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By CHRIS ROBINETTE
Traveler Correspondent

Albino animals are rare, but Arkansas City residents have recently seen several examples of this rare condition in and around the area.

An albino cardinal has been spotted around Martha and John Ringlar's home, about two miles north and one mile and a quarter east of Ark City.

For the Ringlars, the albino cardinal is a fairly common sight. It shows up sometime around the third or fourth week of February and stays around throughout March.

"We watch for it every day," said Martha Ringlar.

"I'd say at least every other day, sometimes every day," said Ringlar, talking about how often she sees the bird. The cardinal comes to a bird feeder that Ringlar has in her back yard. It is a bit more nervous around humans than most cardinals. "It's really skittish," said Ringlar. She attributes this to the added danger that an albino cardinal - which is either partially or complete white - would face in the wild.

Typically bright white is not a real good color, because they (the animals) stand out, a lot of time that makes them easy targets for birds of prey or other animals," said Shawn Silliman, naturalist at the Chaplin Nature Center. Albino animals aren't very common in nature, according to Silliman. An albino animal lacks pigmentation, which gives color to the skin.

Fortunately, albino animals aren't a sign of something unusual in the water. The condition is mostly caused by genetics. Usually the condition is caused by two genetic recessive traits, though a physiological disturbance can cause an animal to become albino as well, said Silliman.

Other albino animals have been spotted around Ark City. Silliman said there is an albino possum, as well as an albino squirrel that was hit by a car. He has heard about sightings of another albino squirrel in the area.

Anyone concerned about the recent sightings of albino animals should not be worried, an albino animal epidemic does not appear to be in the near future for Ark City. "I don't think it's any more than normal," said Silliman, referring to the number of albino animals around the Ark City area. He said that albino animals have been occurring for "quite awhile," though just recently people started paying more attention to the animals.

Ringlar said she hasn't seen any other albinos on her property, but Martha and John are constantly watching. "We're animal lovers," said Martha Ringlar.

Despite the added danger that albino animals face in the wild, Silliman warns against trying to feed of capture the animals for fear of them developing a dependance on humans. "Just enjoy the opportunity to witness this unique occurrence," he said.

Above: An Albino Cardinal shows up every day or two at a house near Arkansas City.