Weirdly Wonderful: Winged Cats, Hulking Whippets, and More!

Not every person looks alike, and the same goes for animals. Some of these animals have genetic mutations that are natural, though rare, while some are well correlated to pollution. So, while we’re used to red lobsters and 4 legged frogs, let’s explore some of the infinite variety that grace this earth.

Rare Colored Lobsters

(Images via sodahead, naturalap, bukisa, catchthegalley, goodmorninggloucester, keenobservers)

Lobster shells are typically a blend of primary colors, but the occasional one does crop up with one distinct color (or even two!). Some of these special lobsters can be as rare as 1 in 100 million (albino), or as relatively common as 1 in 2.5 million (blue). It’s unusual enough to find one of these cool looking creatures, that it often makes headlines.

Black Penguin

(Images via rainbowlens, galacticroundtable)

Antarctica’s South Georgia island may hold millions of penguins, but there’s one that truly stands out. This all black penguin is one of only a few that have ever been sighted. While it’s common for some coloration differences to appear between penguins, it’s more likely for white to appear where there is normally black, and not the other way around.

Double Muscled Whippet

(Images via canada, bettermost, ourstory)

This large whippet is named Wendy and she has something called “double muscling”, causing her to have much higher muscle mass than her lithe counterparts. Included in these photos are a few typical whippets to use as comparison. Wendy is friendly and by all accounts, happy, but if there’s ever a hulk television show starring dogs… we know who to cast.

Mutated Frogs

(Images via frogmatters, esajournals, momsrising, oneofkarma)

Frog mutations are not typically very cute, and they’re often correlated quite directly to pollution. While frogs don’t seem to mind having a few extra limbs here or there, it’s more disturbing when one knows the source of their discomfort and strange formation.

Winged Cats

(Images via geekologie, justonemorepet, weirdcorner)

Winged cats in China? Maybe. The verdict isn’t entirely in, whether these cats have actual formations behind their spine as some people claim, or if the wings are actually fur matted in such a way as to provide the appearance of wings. Whatever the cause, these winged cats are beautiful, and have definitely caught the eye of an international audience.