A rare Piebald deer was recorded enjoying some lunch/dinner in Greenbelt, MD on Monday by Instagram user @_christiantineo (video below). One was also spotted and photographed in Hillandale this past November.
Piebald deer are considered rare, occurring at a rate of less than 1% of the white tailed deer population. This means that for every 1,000 white-tailed deer, you would expect to find about 1 or fewer with the piebald coat pattern. This is different than Albino deer, which are characterized by a complete lack of pigment, resulting in a pure white coat and pink eyes, noses, and hooves.
Per the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, “The Piebald anomaly genetic variation (defect) produces the piebald condition in white-tailed deer, not parasites or diseases. Piebald deer are colored white and brown similar to a pinto pony. Sometimes they appear almost entirely white. In addition to this coloration, many have some of the following observable conditions: bowing of the nose (Roman nose); short legs; arching spine (scoliosis); short lower jaws. This genetic condition is rare with typically less than one percent of white-tailed deer being affected.”
View this post on Instagram