In nature, there are animals of a wide variety of colors and "prints". However, the white inhabitants of the planet evoke special admiration and awe. In some, this color of the skin is due to the habitat, in others it is a genetic malfunction.
White inhabitants of the Arctic
The Arctic is a region densely populated with white animals. Here, this color helps in survival: the light skin merges with the surrounding snowy landscape, which makes camouflage easier. Moreover, these white animals cannot be called "individuals". Almost all of them have fellows of other colors that live in the southern latitudes.
The polar wolf captivates with beauty and majesty. This subspecies is distributed almost throughout the entire Arctic territory, it is distinguished by good endurance, the ability to adapt to low temperatures and live without food for several weeks a year. The white skin of a wolf is heterogeneous: it can have a blue, silver, brown undertone.
The Arctic fox has a perfectly white skin (the second name is the polar fox). The animal easily survives extreme temperatures and snowstorms, digging long shelter tunnels in the snowdrifts. White is an excellent camouflage that helps you "get lost" in the snow and avoid falling prey to a polar owl, polar bear or wolverine.
Arctic foxes are omnivores. Difficult living conditions have taught the predator to eat everything that comes in its way. It has been established that polar foxes consume over 20 plants of different species and about 125 species of animals.
The polar hare (white hare) also looks spectacular. The fluffy snow-white skin allows you to survive severe frosts and hide from the main danger - a person. Other enemies of the animal - owls, wolves, arctic foxes and other predators - attack mainly old individuals. Due to age, the hind limbs of the hare weaken, and it cannot escape from the predator.
The harp seal is a cute white animal. The main habitat is arctic waters, mainly drifting ice. Harp seals are capable of extensive migrations, and during molting and breeding periods they prefer “lying on ice”.
Nature's experiments: albino animals
Albinism is usually called the absence of the coloring pigment melanin. In the animal kingdom, such a phenomenon is very rare. It is difficult for albinos to survive, because lack of natural color is often accompanied by hearing and vision impairment.
Albino animals have a hard time in nature. These individuals react sharply to sunlight, they are poorly able to disguise themselves. Their basic instincts are somewhat blunted, which makes them easy prey.
Albino animals are completely white in color and often have light eyes (blue or gray). Such "individuals" can appear in almost every kind. It is known that there are white koalas, pandas, kangaroos, ferrets, monkeys, etc.
However, the whole population of albino lions living in Timbavati (South African region) deserves special attention. These animals are considered sacred by the aborigines and never become their prey. Several representatives of white lions are kept at the Johannesburg Zoo.
Scientists call albino dolphins a miracle of nature. Such a marine inhabitant appears very rarely - once in a million individuals. There is only one picture of a white dolphin in the world, taken off the Australian coast in 1994.
