To Jen, Andre, Newton, and ???? >Oh and to Dr Williams, The guy that we're getting the ferret from said that >he heard that albino animals dont live as long as others because they lack >strength in their immune system. Just wondered if this could be true. No, I can't agree with that. The lackof pigmentation that we seen in albinos is due to a lack of the enzyme tyrosinase which helps form melanin pigment. However, the lack of this enzyme does not affect the immune system in the least. I don't think that albinos are any shorter-lived than any other type of ferret.... Bruce H. Williams, DVM Dept. of Veterinary Pathology Chief Pathologist, AccuPath Armed Forces Institute of Pathology [log in to unmask] Washington, D.C. 20306-6000 [log in to unmask] [Posted in FML issue 1222]