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39 Pets With Unique Genes That Have Given Them Really Distinctive Looks
Article created by: Viktorija Gabulaitė
Inherited traits are passed down through an animal's genetic code which is found in the animal's DNA—a long molecule that is present in every cell in the body. The DNA contains thousands of genes. A gene is a specific DNA sequence that leads to the expression of an inherited characteristic. For example, there are genes that determine eye color, coat color, and other body characteristics.
And while we're used to, for example, cats with 18 toes and puppies with 2 ears, sometimes an animal's genes decide to play a trick on us, and it comes to this world with more (or less!) of these features. Continue scrolling and take a look at this Bored Panda list, compiled to show you what genetic surprises some of our beloved creatures possess!
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#4
I Adopted A Stray Dog With 2 Mouths, One Where The Ear Should Be
Toad is about 6 years old, she found her way to the shelter that I worked at several years ago. The whole staff was kind of in shock at her appearance. She was also highly aggressive when she came in. A shelter officer muzzled her and carried her to the vet clinic and while she was there being examined, it sounds goofy but literally, we made eye contact and she immediately relaxed.
That day I took her into my office to evaluate her and she immediately crawled into my lap. This big scary, insane-looking dog, just climbed into my lap and rested her head on my shoulder. I adopted her and we have been inseparable ever since.
#6
This Is Skadi, The Norwegian Lundehund Puppy
This is one of the oldest breeds in the world and is recovering from near-extinction - in 1963, only 6 remained. Now there are 1600. They are naturally polydactyl, can close their ears to water, and bend their heads back 180 degrees.
#10
Sansa Is A Special Needs Rescue Princess With Feline Hyperesthesia, Different Colored Eyes & More Toes Than You
#18
This My Nugget At 2 Months Old And 1 Year Old. She's My Stunted Growth, Cross Eyed, Head Tilted, Polydactyl, Special Kitty
#20
The Cat At Our Warehouse Gave Birth To A Kitten Who Has An Extra Tiny Paw That Functions As A Thumb
#25
I Drove Over An Hour One Way To Pick Up My Purrito With Extra Beans From A Shelter In The Middle Of Nowhere. Meet Zula
#30
Our Little Ginger Polydactyl Kitten
We rescued him and his calico sister from under a neighbour's deck when they were ~2.5 weeks old. We had to bottle feed them at first, and now they're eating machines. And super playful and healthy!
#31
At Work Today We Literally Had A Mutant Cat Come Through... Extra Canine Tooth, Strongly Rooted
#34
Friend's Cat Has Black Chin, So It Always Looks Surprised. It's Also A Polydactyl And Had Thumbs
#37
This Is Migi, Our Polydactyl 6-Year-Old Cat
Adopted another older, shy girl from the shelter. When we met her, she looked sad, wasn’t food motivated and poor girl still needs some dental work done.
#38
Skippy’s Toes. He Was A Kitten I Fostered Last Year Who Had Radial Hypoplasia And A Lot Of Toes
#39
This Cat Has Both Heterochromia And Extra Toes
- You might also like: 50 Times Cats Made Their Owners Laugh And They Just Had To Share Pics Online
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