
A photo of rare animal sighting in Missouri has gone viral. The picture is of a unique squirrel with leucism, shared by the Missouri Department of Conservation.
The color mutation seen in many animals caused this squirrel to have white strips of fur on its mid-section and tail. MDC credited John Dockery for sending in the photo.
It was shared more than 1,000 times within a few hours of posting on Friday morning. Leucism is a condition that results in the partial loss of pigmentation in an animal, according to MDC.
MDC says it's an eastern gray squirrel – the most common members of the squirrel family in Missouri.