View allAll Photos Tagged pigmentation
Eristalis tenax, the common drone fly, is a common, migratory, cosmopolitan species of hover fly. It is the most widely distributed syrphid species in the world, and is known from all regions except the Antarctic. It has been introduced into North America and is widely established. It can be found in gardens and fields in Europe and Australia. It has also been found in the Himalayas.
Eristalis tenax is a large, stocky bee mimic. The eyes are marbled in black. Males have hovering displays. The average wing length is 9.75–13 mm and their average wingspan is 15 mm.
The exact appearance of the drone fly can vary considerably. The abdomen can vary in color from dark brown to orange. Pigmentation has an important role in the control of body temperature; the black areas down the center of the drone-flies abdomen may absorb solar radiation and so warm the dorsal blood vessel, which is right underneath.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I'm trying to do dorsal shots of the Entomobrya sp. in my garden. This is I think : Entomobrya intermedia. The left one did not show me the pigmentation in dorsal aspect.
A beautiful unique Robin with leucism.
Leucism is a condition in which there is partial loss of pigmentation in an animal—which causes white, pale, or patchy coloration of the skin, hair, feathers, scales or cuticle, but not the eyes.
From: Wikipedia
Looking through some photos taken in previous years and came across this one which I had not processed.
Definition of leucism
: an abnormal condition of reduced pigmentation affecting various animals (such as birds, mammals, and reptiles) that is marked by overall pale color or patches of reduced coloring and is caused by a genetic mutation which inhibits melanin and other pigments from being deposited in feathers, hair, or skin
This is a leucistic male American Avocet, proud father of 2 growing chicks. Avocet chicks leave the nest the day they hatch and forage for their own food on day 1. Mom and Dad's role is to fend off predators through distraction, chasing and sometimes just attacking. And this papa takes is role VERY seriously. He'd chase of any bird or animal that got even remotely close to his chicks. He'd even employ the old broken wing trick (before this year, I thought that trick was limited to killdeer, but apparently other shorebirds employ that trick.) In this shot, Papa had just chased off a black-necked stilt and was on his way back to his babies.
If you're unfamiliar with the term leucistic, it means it has leucism, where the bird or animal has partial loss of pigmentation. Normally his head would be a solid copper color this time of year, but instead it's sort of a mottled white and copper color.
This is a leucistic bird - a condition of reduced pigmentation that is marked by overall pale colour or patches of reduced colouring
Despite this he is charming and does have a girlfriend in tow (Photo to follow). I feel a childrens story developing here. Otmoor, Oxfordshire.
One of the few species of diurnal owl, the great Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) has evolved with little pigmentation in its feathers. This not only helps to camouflage these birds of prey, but also provides more space for air to be held within its feathers, keeping them warm. These beautiful birds are often spotted near airfields or farmland, perched on telephone poles, as these landscapes are similar to the tundras of the north and allow them to hunt in the ambushing style that they prefer.
Early 2014 saw an eruption of snowies across much of the northeast U.S. It is believed that this high density of owls was due not to a food shortage up north, but a surplus which caused a population spike! This owl was photographed in 2015, a much slower year for snowy activity.
Compare the color with the previous photos. Leucism is a wide variety of conditions that result in partial loss of pigmentation in an animal—causing white, pale, or patchy coloration of the skin, hair, feathers, scales, or cuticles, but not the eyes.
Epipactis palustris (var ochroleuca) - Orchidaceae 198 24
Epipactis palustris name (palustris) refers to its usual choice of a wet marshy habitat. This preference is reflected in the orchids unsurprising common name of the Marsh Helleborine.
This is a species with a huge distribution across temperate Europe and Asia from Britain and Scandinavia in the west to Siberia in the East. It can grow in dense colonies, particularly in the damp, alkaline conditions it prefers such as dune slacks and base rich fens. Epipactis palustris is not however restricted to calcareous soils and although usually in smaller numbers, seems perfectly capable of thriving not just in neutral conditions but also in moderately acid ones.
