White Deer Spotted in Tuckahoe

A resident of the Cold Spring Fairways subdivision in Tuckahoe recently came across two white deer in her neighborhood, and snapped a photo.

Amy Abatangelo, who sent her photo to Patch, said the deer did not appear to have pink eyes, like albinos, and they were off-white, rather than completely white. The photo shows the deer have patches of both white and very light brown fur, so they may be more accurately described as piebald deer.

"They’re definitely a different breed — beautiful eyes!" Abatangelo wrote in an email. She said she saw the deer twice on Nov. 29.

“It isn’t common," New York State Department of Environmental Conservation spokesman Bill Fonda said of the sightings. "We don’t have great herds of white deer or piebald deer on Long Island.”

White deer are similar to typically colored deer, Fonda said, but, he added, “They tend to have a shorter life expectancy.” The reason being, they stand out and are more susceptible to predators.

Have you spotted white or piebald deer around Southampton? Let us know where and when by leaving a comment below. You can also click "Submit Photo & Video" to share your deer photos.