Caught on Trail Cam: ‘Ghost’ Deer in Texas Nature Preserve

A rare “ghost” deer appeared on a trail camera in a nature preserve in Texas. Hill Country Conservancy, a nonprofit organization, shared the footage on its Instagram page, calling it “amazing” to have captured such a rare and beautiful animal on film. The white-tailed deer is leucistic, meaning it has a genetic condition that affects the amount of pigment in the animal’s skin and fur.

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“Although at first glance it may seem like a different species, this stunning animal is a White-tailed deer exhibiting a rare genetic trait called leucism,” Hill Country Conservancy explains in its Instagram post. “Leucism causes a partial loss of pigment in the skin and fur—but importantly, not in the eyes or nose—resulting in an all-white or pale appearance. Unlike albinism, which is marked by a complete lack of melanin and typically causes pink or red eyes, leucistic animals retain normal-colored eyes and other pigmented features. This trait can appear in birds, reptiles, and mammals, giving them a pale or white appearance while retaining normal eye color.”

Watch a rare “ghost” deer in Texas here:

Header stock image by Kristian Bell/Getty Images