A rare pink grasshopper has been discovered in East Texas, USA.
The unusual grasshopper was spotted by 33-year-old Dirk Parker, who noticed it hiding among the leaves due to its striking color.
Dirk Parker shares an image of the rare pink grasshopper, now being kept as a pet. (Photo: Brandi Smith).
“At first, I didn’t realize how rare this pink grasshopper was,” Parker, an environmental inspector from Ohio currently working in East Texas, told WJW-TV. “I just thought it was a regular grasshopper that we don’t have in Ohio. So, the first thing that came to my mind was that this grasshopper would make a great bait for fishing.”
Despite his initial thoughts, Parker took a picture of the pink grasshopper and noted the location where he found it.
After returning home and researching on Google, Parker learned that the grasshopper’s pink color is due to a rare condition called “erythristic syndrome” – caused by a recessive gene. In fact, pink grasshoppers are rarely seen because this unusual coloration makes them easy targets for predators.
Parker mentioned that he returned to the spot where he found the grasshopper the next day: “I spent about 10 minutes searching, but luckily found it again.”
This time, he decided to take it home and named it Pinky. “I’m currently raising Pinky as a pet. It’s wonderful to share images of this rare pink grasshopper with everyone,” Parker enthusiastically said.
