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Ingrida Jasiukevičiūtė

“1 In 2,000,000”: 46 Animals With Rare Genetic Mutations That Don’t Even Look Real (New Pics)

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

#2 This Raven’s Striking Pale Plumage Is The Result Of The Genetic Mutations Leucism Or Albinism

#3 A Cat With 2 Pairs Of Ears

#4 Shiny Mallard

#5 The Clompers Demand Respect

#6 Shiny Blue Curl Mouse!

#7 Rare Orange Snowy Owl

#8 Albino Fur Seal Is Rare Event. This Is A Clear Albino Without Any Pigmentation Even In Its Eyes

#9 Beautiful Eyes

#10 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!

#11 Do You See Fortune Cookies, Raviolis, Or Something Else? These Are Actually Albino Razorback Musk Turtle Babies

#12 Rare Royal Purple Princess Crabs Were Spotted In Kaeng Krachan National Park, Thailand

#13 Liquorice Has A Question

#14 Waffles Was Born Without Eyes Due To A Genetic Mutation And Is A Very Good Boy

#15 Two Headed Python, Only One Every 100,000 Is Born With Two Heads

#16 This Entirely Black Penguin, A Very Rare Occurance

#17 Extremely Rare Spotless Giraffe Born In US Zoo

#18 Cat's Seperated Pupils. She Can See Perfectly Fine

#19 This Gorgeous Fella Foraging In Our Back Forest

#20 A Tortoiseshell Cat With An Extraordinary Orange Pattern On Its Paws

#21 These Zebras Have Pseudomelanism (AKA Abundism), A Mutation That Causes An Abundance Of Melanin

#22 Yellow Coloured Penguin

#23 1 In Every 100,000 Seals Are Born Albino Which Makes Them Super Rare

#24 This Zebra Has Unusual Pattern That Makes It Almost Look Like Partially Transparent Against The Plains

#25 This Is A Cinnamon Raccoon. This Coloration Is Typically Due To A Genetic Condition Called Leucism, Which Reduces Pigmentation

#26 My Yard Has A Mole Problem, But I Never Thought I'd Find An Albino! Chance Of 1:100,000

#27 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.

#28 Cat Has A Rare Genetic Disorder That Makes Her Teeth Red And Glow Pink Under Black Light

#29 Lemon Dalmatian

#30 Leptopoma Perlucidum, Commonly Known As A Terrestrial Land Snail , But People Think He's A Cutie Patootie Blushing

#31 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

#32 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

#33 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.