Animals With Rare Unique 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 “aww”! 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 be caused by a viral infection or an autoimmune disorder.
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 a 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.

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...