Albino bats are very rare but they exist, and now the first case has been found in Italy: a research group led by the non-profit association APS Bat Protection found the individual within a colony of approximately 172 of its peers who had taken refuge in an artificial cavity.
What is albinism and what can its consequences be
As we read in research by the Polytechnic University of Marche, albinism is a hereditary pathological condition caused by an alteration in the synthesis and distribution of melanin in body tissues, which tend to become totally devoid of pigmentation.
In animals, this plays a fundamental role in numerous social and ecological contexts, such as mimicry, recognition between conspecifics, perception by predators and sexual selection.
Albinism can therefore interfere with these functions, reducing the fitness of organisms affected by this condition. In animals that live in communities, an albino individual can also be a problem because it is recognizable. For this reason, cases of abandonment or physical elimination of albinos are not rare.
Albinism can also affect humans and unfortunately also among some populations of Homo Sapiens, this condition experiences difficulties and risks, due to beliefs and superstitions: in several African countries, for example, people with albinism live constantly under threat as some local traditions attribute magical powers to their limbs, believed to be able to bring luck, wealth or healing.
This has led to real acts of violence: arms and legs are amputated to be used in potions or transformed into amulets to sell, fueling a brutal and dangerous market driven by greed.
The last but not the leastalbinism can also occur in plant species, in which chlorophyll is absent. These rare individuals then found other ways to survive, showing incredible resilience.
Albino bats and the new discovery
Melanin deficiency is rare among vertebrates and color disorders in bats are considered exceptional – write the authors of the discovery – Among these, albinism is a hereditary condition caused by mutations that affect the synthesis of melanin, resulting in white coloring of the fur and red coloring of the eyes. Although albinism has been documented in several bat families worldwide, records for the species Rhinolophus hipposideros remain scarce and mostly limited to Central Europe
It is not the first albino bat ever discovered in Europe. In 2014, for example, a group of scientists found signs of albinism in three species of bats Chiroptera in the European part of Russia. But the albino bat now found in Puglia is the first in Italy and one of the first for the species Rhinolophus hipposiderosmostly present in Central Europe.
How the sighting occurred and what it means
The observation took place in October 2025 along the Adriatic coast of the province of Lecce, but confirmation and recognition from the scientific community came only in March 2026. The bat is a breastfeeding female with red eyes and completely white fur, and was found within a colony of approximately 172 individuals who had taken refuge in an artificial cavity.
The albino bat exhibited normal behavior and was observed carrying a pup with normal pigmentation, suggesting possible successful reproduction and apparent social integration.
This observation represents one of the southernmost reports of albinism in the bat Rhinolophus hipposideros, and provides rare evidence that this condition does not necessarily impair reproductive activity or social behavior in sheltered roost conditions.
Naturally – the scientists point out – further studies are needed to evaluate the potential effects of albinism on the physical form and survival of bats, but seeing a white spot stand out in the dark, surrounded by a colony of individuals with a typical greyish-brown colour, is a great emotion that immediately stimulates scientific interest.
As soon as we were informed of the observation, Tutela Pipistrelli worked to understand its exceptional nature. The result is surprising: a similar case has never been witnessed before in the world, i.e. an albino female during breastfeeding with the puppy clearly visible and characterized by a standard color
The female was observed and filmed while taking care of her calf, a detail that adds scientific value to the discovery. In nature, in fact, albinism represents an extreme challenge: the lack of mimicry exposes these animals to predators and is often accompanied by sensory deficits.
Finding an adult individual, perfectly integrated into the colony and in the full reproductive phase, is proof of extraordinary resilience
The work, intended to change many of the long-held beliefs about albinism, was published on Hystrix.
Sources: Tutela Pipistrelli/Facebook / Hystrix