Unlike many of the members of the Epipactis genus, Epipactis palustris does not seek out shade and indeed will not flourish if surrounding vegetation gets too rank or high. Although its roots require an uninterrupted supply of moisture, the visible parts of the plant seek full sun and this accounts for its total suitability to life in the wet slacks of large dune systems. It is not however a deep rooted orchid and in fact has only a shallow root system which is well suited to vegetative reproduction in wet ground. These shallow roots also maintain the plants nutrient supply by staying clear of the deeper and poorly oxygenated permanent water level.
This is not a particularly variable species but forms with reduced dark pigmentation are common. Here, the red pigmentation is absent altogether, this variant being known as var ochroleuca.
Source: John and Gerry's Orchids of Britain and Europe
Many *Morpho butterflies are coloured in metallic, shimmering shades of blue and green. These colours are not a result of pigmentation but rather are an example of iridescence: the extremely fine lamellated scales covering the Morpho's wings reflect incident light repeatedly at successive layers, leading to interference effects that depend on both wavelength and angle of incidence/observance. Thus the colours produced vary with viewing angle, however they are actually surprisingly uniform, perhaps due to the tetrahedral (diamond-like) structural arrangement of the scales or diffraction from overlying cell layers. This structure may be called a photonic crystal. The iridescent lamellae are present on the dorsal side of their wings only, leaving the ventral side a drab brown.
Iridescent Blue Morpho, Montreal Botanical Garden, Quebec, Canada.
PixQuote:
"I love the medium of photography, for with its unique realism it gives me the power to go beyond conventional ways of seeing and understanding and say, "This is real, too."
-Wynn Bullock
PixNote:
Morpho butterflies and hundred of others can be seen at the unique exhibition Butterflies Go Free, Montréal Botanical Garden until April 29, 2007.
The adult humpback whale is generally 14–15 m (46–49 ft) long, though individuals up to 16–17 m (52–56 ft) long have been recorded. Females are usually 1–1.5 m (3 ft 3 in – 4 ft 11 in) longer than males.
The species can reach body masses of 40 metric tons (44 short tons). Calves are born at around 4.3 m (14 ft) long with a mass of 680 kg (1,500 lb)] The species has a bulky body with a thin rostrum and proportionally long flippers, each around one-third of its body length.[14][15] It has a short dorsal fin that varies from nearly nonexistent to somewhat long and curved.
Like other rorquals, the humpback has grooves between the tip of the lower jaw and the navel. The grooves are relatively few in number in this species, ranging from 14 to 35. The upper jaw is lined with baleen plates, which number 540–800 in total and are black in color.
The dorsal or upper side of the animal is generally black; the ventral or underside has various levels of black and white coloration. Whales in the southern hemisphere tend to have more white pigmentation. The flippers can vary from all-white to white only on the undersurface. Some individuals may be all white, notably Migaloo who is a true albino. The varying color patterns and scars on the tail flukes distinguish individual animals.[
The end of the genital slit of the female is marked by a round feature, known as the hemispherical lobe, which visually distinguishes males and females.
Unique among large whales, humpbacks have bumps or tubercles on the head and front edge of the flippers; the tail fluke has a jagged trailing edge. The tubercles on the head are 5–10 cm (2.0–3.9 in) thick at the base and protrude up to 6.5 cm (2.6 in).
They are mostly hollow in the center, often containing at least one fragile hair that erupts 1–3 cm (0.39–1.18 in) from the skin and is 0.1 mm (0.0039 in) thick. The tubercles develop early in gestation and may have a sensory function, as they are rich in nerves. Sensory nerve cells in the skin are adapted to withstand the high water pressure of diving.
In one study, a humpback whale brain measured 22.4 cm (8.8 in) long and 18 cm (7.1 in) wide at the tips of the temporal lobes, and weighed around 4.6 kg (10 lb). The humpback's brain has a complexity similar to that of the brains of smaller whales and dolphins.
The structure of the eye indicates that eyesight is relatively poor, being only able to see silhouettes over long distances and finer details relatively close. Computer models of the middle ear suggest that the humpback can hear at frequencies between 15 Hz and 3 kHz "when stimulated at the tympanic membrane", and between 200 Hz and 9 kHz "if stimulated at the thinner region of the tympanic bone adjacent to the tympanic membrane". These ranges are consistent with their vocalization ranges.
