Albino animals are incredibly interesting, we’ve seen many species such as albino whales, penguins, giraffes, and more, but have you ever seen a fiery albino turtle?
Compared to other animals, turtles typically display varied forms of albinism.
They often still have one pigment in their body; thus, they might seem either yellow or red.
They appear to be little fire-breathing dragons or mythical beings from another dimension as a result.
Albino turtles are more vulnerable to predators because they lack the cover offered by their natural coloring. Their lifetime is, therefore, shorter, which adds to their rarity.
Turtles do often survive longer than other albino species, thanks to the protection their thick shell offers, even if their lifespan is still lower than that of a normal turtle.
Hope, an albino turtle, made headlines when she was born because her heart beat outside of her shell.
In addition to being an albino, this unusual creature was born with her heart pumping outside of her body.
Her owner Aqua Mike remained to look after her, and she is due to celebrate her fourth birthday later this year!
“I was immediately in love. It was like seeing an exotic animal that I couldn’t have ever imagined existing.”
“There are different types of turtles with albinism,” he specified. “Some may appear to be a solid yellow without many patternings on their turtle shells, like a red-eared slider, but the pink belly side necks are known to have pink on them when they aren’t albino, so that color stays in the albino variant as well!”
Albino turtles are fantastic pets, but they’re not the same kind of pet as dogs or cats, according to Aqua Mike.
“They are very interactive and will beg you for food, they will pose for the camera and everything, but they are not meant to be handled.”
“I always get asked what’s a good turtle I can get for my kids one that can be handled. Don’t get me wrong they can be handled, but they are no dog or cat. They are happiest when you leave them alone!”
He added: “Albino turtles are amazing animals. They do require a bit more advanced care as when they’re small, it may be difficult for them to find food in their tank because of their impaired vision.”
“This requires them to be moved to a smaller feeding container where the food is much more accessible just to ensure that they are eating enough.”
“However, once they reach 3-4” they are much more efficient at finding food in their enclosure and do not need to be moved outside of the tank to be fed in a separate container.”
“Albinos are also a lot more observable than normals. A normal turtle may get shocked or scared when it sees you and this causes them to swim away & hide.”
“The albino doesn’t feel this same sort of threat in your presence especially because you’ve been handling them to feed them for so long. They act a lot more natural and it gives you a chance to observe these rare animals and study them even better.”
