An insanely adorable owl that looks like it came straight out of a fairytale has been making waves.
The said bird, which has snow-white feathers and cherry red eyes, has piqued the interest of many, some even guessing if it's a snow owl. However, the peculiar yet magical appearance of this said owl is due to a rare condition.
According to Earthables, different from what people think that it's a snow owl, this particular animal is in fact a screech owl -- albino version. Screech owls are usually gray or rusty brown, but because of albinism, this particular bird lacks melanin to produce color. As a result, the albino screech owl sports a white coat.
Its glowing red eyes, which is normally yellow among screech owls, came from blood vessels. Because of the lack of melanin even in the eyes, the owl's iris is colorless, reflecting the pink to red skin around its eyes.
Source
The said bird, which has snow-white feathers and cherry red eyes, has piqued the interest of many, some even guessing if it's a snow owl. However, the peculiar yet magical appearance of this said owl is due to a rare condition.
According to Earthables, different from what people think that it's a snow owl, this particular animal is in fact a screech owl -- albino version. Screech owls are usually gray or rusty brown, but because of albinism, this particular bird lacks melanin to produce color. As a result, the albino screech owl sports a white coat.
Its glowing red eyes, which is normally yellow among screech owls, came from blood vessels. Because of the lack of melanin even in the eyes, the owl's iris is colorless, reflecting the pink to red skin around its eyes.
Source
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Should you fall under the strange gaze of an albino animal, you should remember that it's highly unlikely that they can actually see you very well, if at all, and that they are only really responding to the sound of your voice/movements. The reason the blood vessels can be seen in this owl's eyes is because there is no melanin - which is a requirement for vision. :)
I bet it has good white meat wing muscles. Fatten him up a bit and when it's sleeping gently pluck out feathers. Prepare 'hot tub' spa day for owl, add seasoning salt (bath salts) and when done, roll in breaded flour cornflakes powdery coating. Drop in oily warmth for 30 seconds and what a beautiful creature, smacking lips. Chef PB