Judy LaBlanc, age 12, of Minto, New Brunswick, Canada, for her question:

WHAT IS AN ALBINO ANIMAL?

An animal with white hair, pink eyes and pale skin is called an albino. They have none of the black pigments in their systems which give color to these parts of the body.

The black pigment protects the skin from light and heat. Albinos become sunburned easily because their skin is not protected.

Characteristics of the albino are inherited. The albino gene is recessive, meaning that parents who do not appear to have albino characteristics may have children who are albinos. Two albino parents always have albino children.