Boxed In

Posted by Jim Berry on December 13, 2001

Q: Once I found an eastern box turtle with white skin, red eyes and a very colorful shell. Could this have been an albino.

A: The turtle you found was a partial albino. To be totally albino, an animal has no pigment anywhere on its body and is white or pink (where the blood shows through the skin or eyes, ie. white mice). Many animals are only partially albino with some organs lacking pigment while other organs have normal pigments. Your turtle sounds strange looking - I've never seen an albino turtle before. One of the reasons albino animals are so rare is that most never make it to adulthood. You were fortunate to have seen this interesting turtle.

John Wiessinger ( December 23, 2001)