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Atticus Loon @8bitsatyr.bsky.social · 17/10/2024

More examples of erythrism in African leopards, where you can now see how erythrism affects the skin especially. Leopards with erythrism have pink lips while the average standard leopard will have black lips.

A strawberry leopard is being examined by field biologists, who are checking the leopard's teeth for dental health. Its lips are pink compared to the standard black for typical leopards.

An African leopard yawning, showing off the black lips seen in usual leopards.

A side-by-side comparison between leopards with erythrism and leopards without erythrism.

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Atticus Loon @8bitsatyr.bsky.social · 17/10/2024

Erythrism in African lions! This particular individual was named Ginger, and he was born in 2008 to the Luwi pride in South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. Here, in some photos, you can see him next to his more typical-colored brother Garlic in some photos.

Ginger as a cub compared to a typical-colored cub with rosettes.

Ginger as an adult. Note his fully orange appearance and pink nose.

Ginger and Garlic feeding on a Cape buffalo. Ginger stares back at the photographer while crunching on some Cape buffalo neck meat.

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Atticus Loon @8bitsatyr.bsky.social · 17/10/2024

Erythrism or erythrochroism refers to an unusual overabundance of reddish pigmentation in an animal's fur, skin, feathers, or even eggs! Individuals with the condition are commonly refered to as "golden" or "strawberry" animals. They become more reddish or roufous in appearance.

Erythrism in an African leopard, where the rosettes become ginger in color rather than the usual black. They are also known as strawberry leopards.

Erythrism in a Bengal tiger, where the once black stripes are now a dark, caramel-like orange. Erythristic tigers are also known as strawberry or golden tabby tigers.

An erythristic European badger next to a standard colored one. Once grey and black markings are now orange and caramel in the erythristic individual.

An orange erythristic Black-backed jackal!

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Atticus Loon @8bitsatyr.bsky.social · 17/10/2024

A strawberry leopard is being examined by field biologists, checking its teeth for dental health. Its lips are pink compared to the standard black for typical leopards.

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Atticus Loon @8bitsatyr.bsky.social · 17/10/2024

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Atticus Loon @8bitsatyr.bsky.social · 17/10/2024

Erythrism in an African leopard, where the rosettes become ginger in color rather than the usual black.

Erythrism in a Bengal tiger, where the once black stripes are now a dark, caramel-like orange.

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Atticus Loon @8bitsatyr.bsky.social · 17/10/2024

More examples of melanism in animals!

A melanistic Red fox! Interestingly, while the face, legs, ears and underbelly of the fox are jet black, the rest of the body is adorned in silver coloration. For this reason, melanistic foxes are also called silver foxes!

A juvenile melanistic raccoon tentatively stands behind a more typical-colored relative.

A melanistic King penguin leads the charge!

A chart showing the difference between a standard Red fox compared to a melanistic individual. The standard Red fox has orange fur, with a white snout, cheeks and chest, black limbs and a darker tail. The melanistic individual, in comparison, is all black, save for some minor silver grizzling and a white spot on the chest.

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Atticus Loon @8bitsatyr.bsky.social · 17/10/2024

In wolves, a black coat is caused by the K-locus gene, inherited by domestic dogs. This K-locus gene affects more than just coat coloration! Black coat pups tend to be healthier than regular coated pups, having greater resistances to diseases such as canine distemper and parvo!

A black wolf in Yellowstone stands in the snow, staring back at the cameraman.

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Atticus Loon @8bitsatyr.bsky.social · 17/10/2024

Melanism can benefit the individual, allowing them to better blend in with their surroundings. Adaptive melanism has been seen in many species, such as wolves and big cats. In some regions, melanistic variants are more common than their standard relatives, becoming the dominant gene.

A pair of Indian leopards. The female is the standard rosetted big cat, while the male, standing behind her, exhibits melanism. In jaguars and leopards, melanism may be more common in jungle habitats compared to in deserts and savannahs.

A wolf pack in Yellowstone with some black individuals. Black wolves are especially common in Yellowstone. In other parts of the world, black wolves are much rarer!

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Atticus Loon @8bitsatyr.bsky.social · 17/10/2024

Next up we have melanism! Melanism refers to a condition where an animal has an excess of the pigment melanin, rendering them to be black in coloration. The most popular example of melanism is in "black panthers" - leopards and jaguars with the condition.

A melanistic African leopard climbing upon some rocks under the African night. Photo by Will Burrard-Lucas.

A jet-black melanistic serval, standing in the tawny foliage of African grasslands. It looks very similar to domestic black cats!

A melanistic squirrel standing on a dark pole.

A dark chocolate-colored melanistic Fallow deer buck grazes on some grass.

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Atticus Loon @8bitsatyr.bsky.social · 17/10/2024

Albino animals and humans are also much more susceptible to cancer, sunburns, and vision problems. Albinism can affect people of all races and ethnic groups.

