The albino monkey is a species of great ape that is found in Madagascar, Indonesia, and some parts of Africa. Its name is derived from its albino coloring. Usually, its body is white, but it can also have shades of pink, gray, and orange. Interestingly, it’s also a very rare species, with less than 1% of its population alive.
Spider monkey
Spider monkeys are one of the most intelligent primates in the world. These species live in tropical forests of Central and South America. They have a distinctive prehensile tail that is shaped like a hook and is used for climbing and grasping.
Spider monkeys belong to the subfamily Atelinae. Their faces are usually black and their bodies are slender and thin. In some cases, they have a white chin whisker or white eye rings.
Spider monkeys are highly frugivorous and their diet consists of fruits and seeds. They forage in small groups of four to nine animals. Most of them feed in the upper canopy of a tree. The lead female of a group is responsible for finding food sources. A male spider monkey is rarely involved in raising offspring.
Females give birth to one offspring every two to four years. Offspring remain with their mother for the first year. When they are around 15 months old, they begin to rely on their mothers for transportation. As they grow older, they are able to travel on their own.
White-cheeked spider monkeys are endemic to Brazil. They are considered Endangered by IUCN, and their habitat is threatened by habitat destruction and deforestation. This is due to expansion of the cattle industry and soy bean plantations.
The population of white-cheeked spider monkeys is estimated to be approximately 25 individuals. They are diurnal and they travel by arm swinging and by walking on two legs. The population is in danger of extinction because they have a low reproductive rate.
The Central American spider monkey is a large, arboreal member of the spider monkey genus. It weighs between 7.0 and 9.4 kg. Its range covers most of the western half of the continent. Hunting for meat is a major threat. There are very few known instances of leucism in this species.
White-cheeked spider monkeys have a relatively long gestation period, averaging seven and a half months. Once the baby is born, the mother carries it on her back for the next six months. The baby is dependent on its mother for milk for the first two years of its life.
Humpback whale
A rare albino humpback whale and a little known Central American spider monkey have been making the news lately. One whale has been spotted off the coast of Costa Rica and the other off the coast of Australia.
While the aforementioned creature has been sighted in more remote locations like Indonesia and Hawaii, this is the first time it has been seen in these more accessible locales. Its arrival could also mean it’s in for a visit from the local scavengers.
The albino humpback is the latest in a long line of enigmatic creatures to make an appearance off the Australian coast. These elusive creatures can be hard to spot and even harder to track down. Having said that, a rare one was sighted this weekend off the eastern coast of Victoria. Upon investigation, the whale was found to be a young female.
The DOC’s head of marine science says this may be the first documented case of albinism amongst a species of humpback whale. According to research, there are four known individuals with this ailment, which is a tiny fraction of the population. However, it hasn’t stopped scientists from trying to understand this mysterious condition.
One of the most impressive things about Migaloo is that he is the only humpback known to have albinism. Researchers believe that the animal may have sired a pair of offspring, though it’s not clear which is the lucky one. Another whale, called Chalkie, is not all that white, but still has a black dot on its left fluke.
Despite the best efforts of marine biologists, Migaloo’s plight remains a sad state. In fact, it has been dubbed the most infamous humpback in the world. Although it’s rumored to have been killed by a killer whale, experts are still unsure whether or not the whale actually made it out of the water alive.
In the end, the real question is: will the albino humpback ever be caught in the wild? Even the DOC’s aforementioned survey leader admits that sightings of these animals are extremely rare.
Migaloo
The first recorded albino humpback whale, Migaloo, was discovered off the coast of Queensland, Australia in 1991. At that time, the only other documented white whale in the world was a sperm whale.
Since then, the whale has been sighted over 50 times, including in the Great Barrier Reef this year. Researchers believe Migaloo is about 25-27 years old.
His appearance is easily distinguishable from other humpbacks: he has a long body, small dorsal fin, a small tail, and spiked tail flukes. He also has a distinctive lack of pigmentation, which has led to him being called “hypo-pigmented” or “leucistic.”
He is protected by the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act Regulations. Boats and aircraft cannot get within 500 meters of him, and if they do they must be cleared by the authorities.
He is also protected by the Australian National Guidelines for Whale and Dolphin Watching. If anyone tries to take photos or video of him, they must obtain approval from the Environment Department.
He is protected by the Environment Protection and Marine Biodiversity Conservation Act Regulations, but he is also a special management marine mammal. Any vessel that comes into contact with him will be fined $16,500.
While Migaloo has been spotted in the waters around the Great Barrier Reef this summer, his migration season is over. He will then head to Antarctic waters for the summer. However, he may be sighted during his annual migration south between September and November.
Migaloo is considered the first all-white humpback whale, but there are also other white whales in the ocean. Willow, for example, was seen off the Norwegian coast in 2012.
These whales are also at risk of pollution, entanglement in fishing gear, and killer whale predation. They can live for up to 50 years in the wild. Their habitat is unpredictable and varies by species.
As of 2017, there are only four known white whales in the world, but there are more than likely more. One of these whales is the Migaloo, which has been spotted almost every year since 1991.