Genes are short sections of DNA that determine an animal’s traits—everything from coat color and claw strength to body shape and health. But sometimes, these genes mutate. And while the word itself sounds alarming, most mutations are harmless and invisible.
The more noticeable ones, however, can produce features that are quite rare for the species.
To give you a sense of how these fascinating genetic quirks show up in nature, we’ve put together a gallery of animals — from cats and mice to crabs, penguins, and beyond — each displaying traits that make them stand out from their peers.
#1 Olive The Cat With Sectoral Heterochromia
Image source: supremegalacticgod
#2 Albino Fur Seal Is Rare Event. This Is A Clear Albino Without Any Pigmentation Even In Its Eyes
Image source: bigdaddivladi
#3 A Cat With 2 Pairs Of Ears
Image source: Paublo_Yeah
#4 The Clompers Demand Respect
Image source: Bluelblock
#5 Cat’s Seperated Pupils. She Can See Perfectly Fine
Image source: Smelly-Cauliflower
#6 Extremely Rare Spotless Giraffe Born In US Zoo
Image source: katiecherry72
#7 Liquorice Has A Question
Image source: Bluelblock
#8 My Parents Got A Maine Coon Kitten With A Million Toes! His Name Is Chino
I don’t even know how to describe it, his front paws have almost another paw on it, like where a human would have a thumb he has this 3 toed paw. His feet are little paddles with 8-9 toe beans. I’ve never seen a cat with so many fingers. My boyfriend and I have a poly cat with one extra little thumb on his front paws but Chino is the most toed cat I’ve ever met!
Image source: Smiling-Seagull
#9 Yellow Coloured Penguin
Image source: yves_adams
#10 Do You See Fortune Cookies, Raviolis, Or Something Else? These Are Actually Albino Razorback Musk Turtle Babies
Image source: thereptilereportofficial
#11 Two Headed Python, Only One Every 100,000 Is Born With Two Heads
Image source: pythonpaintjobs
#12 This Entirely Black Penguin, A Very Rare Occurance
Image source: medardoo1
#13 Macromutation That Causes The Frog To Grow Eyes Inside The Mouth
Image source: Moncef Feddaoui
#14 These Zebras Have Pseudomelanism (AKA Abundism), A Mutation That Causes An Abundance Of Melanin
Image source: Bavelly
#15 This Raven’s Striking Pale Plumage Is The Result Of The Genetic Mutations Leucism Or Albinism
Image source: amnh
#16 A Labrador Born Green Because Of A Pigment Called Biliverdin
His name is Pistacchio and he’s doing fine! He was born in Pattada, a little village in Sardinia. The green color, which will progressively fade away, is a consequence of biliverdin, a pigment that he ingested while in the womb.
Image source: stianenko
#17 Rare Orange Shark, Costa Rica. Its Unusual Colour Is Caused By Something Called Xanthism, A Condition Which Researchers Say Is Extremely Rare In Fishes Like Sharks
Image source: Straight Arrow News
#18 This Gorgeous Fella Foraging In Our Back Forest
Image source: willabellafarm
#19 1 In Every 100,000 Seals Are Born Albino Which Makes Them Super Rare
Image source: sealrescuer
#20 Shiny Blue Curl Mouse!
Image source: mysigonek
#21 An Albino Katydid With A Rare Genetic Disease Just Chilling On A Hibiscus
Image source: HamiltonJr
#22 A Tortoiseshell Cat With An Extraordinary Orange Pattern On Its Paws
Image source: Stormaris
#23 Rare Royal Purple Princess Crabs Were Spotted In Kaeng Krachan National Park, Thailand
Image source: Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Thailand
#24 Rare Orange Snowy Owl
Image source: exposingnaturethroughmylens
#25 This Is A Cinnamon Raccoon. This Coloration Is Typically Due To A Genetic Condition Called Leucism, Which Reduces Pigmentation
Image source: PenLakesGolf
#26 My Yard Has A Mole Problem, But I Never Thought I’d Find An Albino! Chance Of 1:100,000
Image source: 420wasabisnappin
#27 Beautiful Eyes
Image source: reddit.com
#28 Shiny Mallard
Image source: Monkey3k
#29 Cat Has A Rare Genetic Disorder That Makes Her Teeth Red And Glow Pink Under Black Light
Image source: Overall_Mind_9754
#30 Lemon Dalmatian
Image source: khaleesi.django.dalmatian
#31 This Small Stack Of A Mutant Bumble Bee I Found Early One Morning. I’m Assured This Is A Genetic Mutation And Very Rare To Witness
Image source: bug_ninja
#32 I Was Very Fortunate To Spot This White Eastern Gray Squirrel In Highlands North Carolina
The white squirrel is actually a genetic anomaly due to a mutated gene from the common Eastern gray squirrel. It is called leucism, which is a condition characterized by reduced pigmentation in animals caused by a recessive allele. Unlike albinism, it is a reduction of all types of skin pigment, not just melanin.
Image source: davidturkophotography
#33 Waffles Was Born Without Eyes Due To A Genetic Mutation And Is A Very Good Boy
Image source: jennagadski
#34 This Zebra Has Unusual Pattern That Makes It Almost Look Like Partially Transparent Against The Plains
Image source: Katkerakatkarapu
#35 Adelie Penguin With Isabellinism, A Genetic Mutation That Dilutes The Pigment In Feathers
Image source: AntarcticReport
#36 Anyone Else Have A Five Toe Chicken? I’ve Personally Never Seen One, Or Even Knew These Existed
Image source: TwistedOneSeven
#37 My Horse’s Two-Toned Mustache
Image source: skoldpadda9
#38 Caught The Lucky Trout This Morning
Image source: maxokreem
#39 Shiny Kangaroo Taking A Bath
Image source: Pencilvestor
#40 Yellow-Throated Toucan With A Genetic Condition Called Leucism. Spotted In Costa Rica
Image source: José Manuel Mora
#41 My Wild Axolotl Showing The Default Color. There Are About 18 Variants Of Axolotl Color Because Of Mutation Of Their Pigmentation Genes Due To Crossbreeding
Image source: HellknowsJS
#42 Sleepy Qizai. He Is A Very Rare Brown Panda And The Only One Living In Captivity
He was found abandoned in the wild and now lives in the Louguantai wild animal breeding and protection center. There are only 9 known brown pandas!
Image source: ac.ak.ac
#43 Leptopoma Perlucidum, Commonly Known As A Terrestrial Land Snail , But People Think He’s A Cutie Patootie Blushing
Image source: comradepilo
#44 White Kiwi Chick
Image source: Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre
#45 Would You Say He Has Brown Or Blue Eyes? (Both Of His Eyes Have The Mutation)
Image source: Ok_Watch406
#46 Blue Mutated Phelsuma Laticauda
Image source: michael_gekkota
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