From purple polar bears to striped wild rabbits, here are 10 animals with unbelievable fur
markings!
10.
Rottweiler With Vitiligo
Usually if you see a rottweiler you’re worried it’s going to bite your head off.
Unless you are familiar with them or see these markings.
Here’s something you don’t see everyday… a rottweiler that makes you go “awww”!
If you’ve never seen a dog with vitiligo before that’s not surprising.
The condition only affects 1 out of a hundred puppies.
Vitiligo means there’s a lack of pigment being produced in the animal’s skin.
The weird thing is we don’t really know why it happens and can only make an educated
guess.
Scientists believe the root of the problem lies in the immune system.
It can caused by a viral infection or an autoimmune disorders.
In dogs vitiligo can be found on Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Dachshunds and Old English
Sheepdogs.
There’s no treatment but don’t worry about this little fella, or should we say big fella!
He doesn’t suffer any pain from vitiligo but he can get itchy from it.
If you think that sounds uncomfortable than be aware that the condition affects humans
too!
9.
Venus the Cat
Check out Venus.
A lot of cats have a major social media presence but this one has a bigger profile than most.
She has 1.4 million followers!!
And for good reason, she’s two different colors and has very striking markings!
The color of her fur is split down the middle like something out of an artist’s imagination,
Two-Faced from Batman anyone?
Her eyes are also two different colors… one is blue, the other orange!
Venus has what’s called “mosaicism” which means her chromosomes aren’t expressing
her genes in the regular way.
It’s almost like her DNA is trying to show us two cats at the same time!
Some think she’s a chimera cat but this has been debunked by scientists.
A chimera is an animal made up of two embryos that fuse together very early on creating
one organism.
Another famous instagram cat is Quimera who has 71,000 followers.
Scientists think that these two-faced cats are striking examples of calico cats and it
just so happens their colors are divided right down the middle.
Here’s another fun cat marking while we are at it!!
8.
Strawberry Leopard
Leopards are one of nature’s most effective predators.
But we can’t help but think this guy’s rep has taken a bit of a dent thanks to his
unusual coloring.
His coloring doesn’t really help him blend into his surroundings!!
The strawberry leopard was spotted… sorry about the joke… in South Africa in 2012.
First reported by National Geographic, he’s already good looking enough as it is, but
what’s fascinated experts is the pink tinge or hue to his fur.
It’s believed he has something called erythrism.
Erythrism is what happens when the pigmentation in the skin changes for whatever reason.
He either has too much red or too little dark pigment.
No-one’s sure which!
What is definite is that he is extremely unique.
Nothing like this has been captured on camera before.
There are drawbacks of course to being the prettiest kitty on the reserve.
The strawberry leopard can still camouflage himself but his distinctive markings make
him a prime target for human hunters.
Let’s hope this amazing creature doesn’t wind up as a trophy over someone’s fireplace!
You know how people are...
7.
Purple Polar Bear
This unlucky polar bear named Pelusa (which means hairball or fluffball in Spanish) lived
in a zoo in Argentina.
Mind you if she lived in the North Pole you could see her a from miles away so maybe it’s
for the best she was somewhere she could be looked after!
What happened was Pelusa got dermatitis so the keepers sprayed her with an antiseptic
spray which dyed her this fetching shade of violet!
So while the treatment was effective, Pelusa had to wait it out while the medication worked
its magic.
She also had to be separated from her mate, Arthur, to stop her from taking a swim and
washing off her medicine.
Also the zookeepers didn’t know what effect it might have on the other bears.
On the plus side for the zoo, she became a major tourist attraction and a celebrity in
her own right with thousands of people coming to see her.
It is strange that the zookeepers sprayed her with this because it is the type of spray
that is meant to treat children’s cuts, not polar bear fur.
While the purple coloring was an accidental and not permanent marking, the image of a
purple polar bear is not one you will soon forget.
Pelusa died at the age of 31, leaving Arthur alone.
He was dubbed the loneliest polar bear in the world.
6.
Spotless Cheetah
They say a leopard never changes its spots, well how about a cheetah?
This one’s dumped the spots altogether!
This fine specimen is called a ‘morph’, otherwise known as ‘Acinonyx jubatus’.
It was photographed in Kenya by artist Guy Coombes in 2012.
Coombes specializes in wildlife so you can see why he was eager to add this magnificent
beast to his portfolio.
The last recorded case of a morph on camera was in 1921 so it’s nice to get a look at
one in this century.
The markings on the spotless cheetah are caused by a recessive gene like the ones found in
the legendary King Cheetahs who lived in South Africa and Zimbabwe.
A recessive gene is something that comes from both parents.
