ANIMAL CURIOSITIES

The world's only albino giant anteater is found in Brazil. The photos

An albino anteater was recently discovered in Mato Grosso do Sul, one of Brazil's federal states in South America. With pale fur and reddish eyes, the scientists who are studying him have given him the name Alvin.

According to the researchers, it is the only albino anteater known on the planet to date and its existence may help explain how deforestation in the Cerrado affects the species.

Discovered on a private farm, the specimen was eight months old, and the mother who was with him was a normal, non-albino specimen. The giant anteater, a mammal that is considered one of the symbols of the biome's marvellous fauna, is at risk of extinction due to hunting and the continuous destruction of South America's vegetation.

luciano.candisani/Facebook
The world's only albino giant anteater is found in Brazil. The photos
An albino anteater was recently discovered in Mato Grosso do Sul, one of Brazil's federal states in South America. With pale fur and reddish eyes, the scientists who are studying it have given it the name Alvin.
luciano.candisani/Facebook
The world's only albino giant anteater is found in Brazil. The photos
According to the researchers, it is the only albino anteater known to date on the planet and its existence may help explain how deforestation in the Cerrado affects the species.
luciano.candisani/Facebook
The world's only albino giant anteater is found in Brazil. The photos
Discovered on a private farm, the specimen was eight months old, and the mother who was with him was a normal, non-albino specimen. The giant anteater, a mammal that is considered to be one of the symbols of the biome's marvellous fauna, is at risk of extinction due to hunting and the continuous destruction of South America's vegetation.
luciano.candisani/Facebook
The world's only albino giant anteater is found in Brazil. The photos
The species can be found throughout the Brazilian Cerrado, but not only there, being quite common in other parts of South America as well. Already the giant anteater is an endangered species, but Alvin occupies an even rarer position among them all, as no other albinos like him are known to exist.
luciano.candisani/Facebook
The world's only albino giant anteater is found in Brazil. The photos
A year before Alvin's discovery, in August 2021, another white-coated specimen had been found by employees of the same farm. 'By the time we arrived on the scene, it was already dead, but we managed to collect genetic samples that were sent to the laboratory for analysis,' explains veterinarian Débora Yogui. The hypothesis, therefore, is that the dead anteater (called Atticus) and Alvin are brothers, which is even more surprising given that anteaters are not monogamous.
Informativa ai sensi della Direttiva 2009/136/CE: questo sito utilizza solo cookie tecnici necessari alla navigazione da parte dell'utente in assenza dei quali il sito non potrebbe funzionare correttamente.