Specimen C 2674 Taxidermied Mount - Albino Eastern Grey Kangaroo, Macropus giganteus Shaw, 1790

Summary

Eastern Grey Kangaroos are found across eastern mainland Australia and Tasmania. Usually Eastern Grey Kangaroos have grey-brown fur, paler grey or white on their bellies and hind legs, and the tip of their tail is black. However, the most obvious feature of this specimen is its white fur and red eyes.

Since it has red eyes this individual is an albino, meaning it has a genetic mutation that prevents it from producing any pigment. The eyes are red because the lack of pigment means the blood vessels of the iris are visible. There are other genetic mutations that cause varying degrees of pigment loss and resulting whiteness but in these there are usually parts of the body that are normally coloured. How often white kangaroos occur isn't well known but there are usually one or two reports of sightings of white kangaroos around Australia every year.