common misnomer that all albinos have pink eyes; indeed some do, but some have blue and even hazel and brown eyes. Some plants are also only partially albino, producing either regular or random stripes or colour patchers. Other people and animals are only white at the warmest points on their bodies.

Wildlife

Great Australian cockies

DARREN HAMLEY is a coordinator of gifted education at Willetton Senior High School in Western Australia. Earlier this year he asked his students to plan an expedition to photograph every species of cockatoo in Australia. They researched the best location to see each of the fourteen species and planned the trip from beginning to end researching weather, equipment, camping locations and where to actually find the birds. All but one was captured— the Palm Cockatoo, which is isolated by floodwaters.

Wildlife

Gallery: Saving our platypuses

Research on platypus numbers and distribution is being stepped up as science tries new ways to document this elusive Australian species. Photography by Doug Gimesy.