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.
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#22 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!
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#24 This Zebra Has Unusual Pattern That Makes It Almost Look Like Partially Transparent Against The Plains
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#26 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
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#29 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.
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#31 Leptopoma Perlucidum, Commonly Known As A Terrestrial Land Snail , But People Think He's A Cutie Patootie Blushing
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#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.
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#33 An Albino Katydid With A Rare Genetic Disease Just Chilling On A Hibiscus
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#34 Cat Has A Rare Genetic Disorder That Makes Her Teeth Red And Glow Pink Under Black Light
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#35 Adelie Penguin With Isabellinism, A Genetic Mutation That Dilutes The Pigment In Feathers
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#36 Yellow-Throated Toucan With A Genetic Condition Called Leucism. Spotted In Costa Rica
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#37 My Yard Has A Mole Problem, But I Never Thought I'd Find An Albino! Chance Of 1:100,000
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#38 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
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#40 Would You Say He Has Brown Or Blue Eyes? (Both Of His Eyes Have The Mutation)
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