As in all cetaceans, the respiratory tract of the humpback whale is connected to the blowholes and not to the mouth, although the species appears to be able to unlock the epiglottis and larynx and move them towards the oral cavity, allowing humpbacks to blow bubbles from their mouths. The vocal folds of the humpback are more horizontally positioned than those of land mammals which allows them to produce underwater calls. These calls are amplified by a laryngeal sac.
This image was taken in Reykjavik, Iceland
The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is a species of baleen whale. It is a rorqual (a member of the family Balaenopteridae) and is the only species in the genus Megaptera.
The adult humpback whale is generally 14–15 m (46–49 ft), though longer lengths of 16–17 m (52–56 ft) have been recorded. Females are usually 1–1.5 m (3 ft 3 in – 4 ft 11 in) longer than males.
The species can reach body masses of 40 metric tons (44 short tons). Calves are born at around 4.3 m (14 ft) long with a weight of 680 kg (1,500 lb).
The body is bulky with a thin rostrum and proportionally long flippers, each around one-third of its body length.[15][16] It has a short dorsal fin that varies from nearly non-existent to somewhat long and curved.
As a rorqual, the humpback has grooves between the tip of the lower jaw and the navel. They are relatively few in number in this species, ranging from 14–35. The mouth is lined with baleen plates, which number 270-400 for both sides.
Unique among large whales, humpbacks have bumps or tubercles on the head and front edge of the flippers; the tail fluke has a jagged trailing edge.
The tubercles on the head are 5–10 cm (2.0–3.9 in) thick at the base and poke up to 6.5 cm (2.6 in). They are mostly hollow in the center, often containing at least one fragile hair that erupts 1–3 cm (0.39–1.18 in) from the skin and is 0.1 mm (0.0039 in) thick. The tubercles develop early in the womb and may have a sensory function as they are rich in nerves.
The dorsal or upper-side of the animal is generally black; the ventral or underside has various levels of black and white coloration. Whales in the southern hemisphere tend to have more white pigmentation. The flippers can vary from all-white to white only on the undersurface.
The varying color patterns and scars on the tail flukes distinguish individual animals. The end of the genital slit of the female is marked by a round feature, known as the hemispherical lobe, which visually distinguishes males and females.
This image was taken on a whale watching trip from Isafjordur in Western Iceland
The Brewster and the Lawrence warblers are hybrids between the blue winged and the golden winged which, other than pigmentation, are highly similar and can produce fertile offspring. The Lawrence looks and sounds like a blue winged but with a masking of a golden Winged.
This bird popped up on eBird near Cleveland so I took a detour on the way to back to Cincinnati. I saw the bird on top of a tree within minutes of arriving, but I was not satisfied whit the distant image against the blue sky. 5 hours at the park resulted in many brief sighting - all in dense vegetation- and many out of focus shots. By late afternoon I finally got some shots in the canopy overhead of the bird hunting fruit flies... at least the overcast skies were an improvement. All in all, amazing to get all three - Nominate species and hybrids- in three days!
Anthocharis cardamines, the orange tip, is a butterfly in the family Pieridae, which contains 1100 species of butterfly. A. cardamines is mainly found throughout Europe and temperate Asia (Palearctic) The males feature wings with a signature orange pigmentation
This female specimen is most likely expressing a rare genetic mutation, bearing red pigmentation instead of the species' normal black colour.
More information about these unusual spiders and their origins can be found on my online Australian Geographic article - www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/wildlife/2015/08/r...
contact me on nick.volpe3@hotmail.com for usage of this image.
In these still lifes I’m going back to work with pastel colour, they seem to purify the surfaces light colors make the vacuum merge. The empty spaces have slight contrasts of shape as a value.
I like to deal with this non-pigmentation because its process, it is a ramification of many harmonic elements that allude to a perfect informality. This kind of illumination, in which high and white tones are predominant, spreads positivity and freshness. , However, I “played “with negative spaces . In photography, a negative is an image, usually on a strip or sheet of transparent plastic film, in which the lightest areas of the photographed subject appear dark and dark areas appear light. In this case of color negatives, colors are also reversed into their respective complementary colors. Typical color negatives have an overall dull orange tint due to an automatic color-masking feature that ultimately results in improved color reproduction. Negative space has been used in art, architecture, music, and design. The principles remain the same regardless of the medium. Negative space simply refers to the area that surrounds the main subject or subjects in your photograph. The technique of using negative space effectively is about creating the right relationship between the main subject and a background that almost feels like it is receding .Positive space, on the other hand, refers to the primary subjects of a photograph. Positive and negative space can dance together in a variety of pleasing compositions to create the right effect.
www.dodho.com/still-life-part-xiii-by-stefania-piccioni/
on PHOTOVOGUE
The adult humpback whale is generally 14–15 m (46–49 ft) long, though individuals up to 16–17 m (52–56 ft) long have been recorded. Females are usually 1–1.5 m (3 ft 3 in – 4 ft 11 in) longer than males.
