Nature is both wonderful and tricky: always changing, always adapting, always evolving. Nothing illustrates this sentiment better than melanism — a rare genetic mutation — even more uncommon than albinism — that turns animals pitch-black, truly making them a sight to behold.

We at Bright Side invite you to have a look at those amazing creatures and compare some of them with their “ordinary” counterparts. And at the end of the article you’ll see a really extraordinary comparison.

1. A melanistic caiman looks even more intimidating.

Melanism is caused by the increased presence of a black-colored pigment in the skin. The black specimens are called “melanic,” “melanistic,” or “black morphs.”