Rare peacock takes spotlight

in Ritter’s second animal column

Writing about the uncommon okapi got me to thinking, how many other weird animals are there out there?

My first thought was to ask Alexa, but since I was at school I didn’t have that option. Instead, I had to resort to the dinosaur, the google search bar. Turns out, it’s pretty easy to find unusual animals. (I’m not the only one interested.)

In my search, I have found numerous mammals, amphibians, fish, reptiles, about anything you can imagine, but the one that caught my eye this time was the white peacock.

Peacocks are generally known for their beautiful, vibrant colors, but something about the simplicity and elegance of the white peacock is eye-catching.

A wide misconception is that all peacocks are called peacocks. The females are supposed to be called peahens, and collectively they are supposed to be called peafowls. I think the general name caught on because males are typically more beautiful, but common people wouldn’t know it was specifically a male peacock. To them, it would just be a peacock.

You would think that these special peacocks were albino, but no. They are a part of a mutation called leucism. Albinoism and leucism are similar, but the difference is in leucism is a reduction in color and albinoism is when there is almost no color. You’d think the white peacocks would fall under albinoism because they have no color on their coat or feathers, but their eyes can be blue, red, or pink making them fall under leucism.

If you haven’t ever seen a peacock open its feathers, let me tell you. It is a sight to behold.

I showed our advisor this animal before I wrote the story, and she said, “Can you imagine those at your wedding?” Right after hearing that and watching that video, I had visions of pristine peacocks walking around green grass, opening and closing their feathers majestically.

But then, I watched the video with sound on and heard what one squawking sounded like. (Turn your sound on!)

The vision ended quickly and was replaced with chaos and squawking right before my imaginary husband and I say I do. SQUAWK, Sydney, do you take this man, SQUAWK, to be your lawful wedded hus- SQUAWK- band. Can you see it? If you had a way to make sure they didn’t make the noise, it would probably make for a unique and grand wedding, but if not, I would reconsider that decision. Thinking again though, I am a supporter of free speech and taking that unique “squawk” away from peacocks would not be right.

Okapis and white peacocks have been on my mind for now, but I wonder what will catch my eye next week? Weird animals fascinate me. Maybe because, in all their awkwardness or “wrong” ness, you can find the beauty in what other people say is undesirable or bizarre.