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12. Leucistic Texas Rat Snake
Located primarily in Texas, this snake is a nonvenomous colubrid. Having a leucistic complexion means they have reduced pigmentation of all skin pigments, as opposed to albinism, where only melanin is reduced.
As opposed to albinos, animals with leucism do not have altered eye color. Leucistic Texas Rat Snakes can grow to over 6 feet in length and are voracious eaters, consuming plenty of rodents, birds, frogs, and lizards.
When handled, they bite quickly, but their bite is mostly harmless. In leucistic mammals, the eye pigmentation is preserved while the skin color is reduced or absent, resulting in a fully white or piebald appearance.
The skin and eyes of albino snakes lack melanin, but they retain their yellow and red coloration and overall pattern.
A uniform ivory white coloration is generated by iridophores in leucistic snakes due to both a lack of xanthophores and melanophores.
