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Spotted: A Cheetah Without Spots
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First a strawberry-blonde leopard and now a cheetah sans spots? The big cats of the world must have decided to revamp their wardrobes. According to The (U.K.) Guardian, wildlife photographer Guy Combes snapped a picture of the animal after days of searching for the infamous creature.
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Combes had heard rumors about this spotless wonder in Kenya and decided to go to the source. After endless hours of searching for the shy cheetah, Combes almost gave up, packing up his things and heading to Nairobi. While there, Combes received word that the elusive animal had been spotted again, so the photographer raced back to the area.
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After an additional two days of searching over 100,000 acres of land, Combes finally located the cat and got within 50 meters to snap a photo of its fantastic fur. The photographer said it was a beautiful experience and that up close he could see the cheetah was flecked with brown in place of the normal dark spots.
RELATED: See more bizarre-looking animals.
Mammal expert John Pullen said that this kind of sighting is very rare. Pullen also explained that the distinctive markings are the result of a genetic mutation of the skin, since cheetah fur takes on the same color as the skin underneath.
RELATED: Play the Who's Cutest game now!
Combes had heard rumors about this spotless wonder in Kenya and decided to go to the source. After endless hours of searching for the shy cheetah, Combes almost gave up, packing up his things and heading to Nairobi. While there, Combes received word that the elusive animal had been spotted again, so the photographer raced back to the area.
See more big cats:
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After an additional two days of searching over 100,000 acres of land, Combes finally located the cat and got within 50 meters to snap a photo of its fantastic fur. The photographer said it was a beautiful experience and that up close he could see the cheetah was flecked with brown in place of the normal dark spots.
RELATED: See more bizarre-looking animals.
Mammal expert John Pullen said that this kind of sighting is very rare. Pullen also explained that the distinctive markings are the result of a genetic mutation of the skin, since cheetah fur takes on the same color as the skin underneath.
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13 Comments
To me, it looks half cheetah half lion, only because the front of the body looks a little more muscular and the back of the body is a cheetah body because of how long it is. Or maybe something happened genetically.
April 26 2012 at 2:39 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyThis picture shows a very muscular shoulder and a pretty short & thick neck. Honestly this looks like a "photo shopped" picture of a lions body and a cheetah's head....
April 26 2012 at 2:31 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI think the cheetah is half lion half cheetah, the body looks a little muscular like a lion.
April 26 2012 at 2:30 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyPuma's are their closest relative though
April 26 2012 at 1:50 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyA cheetah without spots is probably a better camouflaged predator than one with spots, and nature is adjusting to this fact. Lions don't have spots, and this cheetah is about the same color as a lion. Spots and stripes work better in the jungle, not the plains of Africa. I hope this particular animal is allowed to procreate. It's spots are very faint.
April 26 2012 at 1:50 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Replythey are their closest relatives though
April 26 2012 at 1:50 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyIf you look at the photo closely, it looks like it has little, dark spots on its back.
April 26 2012 at 1:27 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyIndeed donnalyn ! i remember a couple of years ago that some moron that thought looking through a telescope and twitching his finger made him a "bad-ass".....they then discovered that what he had so "heroically " killed was the first known hybrid cross between a polar and grizzly bear , .....an attempt by nature to allow the survival of a species.......ended by an idiot......freaking sad .
April 26 2012 at 1:10 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyCheetah Without Spots Found In The Wild - Arrested
April 26 2012 at 12:21 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyYeah, and watch some idiot testosterone male species will try to kill it for his ego!
April 26 2012 at 11:54 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyAre Trump's boys back in Africa?
April 26 2012 at 12:52 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply