My cardinal's a honkie!

As per the Mo Dept of Conservation:


Good Afternoon Mr. Mertz:

The bird in your photograph is a partial albino. Each year the Conservation
Department receives many calls and letters about albino mammals and birds. Among
the questions most often asked are "What causes some animals to be albinos?"
"How common are they?" "Are they protected?" and "Can they reproduce?"

Albinism is a recessive trait found in mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and even
plants. These plants and animals do not have the gene for normal coloration and
do not produce the enzyme responsible for skin, hair and tissue coloration.
Albinism is the total absence of body pigment. The eyes of an albino are pink,
because blood vessels behind the lenses show through the unpigmented irises.

As you might guess, albinism is not a desirable trait for either predators or
prey species. Being totally white year-round makes concealment difficult. Also,
many albinos have poor eyesight. In the game of life, where survival of the
fittest is the rule, albinos have a strike against them from the start. Perhaps
that is why albinos are rare.

Because albinism is a recessive trait, both parents must carry the gene before
it can occur in their offspring. An albino bred to another albino would have
only albinos. An albino bred to a normally pigmented animal with no recessive
genes for albinism would produce all normally pigmented babies. Offspring from
this cross would carry the recessive gene for albinism but would be normally
colored. When carriers of albinism breed there is a one-in-four chance they will
produce an albino offspring.

Recessive genetic traits typically become less common unless they confer a
survival advantage or are artificially enhanced through selective breeding.
Based on hunter reports, about one deer in 30,000 in Missouri is an albino.

Not all white animals are true albinos. Some have normally pigmented noses, eyes
and hooves. This is a genetic mutation for hair color but not other pigments.

"Piebald" and "melanistic" deer are still other color variations. Piebald
animals have patches of white hair but are otherwise normally colored. Piebalds
are thought to be more common than albinos. Melanistic mammals are dark black.
Melanism results from overproduction of pigment and is less common than
albinism.

Thank you for your inquiry.



Denise Bateman
Wildlife Division Office Manager
P.O. Box 180
Jefferson City, MO 65102
573/522-4115 X3150
Denise.Bateman@mdc.mo.gov


Well Denise that's all fine and dandy but what I wanna know is can I take this gal on the road and play every major parade from here to Amarillo? And for top dollar!

So wassup?