June 16, 2023: A group of inherited disorders characterised by little or no melanin production leads to albinism. Continue reading to know more!
Researchers checking in on the abnormally pale species saw an unusual-looking anteater roaming throughout Brazil. Alvinho the albino anteater, probably the world's only known albino of his species, was discovered by Brazil's Projeto Bandeiras e Rodovias, or Anteaters and Highways Project, in December 2022.
The researchers check up on the creature, also known as Alvin, on a regular basis and track his location using a GPS collar.
"Fresh news from our Alvinho!!" The Anteaters and Highways Project noted in the caption of a photo of the animal. "Our little guy is doing great!"
"Our vet team pays frequent trips to the area where he resides, in Mato Grosso do Sul's Cerrado. These visits enable us to check on his health and update his GPS collar (he acquired his second collar a few months ago), allowing us to monitor his progress while keeping him comfortable and without disrupting his routine!" In the May 10 post, Anteaters and Highways Project wrote.
According to the Anteaters and Highways Project, Alvinho is now around a year old and weighs about 30 pounds. Alvinho is particularly rare due to his albinism, which is caused by a genetic disease that causes the animal to create no melanin pigments.
Melanin is responsible for the colour of mammals' skin, hair, and eyes, as well as scales and feathers in other species.
Giant anteaters are enormous creatures that are indigenous to Central and South America. According to the Smithsonian Museum, the animals can grow to be 6 to 8 feet long and weigh between 60 and 100 pounds. According to their name, the mammals devour ants and termites, probing inside the insects' nests for meals with their long tongue.
These tongues can grow to be up to 2 feet long on their own. They may flip in and out of the anteater's mouth at a rate of 150 times per minute, picking up insects with their sticky saliva after ripping apart the nests with their sharp claws.
The IUCN Red List classifies anteaters as "vulnerable" owing to diminishing populations. These animals are hunted in some locations for food or to use their skin in leather products or medicine. Anteaters are frequently killed by cars: between 2017 and 2020, the Anteaters and Highways Project discovered 761 dead giant anteaters on Mato Grosso do Sul's roadways in central-west Brazil.
The Anteaters and Highways Project was established by Brazil's Wild Animal Conservation Institute (ICAS) to conduct a multi-year examination of anteater-vehicle incidents. They track anteaters to understand more about the species' population structure and to safeguard it.
Alvinho recently received his second GPS vest, having outgrown the previous.