Need some pick-me-up news today? How about this: Puppy twins!
Aside from humans and one species of armadillo, identical twins are pretty rare.
These Irish Wolfhound puppies are believed to be the first identical (or monozygotic) twins ever confirmed in the dog species.
“To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of monozygotic twinning in the dog confirmed using DNA profiling,” researchers at the University of Pretoria in South Africa said.
The twins were discovered after the mother dog’s owner brought her to veterinarian Kurt de Cramer from South Africa’s Rant en Dal Animal Hospital.
The mother dog was in labor with the puppies for two hours before Dr. Cramer performed an emergency C-section.
During the delivery, Dr. Cramer noticed a bulge that appeared to be not one, but two puppies in the same placenta.
The vet told BBC News that he immediately realized he may have found some special pups. Blood tests later revealed that the two were indeed identical.
Although they are the first reported dog twins, researcher Carolynne Joone said it’s possible they are not the first pair to be born.
Carolynne said it’s impossible to know exactly how many identical puppy twins have existed, because some are likely delivered without anyone noticing they shared the same placenta.
It’s safe to say though that they’re pretty rare, since these two are the first confirmed pair.
People don’t see things unless they know how to look. Maybe now they will, and more will appear.