An albino Jaguarundi cub. Jaguarundi are a small wild cat native to the Americas. Their closest cousins are mountain lions and cheetahs!

An albino wallaby joey peeks its head out of its mothers pouch!

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Atticus Loon @8bitsatyr.bsky.social · 17/10/2024

While the condition itself is not lethal, wild animals with the condition tend to have a number of health issues, as well as stick out more in their environment, leaving them vulnerable to predation. That aside, many domestic animals are bred to have albinism, such as ball pythons and ferrets.

An all-white albino ferret under some rocks. It has an all-white coat, red eyes, and pink ears and nose. Some dirt has stained its nose, presumably from a burrowing attempt.

An up-close look at the face of an albino colubrid snake.

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Atticus Loon @8bitsatyr.bsky.social · 17/10/2024

Let's start off with one of the most famous examples, albinism! Albinism is the absence of any pigmentation/coloration in an animal, resulting in white skin, fur, or feathers, as well as reddish or pinkish color eyes. This condition is also known as achromia, but albino is a far more common term.

An all-white albino squirrel sitting on a bench, chowing away at some peanuts. Its eyes are a bright red.

An albino passerine bird sitting on a clay red bowl. Its eyes are red, its bill yellow, and the scales on its feet pink.

An albino koala climbs up an eucalyptus tree. It is all white, save for the eyes, nose, and skin inside the ears, which are all pink.

An orphaned albino Striped skunk from Hope for Wildlife, a Canadian-based Environmental Conservation Organization dedicated to rehabilitation of injured wildlife, as well as educating the public about them! According to Hope for Wildlife, albinism only occurs in 1 of 10,000 animals!

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Atticus Loon @8bitsatyr.bsky.social · 17/10/2024

Well, apparently Bluesky DOES have a pinned post feature. You know what that means!

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Atticus Loon @8bitsatyr.bsky.social · 17/10/2024

Well shit, I guess I gotta start actually posting here now. Once Bluesky adds a pinned post feature, I'll remake the thread. You know the one.

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Atticus Loon @8bitsatyr.bsky.social · 29/08/2024

I made a free-to-use Smilodon fatalis base with some mane/cheek fluff variations!

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Atticus Loon @8bitsatyr.bsky.social · 13/06/2024

Some of my recent artworks, featuring a Thylacoleo and a Miracinonyx! #paleoart

Lineart of a Thylacoleo carnifex, a prehistoric Australian animal nicknamed "The Marsupial Lion." The body is very cat-like, however with a shorter tail and odd teeth, reminiscent of the Devonian fish Dunkleosteus. Cat-like facial stripes paint the face.

A full-body flatcolored piece of a Miracinonyx. This animal may look like a cheetah, however it was actually a close relative to Mountain lions! The body and coloration is a lot like that of a cheetah, however the limbs are a little more muscular, and the face more plump. On the face, the cheetah's tear markings and the puma's snout borders merge. The animal is overall beige in color, with a white underbelly and cheeks, striped tail, and spotted underbelly and limbs.

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Atticus Loon @8bitsatyr.bsky.social · 04/10/2023

Additionally, many bat species, such as the Ghost bat and Pallid bat, are predators. They will not only eat thousands of insects in a single night, but they will also often eat other pest species, such as mice and scorpions. Bats are infinitely useful for us humans!

A sandy-colored Pallid bat flying with a large centipede in its jaws. Look at the size of those ears! This bat species is also a great pollinator of many desert flowers and fruits.

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Atticus Loon @8bitsatyr.bsky.social · 04/10/2023

Many species aid in the seed dispersal of many foods that we love to eat (such as bananas, mangoes, avocados and even cocoa), and others are pollinators. Without bats, many of our favorite foods would go extinct, and others would be devoured by insects. Thank bats for your next meal!

In flight, a pollinating Mexican long-nosed bat approaches a yellow and white cactus flower. The bat has soft, velvety brown fur.

A popular screenshot from a viral video of an adorable, dark-colored baby Flying fox eating a banana. The bat is delicately wrapped in a blue blanket, its cheeks full of the delicious fruit.

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Atticus Loon @8bitsatyr.bsky.social · 04/10/2023

Starting off with bats! One of my favorite animal groups out there! Bats are often seen as disgusting, blood-sucking flying rodents that provide little to the ecosystem outside of pest control, but this could not be any farther from the truth! Join me as we learn about bats! 🦇

A resting Hoary bat, facing the viewer. The face has blonde fur, with the rest of the body having a salted appearance. Photo by John MacGregor & uploaded to the Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources website.

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Atticus Loon @8bitsatyr.bsky.social · 12/09/2023

Feel free to learn about lichens and fungi as I have discussed them recently! Do correct me if any mistakes or misinformation is present.

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