A
white elephant (also
albino elephant) is a rare kind of
elephant, but not a distinct species. Although often depicted as snow white, their skin is normally a soft reddish-brown, turning a light pink when wet. They have fair eyelashes and toenails. The traditional "white elephant" is commonly misunderstood as being
albino, but the
Thai term
chang samkhan, actually translates as 'auspicious elephant', being "white" in terms of an aspect of purity.