Aśoka Devānāmpriya, Beloved of Gods
Occasionally, peacocks appear with white plumage. Although albino peafowl do exist, all white peacocks are not albinos.
They have a genetic condition called leucism, which causes pigment cells to fail to migrate from the neural crest during development. Leucistic peacocks can produce pigment but not deposit the pigment to their feathers. This results in the complete lack of colouration in their plumage and blue-grey eye colour.
By contrast, true albino peafowl would have a complete lack of melanin, resulting in irises that look red or pink.
Emperor Aśoka the Great (Pataliputra, 304 a.C. – Pataliputra, 232 a.C.) was the third ruler of the illustrious Maurya dynasty and was one of the most powerful kings of the Indian subcontinent in ancient times. In the Edicts of Ashoka, biographical information about him, he is referred to as Devānāmpriya or "the Beloved of the Gods".
Aśoka Devānāmpriya, Beloved of Gods
Occasionally, peacocks appear with white plumage. Although albino peafowl do exist, all white peacocks are not albinos.
They have a genetic condition called leucism, which causes pigment cells to fail to migrate from the neural crest during development. Leucistic peacocks can produce pigment but not deposit the pigment to their feathers. This results in the complete lack of colouration in their plumage and blue-grey eye colour.
By contrast, true albino peafowl would have a complete lack of melanin, resulting in irises that look red or pink.
Emperor Aśoka the Great (Pataliputra, 304 a.C. – Pataliputra, 232 a.C.) was the third ruler of the illustrious Maurya dynasty and was one of the most powerful kings of the Indian subcontinent in ancient times. In the Edicts of Ashoka, biographical information about him, he is referred to as Devānāmpriya or "the Beloved of the Gods".