An Ultra Rare Pitch Black Deer Was Just Spotted in Northern Michigan
OutdoorHub Reporters 06.03.19
If you thought the albino panda was cool, get a load of this ultra rare pitch black deer that was spotted and photographed in northern Michigan.
This is the rarest color variation in deer, so when John Roach laid eyes on it, he immediately reached for his phone to snap some photos before they scurried away – and so I imagine he could confirm he wasn’t seeing things!
“I see a lot of critters up here but I have never seen nor even heard of one of these. I was taking my trailer back to my pole barn property yesterday and so drove past the driveway in order to back in. As I looked to my left I saw 2 deer in the lane that runs to the back of the property- nothing unusual except that one was typical and one was pitch black. I had my phone on the seat and was able to get 2 good shots of them before they ran to the pines to the west. I hope that you can zoom the picture to see it up close.”
According to QDMA, “Melanism is a random genetic anomaly. Changes in the coat color of mammals are believed to be mutations in the melanicortin 1 receptor gene (MC1R). The mutated gene that causes melanism is believed to be recessive, just like the gene responsible for some albinism and all piebaldism.”
