Meet The White And Black Giraffes, The Worlds Rarest Animals (9 Pics)

Melanistic animals are the complete opposite. They have high concentration of melanin in the skin. It is an inherited condition, due to a mutation of a part of a gene, called allele. Experts say melanism might be an adaptive mutation, black animals having a better chance of survival in hostile environments. For instance, they are more difficult to spot by a predator during the night.