Polydactyl cat

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/hemingway-cat

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Felis catus
2. How many toes can a polydactyl cat have?A normal cat usually has 18 toes, five on each front paw and four on each back paw. A polydactyl cat can have more than that, sometimes one or several extra toes on any paw. The number can vary from just one extra toe to many on all four paws.
3. Where do polydactyl cats live most often?Many polydactyl cats live on the Eastern coast of North America, in places like the United States and Canada. They are also common in the South West of England and Wales. These areas are special because the gene spread there a long time ago.

Congenital physical anomaly: A structural or functional abnormality present at birth, often resulting from genetic or environmental influences during development.
Polydactyly: A congenital condition characterized by the presence of more than the normal number of fingers or toes, caused by a genetic mutation.
Autosomal dominant gene: A gene located on a non-sex chromosome that only requires one copy to be inherited to express its associated trait.