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White squirrel6/24/2023 ![]() They also are disadvantaged when it comes to blending into their environment. Albino animals generally have poorer vision and are very sensitive to light. UNTs "Lucky" was believed to be one of several white squirrels who have called the campus home over the last few decades (a fox squirrel's life span is typically six to seven years).Īccording to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, albino animals tend to have a tougher time with survival. A true albino fox squirrel, dubbed Lucky, was a celebrity of sorts on the campus of the University of North Texas until his untimely demise in 2016. White or albino squirrels aren't new to North Texas, or Texas for that matter. It is called leucism, which is a condition characterized by reduced pigmentation in animals caused by a recessive allele. Unlike albinism, the white squirrel is actually a genetic anomaly due to a mutated gene from the common Eastern Gray Squirrel, according to Florida State University's Coastal and Marine Laboratory. The true albino squirrel is all white and has red eyes due to a lack of pigment, while a white squirrel will still have brown eyes and could have splotches of colored hair on its head. It's not clear whether the squirrel was a white squirrel or the rare true albino because it's hard to make out the animal's eye color. ![]() The squirrel, with white hair, can be seen scampering across a lawn before playfully sprinting up a tree near Great Southwest Parkway and Interstate 20. While on assignment in South Grand Prairie Wednesday, NBC 5/Telemundo 39 photojournalist Sergio Alvarado shot a video of a rare squirrel.
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