Discovering extremely rare albino turtles... hard to see in the world

An extremely rare and extremely small albino tortoise has been discovered near a freshwater lake in southern India.

According to Reptile & Amphibian magazine, the young turtle with a pale shell and pink eyes was discovered by wildlife photographers Manoj Kumar Vittapu and Shravan Kumar Poshetty near a freshwater lake in the forest in Siriepally in the district. Nizamabad, Telangana State - India.

The turtle is extremely small with a body size of only about 4x3 cm, but has attracted the attention of two photographers because of its unusual pigmentation.

"This is the first time in India that there are reports of albino turtles like this," said Buddi Laxmi Narayana, manager at Nehru Animal Park in Hyderabad, Telangana state.

Rare albino shellfish found in India. (Photo: Manoj Kumar Vittapu)

A rare turtle stands out on the lawn.

Albinism is a rare genetic mutation that causes no pigment in the skin, hair, or eyes - not to be confused with leukocytosis, which is only hypopigmentation or partial albinism.

Human or animal genetics contain a recessive gene variant, which "shuts off" the efficient production of the pigment melanin. Meanwhile, melanin is the pigment that gives color to the skin, eyes and hair. When the amount of melanin decreases, it can also cause vision problems.

Indian shell turtles live in rivers and lakes in Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar. Some parts of the world have seen albino turtles, but in India, this is the first time.

It is because of the turtle's striking color that it has little chance of surviving in the wild. Besides fighting disease, it is also easily detected by predators due to its inability to camouflage.