I made a trip to the Blairstown Animal Hospital one day earlier this month and enroute came across a rare piebald deer eating in a field with another deer. This is my second time seeing one, I came across a piebald fawn back on June 22, 2020.

Here are some interesting facts I copied and pasted from that encounter and story.

SOME RESEARCH:

Piebaldism is a recessive trait, it is believed that both parents must carry the recessive gene for there to be a chance that they will produce piebald fawns. It’s also possible for a piebald doe to reproduce and bear normal fawns.

Question: What are Piebald deer?

The term Piebald, comes from the word ‘pie’, from a magpie. When you put both words together, it means “mixed” or “bald”. Piebaldism is a coloring from genetic abnormalities, which results in a lack of pigmentation in patches around one’s body. Some Piebald deer would have just a slight amount of white hair found as patches, or it can be all white!

Question: What is the difference from a Piebald and Albino?

Piebald deer are different from albino deer, with their major difference being their eyes. Albino deer would have pink eyes, nose and hooves, while Piebald would have brown or black eyes, nose and hooves. Besides their different coat, a Piebald deer would have various issues such as Bowing nose, Overbite, Arching spine, short legs and lower mandible and Deformities in the organs.

Question: How rare are Piebald deer?

The Piebald deer is extremely difficult to find in just about any field! Compared to the Whitetail deer, they are rare, but more common than an albino deer. Reports have claimed that there is only less than 1% of Piebald deer in the entire deer population, and even less albino deer roaming around in the wild!

Maybe you’ll get lucky like me, and see one here in Warren County!

Enjoy Your Open Space

Charlie Fineran

Director Open Space

Allamuchy Township Environmental Commission – Chairman

Allamuchy Historical Society