How do the pink noses and pads of white tigers differ pigment-wise from those of a true albino?
Answer
White tigers often retain some darker pigmentation on these areas
The distinction between a white tiger and a true albino extends clearly to features like the nose leather and paw pads. While both may appear pale or pinkish, true albinos exhibit a complete and total lack of melanin in all tissues, resulting in entirely unpigmented features. In contrast, white tigers retain enough residual melanin, influenced by the limited expression of the recessive gene, that their pink noses and pads frequently display flecks or patches of darker pigmentation. This retained partial pigmentation is another key indicator that the condition is a specific form of leucism or color variation, not a complete absence of pigment characteristic of albinism.
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