Extremely rare ‘blonde’ penguin discovered in Antarctica

They say blondes have more fun. I wonder if that’s true for penguins as well. Luckily, scientists have finally discovered a penguin we could ask. This blonde penguin discovered in Antarctica is definitely easy to spot in the crowd due to its unusual light coloring that sets it apart from its black-and-white brethren!

Image credits DAVID STEPHENS

Even thought it looks like an albino penguin, according to experts its light coloring is due to a rare condition called isabellinism and apparently it restricts the dissemination of pigment to feathers.

 

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❤️🐧 #blondepenguin #penguin #haha #repost #iwantit

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“Many species of penguins have a few rare individuals with this color pattern,” penguin expert P. Dee Boersma of the University of Washington in Seattle said. “Scientists have observed several species of penguins and the effect of isabellinism on penguins, and have found that gentoo penguins found throughout the Antarctic Peninsula often record the most cases.”

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