If you think the Ninja Turtles are a shocking animal mutation, here are 9 real life mutations
that will definitely prove that fact can be stranger than fiction!
#9 Sarka’s Kid As we all know, your average goat has four
legs.
But back in 2014, a goat was born with eight legs on a farm in northeast Croatia.
The owner’s name is Zoran Paparic, whose mother goat named Sarka, gave birth to this
‘octogoat.’
It is believe that this goat merged with its twin while in the womb, one was a boy and
another a girl, so the goat not only has eight legs, but both male and female reproductive
organs.
The Siamese goats had two healthy siblings that were born the same night.
When the owner saw the octogoat, he said, “I counted his legs and I thought I was
seeing things.
Then I called my neighbor to make sure that I am not crazy.”
The media hasn’t followed up with Zoran, so we do not know if the kid survived or not.
Vets predicted that he would not live long due to his deformity.
That he would either be too weak to live or the mother would reject him.
But, we are still unsure, so all we can do is hope that the adorable little octogoat
has found a way to live life with eight legs.
#8 Froggy Ten years before octogoat was born, an interesting
frog known as “Froggy” made his debut.
Froggy, a three-headed, six-legged mutant frog was discovered in the garden of the seaside
resort's Green Umbrella nursery.
The kids were amazed when a staff member presented him to the class, ages three to four, and
decided to name him Froggy.
Of course!
What else were they going to call him!
They only had the frog for one day before he escaped, but within that time he attracted
children and parents of all kinds.
It is believed the mutation was caused by a genetic defect or pollution of the waters
he was born in.
Many even shun the idea that it was a real thing, believing that it was simply three
frogs stacked on top of each other.
Still, the mutation pictured is very extreme and very unusual; it’s a shame that scientists
couldn’t get ahold of it before he hopped away.
But then, again, there would have been some very disappointed children if that were the
case.
Children and adults alike are still asking questions such as “How does it eat?” and
“How many organs does it have?” but unfortunately it looks like we’ll never know.
Nor will we know if the staff misinterpreted this frog and it really was three very close
amphibians!
#7 We This mutant may be the scariest of them all!
Its name is “We,” and it is a two-headed albino snake.
The snake joined those at the World Aquarium in St. Louis in 1999 when he was no bigger
than a pencil.
They paid $15,000, even though they knew that mutated animals such as “We” rarely live
long.
But it looks like their high hopes paid off, the snake lived to be 8-years-old and became
the main attraction at the World Aquarium.
We, at five feet long, died in 2007 of natural causes.
People from all around mourned the loss, for it was a daily occurrence for people to walk
in and ask to see “We.”
The only thing to see now is a taxidermist-prepared body of the snake.
Not quite the same thing...
Children especially liked to see We attempt to move in different directions, because since
it had two heads and 2 brains there was a struggle for which side could make the decisions!
Could you imagine having an argument with yourself?
That just sounds like a lose-lose situation…
We had both male and female reproductive organs, but despite the aquarium’s attempts, it
could not be bred.
It’s gender confusion was the reason for its name as it didn’t feel right calling
We a he or a she…since it was both!
We appeared on shows such as "Live with Regis and Kelly" and attracted over a million visitors
in his lifetime.
#6 “Flying” Cat So, maybe cats can’t fly, but there have
been multiple instances in which they were born with real wings!
There are three different likely causes of wing-like appendages in cats.
Of course, matted fur is one, when the fur binds together and sticks up, but this is
not really a mutation.
The second cause is a condition called feline cutaneous asthenia.
It can occur on the shoulders, haunches, or back.
The cats can move these growths just like a bird can move its wings.
Weird huh?
The third cause is a mutation of supernumerary limbs.
These growths are non-functioning and often resemble wings.
Whatever the cause, over the years, more than 138 cats have been reported to have wings.
There are over 30 documented cases, 20 photographs, and one video.
The first recorded report was from the 1800s and the person tells us that "A few years
before I lived in the woods there was what was called a 'winged cat' in one of the farm-houses…
she was of a dark brownish-grey colour, with a white spot on her throat, and white feet,
and had a large bushy tail like a fox; that in the winter the fur grew thick and flattened
out along her sides… forming strips ten or twelve inches long by two and a half wide,
and in the spring these appendages dropped off.
They gave me a pair of her 'wings,' which I keep still…"
You heard that right!
The person liked the wings so much that they kept them!
One of the most popular of this century happened in 2011 in Tartarstan and another in China.
Since then, countless stories, photos, and videos have been shared with the world.
