There are two subtypes of OCA1: OCA2 is less severe than OCA1. There are only three recognized breeds of rabbit that will always have red eyes. Most gerbils with impaired vision lead happy, fulfilling lives. This is because they can misjudge how far away they are from the edge. Like all animals, gerbils need to blink to keep their eyes moist and clean of debris. Everything You Should Know About Actinic Cheilitis, Why You Need to Reconsider That Sunscreen You’re Using, 11 Skin Conditions You’ve Probably Never Heard Of, Debra Sullivan, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., CNE, COI, an absence of color in the hair, skin, or eyes, lighter than normal coloring of the hair, skin, or eyes, patches of skin that have an absence of color, sunglasses to protect the eyes from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays, protective clothing and sunscreen to protect the skin from UV rays, prescription eyeglasses to correct vision problems, surgery on the muscles of the eyes to correct abnormal eye movements. Pink eyed white (PEW) gerbils are pure white all over, and have pink eyes. This means that when a red eyed white rabbit is bred with a rabbit with colored coat, you are not going to produce any more albino rabbits until the following generation. If you can’t identify any obvious environmental stressors, an underlying illness could be the culprit. This means that albino rabbits are not released into the wild to breed. So let’s look a little deeper into albinism in rabbits. 10,12 (1924): 486-8. doi:10.1073/pnas.10.12.486. They are “pseudo-albino.” This means that they have genetic mutations that make them look albino, without really being so. The lack of rods in her eye makes the initial sighting slightly blurry. This albinism gene can occur in the wild, though rare, but it has been specifically bred into pet rabbits. Melanin is nature's crayon, a chemical that infuses skin, hair and eyes with color. They have bright red eyes and almost white bodies with gold to yellow stripes. But if you spend lots of time around your pet, you may also notice that your gerbil winks frequently too.…, If a gerbil can’t open its eyes, or its eyes are half shut all the time, it may mean your gerbil is ill. Gerbils close their eyes when they sleep. Red eye in rabbits is very similar to pink eye in humans. Your rabbit’s eyes may also need to be regularly reviewed going forward. There are no differences in behavior between gerbils of different eye colors. The cause of redness can be dust that gets into the eyes of a rodent. The lighter your gerbil’s eye color, the higher the chance that its vision will be impaired. Or, a gerbil that was thought to be male will give birth. True albinism has been seen in gerbils, but it is extremely rare. There's nothing supernatural about those eyes. Castle, W. E., and Glover M. Allen. Or if you have newspaper down in their area, they might get grey stains on their feet from the newspaper ink. Over the centuries, there have been many experiments with albinism. If you are considering bringing a rabbit home, it’s only natural that... My name is Amy and I am the Bunny Lady! Albinism is an inherited disorder that’s present at birth. I was concerned that there was something wrong with her eyesight, but after some research found that this is a normal behavior for albino rabbits. All the same, albino rabbits do exist. Griscelli syndrome is an extremely rare genetic disorder. There are no legal restrictions on breeding an albino rabbit. UV rays from the sun can cause skin cancer and vision loss in some people with albinism. The sight can be concerning if you do not understand the cause. Unlike sunscreen, you won’t have to…, The human digestive system is the means by which tissues and organs receive nutrients to function. Accessed: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1085785/?page=1. The eyes of albinos are very sensitive, especially to sunlight. This is completely normal and okay.