Many times, the internet goes viral for animals with down syndrome. Blog posts, YouTube videos and gifs are all the credit.

Already, we’ve seen “Kenny” the white tiger, “Lil Bub” the cat, and “Monty” the cat gaining thousands of followers via their social media accounts. Due to their unique features, these animals are thought to have Down Syndrome.

Social media has made celebrities of only mammal species with disabilities.

Is it now the right time for reptiles? The real question is: Can reptiles experience a down syndrome? What about turtles?

This article will address these questions and examine a turtle’s chances of achieving fame.

Can Turtles Have Down Syndrome?

No, down syndrome is not a condition that affects turtles. Trisomy 21, also known as down syndrome, is a condition where chromosome 21’s DNA is split into three parts rather than two. However, turtles have a completely different genetic structure to humans, which means that chromosome 21 is not present in their cells.

Different turtle species have different numbers and types of chromosomes. Box turtles have 60, while sea turtles have 56.

Let me first tell you about down syndrome.

Humans have 23 pairs chromosomes. Down syndrome is a genetic mutation that results in 3 copies of chromosome 21 rather than 2.

If the offspring is born with 3 copies instead of 2 of chromosome 21, the child will have 3 copies in all cells. This causes mutation and down syndrome.

Down syndrome can be caused by inheritance from parents. It is still mainly due to cell division errors during embryogenesis.

We are back to the turtles.

Different species have different numbers. It ranges from 28 up to 66 in the case of turtles.

This means that down syndrome is not caused by the 21st chromosome in humans.

Even if chromosome 21, goes through trisomy it could lead to a different outcome than humans.

Even more likely, turtles won’t even have chromosome 21, Cats, for example, don’t have chromosome 21.

You’re implying that “Lil Bub the Cat” on Instagram doesn’t have down syndrome?

Sorry to be the one who has to admit it, but the cat and “Kenny The Tiger” the big cat don’t have down syndrome.

Interbreeding was the reason Kenny, the tiger, was born. Interbreeding is responsible for Kenny’s long snouts and wide-set eyes.

So, Are There Any Turtles With Down Syndrome?

There are no turtles with Down Syndrome. Apes, however, are closest to humans in terms of chromosome count.

Reptiles don’t share this sameity in any way. Therefore, there is no down syndrome in turtles.

In Japan, a chimpanzee was found to have a chromosomal defect that is similar to the down syndrome.

Trisomy 22 was responsible for the down syndrome in the chimpanzee. Down syndrome is caused by trisomy 21.

Fact:

Humans possess 23 pairs of chromosomes compared to 24 for apes.

Although the signs and chromosomal conditions in the chimpanzee looked somewhat like down syndrome in humans in some ways, it cannot be confirmed that this is a case of down syndrome.

And what about the Turtles With The Trisomy 21 Resemblance On The Internet Oder, All Those Cats!

The appearance of facial abnormalities in animals with down syndrome may be due to hormonal deficiencies and other chromosomal disorders, but not down syndrome.

Final Words On Can Turtles Have Down Syndrome

Down syndrome has not been confirmed in any animal species. Reptiles, even if down syndrome was discovered in animals would still be on the bottom of this list since humans and reptiles have distinct genetic builds-ups.

If you see turtles with facial deformities, it’s likely that they have a hormonal problem and not Down Syndrome.