The species can reach body masses of 40 metric tons (44 short tons). Calves are born at around 4.3 m (14 ft) long with a mass of 680 kg (1,500 lb)] The species has a bulky body with a thin rostrum and proportionally long flippers, each around one-third of its body length.[14][15] It has a short dorsal fin that varies from nearly nonexistent to somewhat long and curved.
Like other rorquals, the humpback has grooves between the tip of the lower jaw and the navel. The grooves are relatively few in number in this species, ranging from 14 to 35. The upper jaw is lined with baleen plates, which number 540–800 in total and are black in color.
The dorsal or upper side of the animal is generally black; the ventral or underside has various levels of black and white coloration. Whales in the southern hemisphere tend to have more white pigmentation. The flippers can vary from all-white to white only on the undersurface. Some individuals may be all white, notably Migaloo who is a true albino. The varying color patterns and scars on the tail flukes distinguish individual animals.[
The end of the genital slit of the female is marked by a round feature, known as the hemispherical lobe, which visually distinguishes males and females.[15][19]
Unique among large whales, humpbacks have bumps or tubercles on the head and front edge of the flippers; the tail fluke has a jagged trailing edge. The tubercles on the head are 5–10 cm (2.0–3.9 in) thick at the base and protrude up to 6.5 cm (2.6 in).
They are mostly hollow in the center, often containing at least one fragile hair that erupts 1–3 cm (0.39–1.18 in) from the skin and is 0.1 mm (0.0039 in) thick. The tubercles develop early in gestation and may have a sensory function, as they are rich in nerves. Sensory nerve cells in the skin are adapted to withstand the high water pressure of diving.
In one study, a humpback whale brain measured 22.4 cm (8.8 in) long and 18 cm (7.1 in) wide at the tips of the temporal lobes, and weighed around 4.6 kg (10 lb). The humpback's brain has a complexity similar to that of the brains of smaller whales and dolphins.
The structure of the eye indicates that eyesight is relatively poor, being only able to see silhouettes over long distances and finer details relatively close. Computer models of the middle ear suggest that the humpback can hear at frequencies between 15 Hz and 3 kHz "when stimulated at the tympanic membrane", and between 200 Hz and 9 kHz "if stimulated at the thinner region of the tympanic bone adjacent to the tympanic membrane". These ranges are consistent with their vocalization ranges.
As in all cetaceans, the respiratory tract of the humpback whale is connected to the blowholes and not to the mouth, although the species appears to be able to unlock the epiglottis and larynx and move them towards the oral cavity, allowing humpbacks to blow bubbles from their mouths. The vocal folds of the humpback are more horizontally positioned than those of land mammals which allows them to produce underwater calls. These calls are amplified by a laryngeal sac.
This image was taken in Juneau, Alaska
The "golden frog" (Brachycephalus ephippium) stands out for its orange color and size, measuring just two centimeters in length. It presents orange pigmentation due to a toxin present in the skin, used to defend against predators. It does not jump, like other frogs, but walks on the ground and between leaves. He has two functional fingers on his hands and three on his feet.
O "sapinho dourado" (Brachycephalus ephippium) chama atenção pela cor laranja e pelo tamanho, medindo apenas dois centímetros de comprimento. Apresenta a pigmentação alaranjada devido a uma toxina presente na pele, usada para defesa contra predadores. Não pula, como outros sapos, mas caminha pelo chão e entre as folhas. Tem dois dedos funcionais nas mãos e três nos pés.
White fallow stag basking in the Autumn evening sunlight at Charlecote Park. The backlight produced a halo reminiscent of a mythical beast or guardian Patronus from the Harry Potter novels.