Some can be explained, some not.
#5 Biosteel Goats These goats are actually scientifically mutated
and have their very own profitable company.
Why?
Well, researchers from the University of Wyoming have found a way to safely allow goats to
produce milk with spiders' silk.
This milk can be used to create material ten times stronger than steel and the ability
to stretch to twenty times its size without losing that strength.
It is called BioSteel and used for creating artificial ligaments and tendons, eye sutures,
jaw repair, bulletproof vests and improved car airbags.
Though, since they are genetically mutated, less than half of the candidates end up with
this milk.
Despite the mutation, the goats live as any other goats do, without any negative effects.
Next on the scientists list is to incorporate the milk and silk into alfalfa plants for
the ability to produce even more BioSteel.
If everything goes well, these studies could lead to the production of a material that
would be saving money, time, effort, and even lives.
This sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie and has all kinds of moral and ethical
implications...
#4 Cleyed Kittens are adorable creatures that have been
the focus of many internet obsessions.
Back in 2012, a very special kitten was born...
Cleyed the one-eyed kitten didn’t have a long life, but made a big impact on its owners
along with the world.
The owner, who witnessed the birth, posted a video on YouTube explaining the phenomena
of the Cyclops kitten.
“All of us in the operating room experienced a VERY RARE once in a lifetime kitten births,”
the owner says.
“To start off, both horns of the uterus were twisted together THREE times.
After untwisting the horns our veterinarian started the surgery and she removed the first
baby, the baby was handed to me and I started drying her off.”
He was born alive, but died shortly after.
“WOW!!!!
He floored me, I was in shock as I have only seen a picture of a Cyclops kitten like this
ONCE ever... and that was on the Internet,” the description of the video says.
“This was a horribly sad experience, but very intriguing to us all.”
The reason for deaths in those suffering from Cyclopia is that the animal is born without
a nose and adequate mouth which obstructs airflow and causes suffocation shortly after
birth.
#3 Monkey Pig Strangely enough, the case of mutated pigs
is not unique to only one individual, but has actually been seen on multiple occasions.
One was born in China a couple of years ago and was described as having two holes as the
nose and an overbite that leaves its long tongue protruding from its mouth, along with
two eyes of different sizes.
Its odd mouth would not allow it to eat on its own, so it was fed by owners away from
the litter.
Another that became an internet sensation was born in Ciego de Avila in central Cuba.
Locals were fascinated to see the face of a monkey naturally plastered on the pig’s
body and he soon became a star in Ciego de Avila.
Sadly, this one died just four days after being born.
These mutant pigs are likely the result of environmental pollution, with many environmentalists
warning that we could soon be next.
They encourage everyone to take action and attempt to stop pollution altogether.
#2 Two-faced Cat You may know Venus, the majestically beautiful
two-faced cat whose face is both orange and black, split exactly down the middle.
But did you know that there is an even more shocking two-faced cat, famous before Venus?
His name was Frankie and Louie, or often Frankenlouie, and he was born in 1999.
His owner decided to make the most out of the cat’s life and brought him to Cummings
School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University to be examined.
He was told he would live no longer than a week.
A nurse took him home to take care of him, to try to give him the best short life possible.
She fed him through a straw, but before long, Frank and Louie to feed himself.
The cat had one brain, one throat, two faces, two mouths (though only one working), two
noses and three blue eyes.
One of those eyes did not blink nor function, which likely gave him the name Frankenlouie
for the fright it could give you.
In 2012, he took a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest living janus,
or two-faced, cat.
He lived two years past that, and died in 2014 at 15 years old.
Even more astonishing was that his death was by euthanization at the vet, due to an aggressive
cancer.
The owners didn’t want him to suffer.
#1 Stumpy Have you ever seen a four-legged duck?
Well, you have now!
Stumpy the duck was born with a rare mutation that doubled his legs!
Stumpy was kept in a pen at Warrawee Duck Farm in the New Forest, Hampshire, as his
owner feared his extra limbs may get caught in brambles.
He spent a good part of his life there.
But sometime after babyhood, Stumpy got one of his spare limbs caught in a fence surrounding
his pen and had to have it amputated.
Then, at fourteen months old, Stumpy’s third leg turned black and fell off!
Today, he roams the farm with his longtime girlfriend, Alice, just like any other duck!
Vets say Stumpy is one lucky duck for most born with this mutation rarely live more than
a few days.
Have you ever seen any animal mutations like these before?
Let us know in the comments below.
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