I received this in an email today and thought I would share:
ORIGINAL CAPTION: A very unusual genetic color variation in white-tailed deer – rarer even than albinism – produces all-black offspring in that species which are known as “melanistic” or “melanic” deer. On the [North American] continent as a whole, “melanistic” or “melanic” deer so named because their bodies produce far too much of the hair, skin and retina pigment known as “melanin” are definitely the rarest of the rare. While millions of whitetails have been harvested across the continent in modern times, only a token number of cases of melanism have been documented. In fact, it’s safe to say that most whitetail hunters have never even heard of melanistic deer, much less seen one. For that matter, only a few research biologists ever have observed one in the flesh.
Researchers admit that they aren’t sure, but they say the mutation likely has been perpetuated because it offers a survival advantage. Melanistic deer are concentrated along the Central Texas region’s drainages, where cover is thick and a dark-colored prey animal would have an edge in avoiding detection. This trait also would serve them well in the upland juniper thickets found in the same part of Texas.
Biologists say that they don’t know if the circumstances that produced this genetic trait are even still in existence. Nor, for that matter, does anyone know if a single gene is responsible. Regardless, the trait seems to be in no eminent danger of disappearing.
From the photographer:
I took the photos of the black fawn near Austin, TX. That area of central Texas seems to have a concentration of black “white-tailed” deer, although it is still extremely rare to find them. This is a wild deer, but resides in a greenbelt near a neighborhood. I took the images when the deer were roaming through the neighborhood. The two fawns in the photos are twins, but only the one is black. The images being circulated were taken in May 2010 and I again captured some images of them about seven weeks later which I added to our website. They are going to be published along with an article about “Melanism” in “Deer and Deer Hunting” magazine due out in September 2010.
(© R.M.Buquoi Photographics – submitted by Linda Babb)
