Rare ‘unicorn’ deer with white coats seen in Georgia, officials say. See the photos

Madeleine List, Lexington Herald-Leader - Yesterday 

People in Georgia have been reporting sightings of “unicorns” in their backyards.

But the spotted animals aren’t mythical creatures, they’re deer with a rare coloration, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

At least two people reported sightings of the piebald deer, which have partially white coats instead of the typical brown coloring, in May, according to the department.

The department shared photos of a fawn and an adult deer that were spotted.

Wildlife Resources Division - Georgia DNR

on Tuesday

It's a unicorn! It's a cow! It's a ...piebald fawn?

Observations are relatively uncommon and reported at rates less than 1%, but can vary depending on location and if they are protected from harvest. Both of these piebald deer were observed and submitted in the past few weeks.

Piebald coloring is caused by a heritable genetic mutation that causes fewer pigmented cells in the skin. BOTH parents have to have the recessive gene for offspring to exhibit piebald characteristics....

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The coloration is rare and observed in less than 1% of deer sightings, the department wrote in an email to McClatchy News.

Their white coloring is caused by a genetic mutation that leads to fewer pigmented cells in the skin. Both parents have to have the recessive gene in order for the fawn to show the coloration, the department says.

But the gene can have an effect on the deer beyond the white coat. It can cause issues, such as short legs, arching of the spine, “dorsal bowing of the nose,” “deviation of limb joints,” overbite and “malformation of internal organs,” the Georgia Department of Natural Resources said.

“Most adult piebald deer seen have a mild form of the condition, while deer born with more pronounced malformations usually are still born or die shortly after birth from deformities or predation,” the department wrote on Facebook.

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