1. An abnormal condition in which an animal has excessive red or reddish coloration in its fur, feathers, or skin, caused by an overproduction of red pigment.
Usage: biology; zoology

Examples

• The red fox displayed erythrism, with fur that was unusually bright crimson rather than the typical orange-red.
• Erythrism in birds can make them stand out dramatically against their natural environment.
• The biologist studied erythrism in the squirrel population to understand genetic color variations.
• Unlike albinism, erythrism results in an excess of red pigment rather than a lack of all pigmentation.
• Erythrism is sometimes observed in wild populations of normally gray or brown animals.