This piebald deer is almost completely white. Jeanne Palmer took the photograph on January 2 in Westlake.
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Recent sightings of white deer around Westlake had people asking if a rare albino deer was living in the area. In spite of its appearance, the deer is a white-tailed deer and not an albino according to Amy LeMonds, Wildlife Rehabilitation Specialist at Lake Erie Nature & Science Center in Bay Village. “The term for the coloring is ‘piebald’ and they are actually more common than you might think," said LeMonds.

Piebald coloring is an inherited genetic trait and can range from very small patches of white hair to almost entirely white coats. Unlike true albinos, piebald deer have brown eyes and black hooves. Piebald deer are rare (around 1% of the population), but widely documented. “Albinos are much rarer, genetically speaking,” LeMonds said. “Our Wildlife Education & Rehabilitation Program receives reports on piebald deer every year, including a number of piebald sightings in the Rocky River Reservation.” 

According to the Ohio Division of Wildlife, piebalds tend to exhibit other genetic variations, including bowing of the nose, short legs, an arching spine and short lower jaw. These lighter-coated deer have a camouflage disadvantage as well. “If deer had more natural predators, piebalds would probably be even less common because they would stand out in their environment and be spotted by predators more easily,” LeMonds said.

However, as Jeanne Palmer’s photo shows, piebalds have an easier time blending into their Northeast Ohio surroundings this time of year, when there’s often an abundance of snow on the ground!

Have a question about the wildlife in your backyard? Lake Erie Nature & Science Center welcomes your calls at 440-871-2900 ext. 204. Staff is on duty seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Shawn Salamone is the Community Relations Coordinator at Lake Erie Nature & Science Center and lives in Westlake.