Erythrism or erythrochroism refers to an unusual reddish pigmentation of an animal's
hair
Hair is a protein filament that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Hair is one of the defining characteristics of mammals.
The human body, apart from areas of glabrous skin, is covered in follicles which produce thick terminal and ...
,
skin
Skin is the layer of usually soft, flexible outer tissue covering the body of a vertebrate animal, with three main functions: protection, regulation, and sensation.
Other animal coverings, such as the arthropod exoskeleton, have different ...
,
feather
Feathers are epidermal growths that form a distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on both avian (bird) and some non-avian dinosaurs and other archosaurs. They are the most complex integumentary structures found in vertebrates and an exa ...
s, or
eggshell
An eggshell is the outer covering of a hard-shelled egg (biology), egg and of some forms of eggs with soft outer coats.
Worm eggs
Nematode eggs present a two layered structure: an external vitellin layer made of chitin that confers mechanical ...
s.
Causes of erythrism include:
* Genetic mutations which cause an absence of a normal pigment and/or excessive production of others
* Diet, as in bees feeding on "bright red
corn syrup
Corn syrup is a food syrup that is made from the starch of corn/maize and contains varying amounts of sugars: glucose, maltose and higher oligosaccharides, depending on the grade. Corn syrup is used in foods to soften Mouthfeel, texture, add vol ...
" used in
maraschino cherry
A maraschino cherry ( ) is a preserved, sweetened cherry, typically made from light-colored sweet cherries such as the Royal Ann, Rainier, or Gold varieties. In their modern form, the cherries are first preserved in a brine solution usually ...
manufacturing.
Erythrism in
katydid
Insects in the family Tettigoniidae are commonly called katydids (especially in North America) or bush crickets. They have previously been known as "long-horned grasshoppers". More than 8,000 species are known. Part of the suborder Ensifera, the ...
s has been occasionally observed. The coloring might be a camouflage that helps some members of the species survive on red plants. There is also consensus that the erythristic mutation is actually a dominant trait among katydid species, albeit a disadvantageous one, due to the overwhelmingly green coloration of most foliage. Hence, most pink or otherwise vividly colored katydids do not survive to adulthood, and this observation explains their rarity. Erythrism in
leopard
The leopard (''Panthera pardus'') is one of the five extant cat species in the genus ''Panthera''. It has a pale yellowish to dark golden fur with dark spots grouped in rosettes. Its body is slender and muscular reaching a length of with a ...
s is rare, but one study reported that two of twenty-eight leopards seen in
camera trap
A camera trap is a camera that is automatically triggered by motion in its vicinity, like the presence of an animal or a human being. It is typically equipped with a motion sensor—usually a passive infrared (PIR) sensor or an active infrared ...
s in a South African nature reserve were erythristic, and the authors found records of five other "strawberry" leopards from the region.
Gallery
File:Pink_katydid_Ontario.jpg
File:Pink-orange_katydid,_Florida.jpg
File:Pink katydid New York.jpg
File:Pink Grasshopper with Erythrism found in Kelleys Island, Ohio.jpg
See also
*
Albinism
Albinism is the congenital absence of melanin in an animal or plant resulting in white hair, feathers, scales and skin and reddish pink or blue eyes. Individuals with the condition are referred to as albinos.
Varied use and interpretation of ...
*
Amelanism
*
Dyschromia
*
Heterochromia iridum
*
Leucism
Leucism () is a wide variety of conditions that result in partial loss of pigmentation in an animal—causing white, pale, or patchy coloration of the skin, hair, feathers, scales, or cuticles, but not the eyes. It is occasionally spelled ''le ...
*
Melanism
Melanism is the congenital excess of melanin in an organism resulting in dark pigment.
Pseudomelanism, also called abundism, is another variant of pigmentation, identifiable by dark spots or enlarged stripes, which cover a large part of the bod ...
*
Piebaldism
*
Red hair
Red hair, also known as ginger hair, is a human hair color found in 2–6% of people of northern Europe, Northern or Northwestern European ancestry and lesser frequency in other populations. It is most common in individuals Zygosity#Homozy ...
*
Vitiligo
Vitiligo (, ) is a chronic autoimmune disorder that causes patches of skin to lose pigment or color. The cause of vitiligo is unknown, but it may be related to immune system changes, genetic factors, stress, or sun exposure, and susceptibili ...
*
Xanthochromism
References
External links
The Mystery of the Red Bees of Red Hook ''The New York Times'', November 30, 2010
Rare Pink Katydid Discovered in Northern Illinois ''Chicago Tribune'', August 10, 2011
August 28, 2009
Erythrism: Grasshopper in New Zealand Rod Morris, 2010
Pink Animal Amazingness{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081223144302/http://www.lemondrop.com/2008/12/18/pink-animal-amazingness/ , date=2008-12-23 , Paula Kashtan, lemondrop.com, December 18, 2008
Disturbances of pigmentation
Genetic disorders with no OMIM
Dermatologic terminology