Piebald
Piebald
Piebald (/ˈpaɪˌbɔːld/), from the Middle English pied, meaning 'variegated', and bald, meaning 'streaked or patchy', is a term used to describe animals, especially horses, that have a pattern of pigmented spots on an unpigmented (white) background of hair, feathers or scales. The term is also used to describe similar patterns in some other forms of life, such as birds and snakes.
Etymology
The term "piebald" originates from the combination of the word "pie", derived from "magpie", and "bald", meaning "white patch" or "blot". The reference to magpie is from the black and white plumage of the magpie.
Related Terms
- Leucism: A condition characterized by reduced pigmentation in animals. Unlike albinism, it is caused by a reduction in all types of skin pigment, not just melanin.
- Melanism: A development of the dark-colored pigment melanin in the skin or its appendages and is the opposite of albinism.
- Albinism: A congenital disorder characterized by the complete or partial absence of pigment in the skin, hair and eyes due to absence or defect of tyrosinase, a copper-containing enzyme involved in the production of melanin.
- Vitiligo: A long-term skin condition characterized by patches of the skin losing their pigment.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Piebald
- Wikipedia's article - Piebald
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