A recent study published in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment brings to our attention the first reported case of incomplete albinism in the Eurasian eagle owl (Bubo bubo). Let’s go meet Blanquita.
After seeing the superpower of owls, this time we find ourselves in the protected region of Mount El Valle and Sierras de Altaona and Escalonain the south-east of Spain, where a female eagle owl that he is believed to have been around 40 days oldwas spotted in a nest during a routine visit.
The specimen was named Blanquita by the team, and it was the only one unusually colourful in the brood of four chicks.
In particular, the coloration in question is usually known as “incomplete albinism“, because while its feathers are white, as you can see at the following link, He has bright orange eyes. Albinism is therefore the lack of pigment melanin which often causes white feathers or fur.
“Albinism in that case is incomplete because Blanquita he had real melanin in his eyes (iris), but also a light black shadow in the wing feathers“, José Zamora-Marín, co-author of the article, told IFLScience. However, not everything went smoothly.
Unfortunately, only 10 weeks after Blanquita she was found dead about 20 kilometers west of the nest. His death was probably due to the ingestion of poisoned rodents which in turn they made her more vulnerable to predators. The team wrote that they found “signs of mammalian predation” in the area.
“We think that Blanquita it may have preyed on rats or other rodents affected by recent rodenticide consumption, thus causing sublethal effects (reduction in basal activity) through secondary exposure and making it vulnerable to predation by a canid (red fox or dog). In turn, the remains of the wings and body we found showed signs of consumption or predation give part of the canine god“, continued Zamora-Marin.
After discovering what bumblebees are capable of doing, despite her short and unfortunate life, Blanquita will forever be remembered in books all over the world!
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