#xanthochromism

ALBINISM

Total loss of melanin in the body, i.e. skin, hair/fur/feathers, and eyes (the eyes look pink/red because the lack of melanin in the eye exposes the blood vessels within it to light, which then reflects their red hue)

LEUCISM

Partial loss of melanin in the body; the pattern of melanin distribution is unique in each case, so some people or animals with this condition may have patches of typically-colored skin/hair/fur in addition to pigmented eyes, while others may only have the aforementioned ocular pigmentation

ERYTHRISM

Abnormal prevalence of reddish pigment in the skin/hair/fur/feathers of an animal; concentration of this pigment varies case by case, so humans/animals with the condition can present anywhere from only slightly pink to intensely red in color; to my knowledge, the condition does not affect the eyes

XANTHOCHROMISM

Abnormal prevalence of yellow pigment in the skin/hair/fur/feathers of an animal; similar to erythrism, color intensity can vary from light golden hues to deep yellows; again, to my knowledge, the condition does not affect the eyes

Finally captured my holy grail! This extraordinarily rare yellow cardinal lives in a natural area that is literally 5 minutes from my old apartment and it took me MONTHS to finally get a good look at him, like one week before I moved out. I was out searching for this handsome bastard nearly every weekend, driving myself mad trying to get a photo of him, until finally he deigned to flit down right in front of me and pose AND he let me excitedly call over some nearby kids to share in the moment before he flew off. Couldn’t stop smiling.

why not add the fish

“We love a rose gold cween!🤩  This beauty’s glam shot was taken in Barry County, #Michigan. We believe the coloration is due to a genetic mutation called xanthochromism. In these cases, yellow pigment fills up areas where there’s a red deficiency. Honestly image search it, you won’t be sorry.”