BEL AIR, Md. — Deer are commonly seen in many parts of Maryland, but if you blink or don't pay close attention, you may just miss something rare.
On Tuesday evening, Dan Scianimanico and his son Nick came within yards of what appeared to be an albino deer.
The sighting happened near the intersection of 543 and Wheel Road in Bel Air.
"I drove by and my son said he saw a White Deer so before I turned into my property I circled back," explained Dan Scianimanico. "He had already crossed 543 and jumped a fence onto my neighbors farm. I stopped safely and my Son Nick jumped out and was able to get 3 pictures with the last one showing the Deer tail up and darting away."
So what exactly is an albino deer, and what's the difference between them and those Marylanders see on a daily basis.
An albino deer is a genetic mutation of a white-tailed deer. They mostly have all white fur, as opposed to the regular all brown color.
People often confuse them with a piebald deer, which has various patches or spots of white hair on their coat.
SEE ALSO: Extremely rare white-tailed deer seen in backyard of Harford County home
Albino deer are even more scarce than piebalds. The odds of finding one are about one in 30,000, according to the Department of Natural Resources.
Some states have put restrictions on hunting the rare animals, but they are not protected in Maryland.
Both the albino and piebald deer frequently suffer physical abnormalities, leading to a shorter life span in some cases.
Whatever kind of deer the Scianimanico's saw, it sure is rare.
