[ Hank isn't about to stop Connor from licking his hand if he wants to lick his hand. Not that Hank knows he wants to lick his hand... ]

Yes. Technically speaking, mutants are a different species than humans. We possess a gene-- we call it the X-gene-- which manifests in different ways, either through physical mutations, or extra-human abilities.

[ He wouldn't normally be so forthcoming about all the details of mutantkind, but Connor's manner has him relaxed and open to sharing. ]