Fallow deer are unusual in occuring in many different colour varieties, attributed to selective breeding in deer parks before becoming feral in the UK. Fallow of the white variety are not albinos but have normal eye pigmentation, although their hooves and noses might be somewhat paler than other varieties. White coats in any deer are usually a result of leucism, an under-production of melanin, the chemical responsible for skin pigmentation (over-production results in darker than normal coats).
In Celtic mythology white deer are considered to be messengers from the otherworld and would appear on transgressing a taboo, such as trespassing into sacred hunting grounds. The colour white has long been associated with purity and in Celtic culture the colour also represented the otherworld.
Arthurian legend states that the white stag has a perennial ability to evade capture, and pursuit of the animal represents mankind's spiritual quest. Hunters of old pursued the miraculous stag, not because they expected to kill it, but because it led them in the joy of the chase to new and fresh adventures, and so to capture happiness. In the Arthurian romance of Erec and Enide the story begins with Arthur and his knights riding out for a customary hunt of the white stag for the Easter feast. According to tradition, whoever succeeded in hunting the white stag would be able to bestow a kiss on any noblewoman at court.
Photograph taken with XH2S camera on free trial from Fujifilm.
"Leucism (/ˈljuːkɪzəm/; or /ˈluːsɪzəm/) is a condition in which there is partial loss of pigmentation in an animal resulting in white, pale, or patchy coloration of the skin, hair, feathers, scales or cuticle, but not the eyes. Unlike albinism, it is caused by a reduction in multiple types of pigment, not just melanin."
He's quite a stand-out. Instead of black legs and feet his are bright orange-yellow. His bill would normally be black too but his is mottled pink, black and yellow.
TTP / Lake Ontario
Leuzismus (von altgr. λευκός leukós „weiß“) ist eine Defekt-Mutation bei Tieren, die dazu führt, dass das Fell weiß und die darunterliegende Haut rosa sind, da die Haut keine Melanozyten (farbstoffbildende Zellen) enthält. Im Gegensatz dazu sind beim Albinismus die Zellen zwar vorhanden, aber unfähig, den Farbstoff Melanin zu bilden. Die meisten Formen der Scheckung sind auf abgeschwächte Formen des Leuzismus zurückzuführen.
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leuzismus
Leucism is a wide variety of conditions which result in the partial loss of pigmentation in an animal—which causes white, pale, or patchy coloration of the skin, hair, feathers, scales or cuticles, but not the eyes. It is occasionally spelled leukism.
'Leucism' is often used to describe the phenotype that results from defects in pigment cell differentiation and/or migration from the neural crest to skin, hair, or feathers during development. This results in either the entire surface (if all pigment cells fail to develop) or patches of body surface (if only a subset are defective) having a lack of cells that can make pigment.
Since all pigment cell-types differentiate from the same multipotent precursor cell-type, leucism can cause the reduction in all types of pigment. This is in contrast to albinism, for which leucism is often mistaken. Albinism results in the reduction of melanin production only, though the melanocyte (or melanophore) is still present. Thus in species that have other pigment cell-types, for example xanthophores, albinos are not entirely white, but instead display a pale yellow colour.
More common than a complete absence of pigment cells is localized or incomplete hypopigmentation, resulting in irregular patches of white on an animal that otherwise has normal colouring and patterning. This partial leucism is known as a "pied" or "piebald" effect; and the ratio of white to normal-coloured skin can vary considerably not only between generations, but between different offspring from the same parents, and even between members of the same litter.
Happy first day of Spring! 💐Happy Vernal Equinox! Happy Aries season! And also, my water bill is due today. 😬
I’m reposting this image and my original caption because it seems appropriate (again, unfortunately) after more tragic, hateful losses in the USA this past week. Springtime calls for great change — bringing light to what was once shadowed; beckoning the cold, bare terrain to grow once again. Over the course of our existence, opportunities for learning and growing seem to always cycle through — so long as we have the courage to feel the discomfort of the growing pains. I truly believe we humans can do better (I mean, I know I am far from perfect), and there is always room for us to grow with the seasons...
