Video captured of rare white squirrel in Leamington
![Photo of the White Squirrel spotted around the Princes Drive area of Leamington. Photo by Esther Williamson.](https://www.warwickshireworld.com/webimg/legacy_oak_100398274.jpg?crop=3:2,smart&width=640&quality=65&enable=upscale)
![Photo of the White Squirrel spotted around the Princes Drive area of Leamington. Photo by Esther Williamson.](/img/placeholder.png)
Both June and Esther Williamson , who live in the area, also kindly sent us photos of the squirrel in their gardens.
Only a few white squirrels are albinos, recognisable by pink or blue eyes and the absence of pigmentation anywhere on the body.
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Hide AdThe gene for such an absence of the pigment, melanin, is recessive, so each parent must carry it to produce an albino squirrel.
![Photo of the White Squirrel spotted around the Princes Drive area of Leamington. Photo by Esther Williamson.](https://www.warwickshireworld.comwebimg/legacy_oak_100398274.jpg?crop=3:2,smart&width=640&quality=65)
![Photo of the White Squirrel spotted around the Princes Drive area of Leamington. Photo by Esther Williamson.](/img/placeholder.png)
White squirrels are either albino or born with leucism, a mutated gene which turns them white but keeps their eyes black.
This one has black eyes so is not albino – and only a handful of the UK’s five million squirrels suffer with the mutation.
Experts say that white squirrels are more vulnerable to attack from predators as they have no natural camouflage.