Usually a dominant gene is in charge of how things look but here two recessive genes have
joined forces resulting in this striking effect.
Let’s hope it’s not another hundred years or so before we see another spotless cheetah!
Speaking of animals with strange markings, can you guess what this animal is?
Let us know your answer in the comments below!!!
Answer is coming soon!!!
5.
Okapi
Is it a zebra?
Is it a horse?
No!
It’s an okapi!
This stunning animal is much admired for its beauty and very unusual markings!
Although it might look confusing, the okapi is actually related to the giraffe an is its
only living relative, even though its fur markings make it look more like a zebra.
A study in 2016 found that the common ancestor of the giraffe and the okapi loved 11.5 million
years ago!
They are very hard to find in the wild.
Native to the dense rain forests of Central Africa, scientists didn’t know about them
until 1900.
Its markings provide good camouflage in the rainforest and its fur has been described
as velvet-like and even oily.
Though it’s great at hiding in its natural habitat, the okapi is on the endangered species
list.
Major threats include extensive hunting and illegal mining.
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4.
Piebald Deer Fawn
The piebald deer fawn is very impressive to look at, but its unbelievable markings are
a curse as well as a blessing.
It suffers from piebaldism which is when abnormalities in an animal’s genes result in problems
with pigmentation or coloring.
Like with the spotless cheetah, the effect is caused by a recessive gene.
Piebaldism is found in less than 2% of the deer population so while it’s rare, there
are significant drawbacks to getting it.
The mixed up genes mean a piebald deer fawn can have things like short legs or even misshapen
organs.
Sadly this affects their lifespan so these fawns may not last until adulthood.
Nature produces some beautiful animals but this is a reminder that it can also be pretty
cruel!
3.
Collie Coyote
While some may look at this picture and think it’s a coyote, the truth is a bit more complicated.
The markings on its fur are more like those of a collie dog.
Strange right??
These white markings are often found on dogs and are called “Irish spotting”.
Now the coyote is part of the canine family tree but is far removed from collies.
So how did it come to have the same appearance?
Well it’s more than likely this coyote is descended from a female who was impregnated
by a collie several generations back.
The hybrid was able to survive in the wild and reproduce, hence creating a new line of
coyotes with strange markings.
It goes to show how resilient nature can be and how even small traces of other animals
can be seen in other breeds years down the line.
2.
Sumatran Striped Rabbit
This crazy-looking critter was found on the Indonesian island of Sumatra.
The Sumatran striped rabbit or ‘Nesolagus netscheri’ is rarely photographed.
In fact experts are never sure whether it still exists and rely on occasional photos
like these to keep track!
Almost nothing is known about it, except for the most basic facts.
It’s 30 cm (11.8 in) long and is pretty unique though it isn’t the only one of its
kind.
There’s an Annamite striped rabbit from the Annamite Mountains, also in Southeast
Asia.
They were part of the same family until around 8 million years ago.
The habitat of the Sumatran striped rabbit is under threat from human-made problems like
farming.
This has led to the poor little creature being placed on the World Conservation Union’s
“critically endangered” list.
So you may have to make the most of images like this while you can!
Other more famous critically endangered animals from Sumatra include orangutans, tigers, elephants,
and rhinos.
1.
Lucky No.7 Cow
Some animals are born lucky but surely these two take the crown for luckiest cows alive!
These two cows were born with a clear number 7 right on their forehead.
There isn’t really a scientific explanation as to how this happened.
However some see a more profound meaning to the calves which has to do with good luck
and religious symbols!
The first calf was born on Saturday, September 20th, 2014.
Saturday is the Sabbath Day in Judaism and a day of rest.
September 20th was the final Sabbath of 2014.
The second calf was born five days after on Rosh Hashana which is the beginning of the
Hebrew new year.
Talk about coincidence!
Jewish people also place great significance of the number 7 through God’s creation of
7 days in the week and other significant events.
They call every 7th year in their calendar the year of the “shemitah”.
This is a time of rest when financial debts are forgotten and everyone can turn over a
new leaf.
Because the first calf was born at the end of the 6th year and the second at the beginning
of the 7th it caused quite a stir and people believed these two calves were ushering in
the year of the shemitah, or the year of rest.
Since the first calf was born in Pittsburgh, other superstitious people believed it was
a sign for the Pittsburgh Steelers!
Throw in those facial markings and you could well have a sign from God.
Or at least a cool story anyway!
The animal that I showed you before is a sunda clouded leopard, a wild cat found in Sumatra
and Borneo, only officially discovered in 2006!!
Thanks for watching!
Have you seen any other animals with unbelievable fur markings?
Let us know in the comments below!
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