#StopHate #StopHate #StopHate
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We live in a colorful world, filled with a wide assortment of pigmentation. From the flowers to the sky, the humans to the skyscrapers — every facet of life is painted with a variety of colors. 🎨 Maybe this is by mistake. Maybe it’s on purpose. ♀️ Either way, this fact is to our good fortune, because to exist in a monotonous world — a world lacking in diversity — sure wouldn’t be as beautiful or interesting... 🤔💭💐
Splash of Paint | 2019
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Freshly emerged Odonata are called tenerals, you can see this by the shiny wings membranes and light pigmentation of the body and eyes. Several more hours must pass for the cuticle to harden and several days for the adult pigmentation to develop.
Hummingbirds amaze and delight us for many reasons, not the least of which is the remarkable iridescence of their plumage. Until fairly recently, however, the mechanism behind that iridescence has been a mystery. The latest research seems to have unlocked the secrets of their unique shimmer (hint: it's more than merely a matter of special pigmentation in their feathers); for an excellent summary, see here: www.allaboutbirds.org/news/what-is-the-essence-of-iridesc....
For another example (like this one, an Anna's Hummingbird), please see: flic.kr/p/2qFgsnG.
The Brewster and the Lawrence warblers are hybrids between the blue winged and the golden winged which, other than pigmentation, are highly similar and can produce fertile offspring. The Brewster looks and sounds like a golden winged but with a masking of a blue Winged (this one is one generation back cross to the golden winged).
The final stop on our first trip of 2022 was in Big Bend National Park where we found this Purple Prickly Pear cactus.
From Wikipedia:
"A member of the prickly pear genus, this species is most notable as one of a few cacti that produce a purple pigmentation in the stem.
Native populations of Opuntia macrocentra are found in Arizona, New Mexico, Southwestern Texas, and Northwestern Mexico.
This cactus is a slow growing perennial that inhabits a wide range of soil substrates and habitat types. It can be found below the elevation of 5000 ft in areas of sandy desert flats, rocky hills, or valley grasslands."
They are 1 month aged & all siblings, their plumes haven't grown yet completely, they are so small that 3 can be held together in one handful! Here they're quietly posing for the first official photo just after their meal :-)
I'm handfeeding them but in few days they will learn to eat on their own & to fly!
For the moment I call them as the number in their rings: 20,23,24... Could you suggest a name for each one?*
Scientific name: Agapornis Roseicollis. These belong to the 'major' size variety. Once adults, they are a little bit bigger then the average size. One is deep cobalt purple blue (in the centre) & the other two are in a lighter blue with some turquoise hues & sky blue in the belly. The plumage of their heads will become almost white and the beak will loose the ink pigmentation when they grow.
Ref. Inseparable 036
*Edited later: left to right, here are their names: Jean Pierre, Sapphire (Zaffiro), Giacomino.
©WhiteAngel Photography. All rights reserved.
The elusive axanthic green tree frog spotted today at Neabsco Boardwalk in Prince William County, VA. This Green tree frog is missing it's yellow pigmentation causing it be more blue than green in color.
Visit my website www.jcernstphoto.com
I've seen this fellow quite a lot over the past six month or so but he's never settled near me. Whilst the light was poor at my favourite nature reserve today I took the opportunity to snap him before he flew off.
Leucism is a condition in which there is partial loss of pigmentation in an animal resulting in white, pale, or patchy coloration of the skin, hair, feathers, scales or cuticle, but not the eyes. Unlike albinism, it is caused by a reduction in multiple types of pigment, not just melanin.
A little red squirrel showed up on our deck with a white tail and small white areas on the fur.
This is a condition known as Leucisim.
More common than a complete absence of pigment cells is localized or incomplete hypopigmentation, resulting in irregular patches of white on an animal that otherwise has normal colouring and patterning. This partial leucism is known as a "pied" or "piebald" effect; and the ratio of white to normal-coloured skin can vary considerably not only between generations, but between different offspring from the same parents, and even between members of the same litter. This is notable in horses, cows, cats, dogs, the urban crow and the ball python but is also found in many other species.
NOTE: Albinism is a condition in which there is an absence of melanin. Melanin is what is present in the skin and is what gives skin, feathers, hair and eyes their color. ... Leucism is only a partial loss of pigmentation, which can make the animal have white or patchily colored skin, hair, or feathers.