Hybrids are those specimens that are the product of crossing animals from different species. This crossing results in beings whose appearance mixes characteristics of the two parents, so they are curious to see.
Not all species are capable of mating with others and this rarely happens. Next, our site presents you with this list of examples of real hybrid animals, with their most significant characteristics, photos and videos showing them. Read on to discover rare, curious and beautiful hybrid animals.
Characteristics of hybrid animals
A hybrid is called an animal born from the cross between two parents of different species or subspecies. It is difficult to establish physical particularities, but these specimens mix features of both parents.
In general, hybrids or animal crosses can be stronger, so on many occasions it is the human being who encourages the mixture between some species in order to take advantage of the offspring as breeding animals. worked. However, this phenomenon can also occur in nature. Now, are hybrid animals fertile? That is, can they have offspring and thus generate new species? We answer this question below.
Are hybrid animals sterile?
Among the characteristics of hybrid animals is the fact that most are sterile, that is, they cannot produce new offspring. But why can't hybrid animals reproduce?
Each species has a specific chromosomal load that is passed on to offspring but also needs to match at the cellular level during the process of meiosis, which is nothing more than the cell division that occurs during sexual reproduction to give rise to a new genome. In meiosis, the paternal chromosomes are duplicated and take genetic load from both to define specific characteristics, such as coat color, size, etc. However, being animals of two different species, the number of chromosomes may not be the same and each chromosome, corresponding to a specific characteristic, may not coincide with that of the other parent. In other words, if chromosome 1 from the father corresponds to the color of the coat and chromosome 1 from the mother corresponds to the size of the tail, the genetic load is not manufactured correctly, and this causes most hybrid animals to be sterile.
Despite this, Fertile hybridization is possible in plants and it seems that global warming is prompting interbreeding of animals of different species as a way of survival. Although most of these matings are sterile, there is a possibility that some animals from parents of closely related species may themselves spawn a new generation. This has been observed to occur between rodents Ctenomys minutus and Ctenomys lami, as long as the former is female and the latter male; otherwise, the offspring are infertile.
11 examples of hybrid animals
To better understand the hybridization process and what animal crosses currently exist, we will now discuss the most popular or common examples. The 10 hybrid animals are:
- Narluga (narwhal + beluga)
- Liger (lion + tigress)
- Tigon (tiger + lioness)
- Beefalo (cow + American bison)
- Zebrasno (zebra + donkey)
- Cebrallo (zebra + mare)
- Balfin (false killer whale + bottlenose dolphin)
- Hinnies (horse + donkey)
- Mule (mare + donkey)
- Pumapardo (leopard + cougar)
- Bed (dromedary + llama)
1. Narluga
This is the hybrid between a narwhal and a beluga. This crossbreeding of marine animals is unusual, but both species are part of the family Monodontidae.
The Narluga can only be seen in arctic waters and, although it may be the result of a crossing caused by global warming, there are records of the first sighting made in 1980. This hybrid measures up to 6 meters long and weighs around 1600 tons.
two. Liger
The liger is the cross between a male lion and a tigress The appearance of this hybrid animal is a mix of the two parents: the back and legs usually have the stripes of tigers, while the head is more similar to that of a lion; males even grow a mane.
The liger can reach 4 meters in length, making it the largest feline in existence. Of course, their legs are usually shorter than those of their parents.
3. Tigon
There is also the possibility of a hybrid being born from the crossing of a male tiger and a lioness, which is called a tigon. Unlike the liger, the tigon is smaller than its parents and has the appearance of a lion with striped fur. In fact, size is about the only difference between the liger and the tigon.
4. Beefalo
Beefalo is the result of a cross between a domestic cow and an American bison. The breed of cow influences the appearance of the beefalo, but in general it is similar to a large bull with a bushy coat.
This crossing is usually encouraged by ranchers, since the meat produced contains less fat than that from cattle. As a curious fact, we can say that among these hybrid animals reproduction is possible, so they are one of the few fertile.
5. Zebrasno
The mating of a zebra and a donkey causes the appearance of a zebrasno or zebrasno. It is possible because both species come from the equidae family. This crossbreeding of animals occurs naturally in the savannahs of Africa, where both species coexist.
The zebra does not have a bone structure similar to that of the zebra but with gray fur, except for the legs, which have a striped pattern on a white background.
6. Cebrallo
zebras are not the only hybrid that zebras can develop, as these animals are also capable of mating with another member of the equine family, the horse. The zebrallo is possible when the parents are a male zebra and a mare.
The Zebrallo is smaller than a horse, with a sparse, stiff mane. On the fur, with a background of different colors, the typical stripes of zebras can be seen. Without a doubt, one of the rare but very beautiful hybrid animals, and in Vaenney's video we can see a beautiful specimen.
7. Balfin
Another curious marine hybrid animal is the balfin, the result of the mating between a false killer whale and the bottlenose dolphin Being the false killer whale or black killer whale belonging to the family Delphinidae, in reality the balfin is the crossing of two species of dolphins, so the appearance of this animal is similar to that known in these species. Its size and teeth are characteristics that help differentiate it, since the balfin is a little smaller and has fewer teeth than the black killer whale and the bottlenose dolphin.
8. Hinnies
This crossbreeding of animals again involves members of the equine family, since the hinny is the result of the cross between a horse and a donkeyThis mating is possible due to the intervention of the human being, since both species do not coexist in the same habitat. In this way, the hinny is one of the hybrid animals created by man.
The hinny is the size of a horse but the head is more similar to that of a donkey. The tail is bushy and the body is usually bulky.
9. Mule
Unlike the hinny, the cross between a mare and a donkey results in a mule, a common mating in livestock areas. This animal has been known since ancient times and both males and females can be born. In fact, the mule is probably the best known and most widespread hybrid animal in the world, since for centuries it has been used as a work and transport animal. Of course, this is a sterile animal, so its offspring is not possible.
Mules are taller than donkeys but smaller than horses. They stand out for having more strength than donkeys and presenting a coat similar to them.
10. Pumapardo
The cougar is the result of a leopard and a male cougar It is slimmer than a cougar and has the spotted fur of a leopard. The legs are short and the general appearance is intermediate between the two parent species. The crossing does not occur naturally, but the pumapardo is part of the list of hybrid animals created by man. For this reason, no living specimen of this cross is currently known.
eleven. Animal bed
As a result of the cross between a camel and a female llamaappears the bed, a curious hybrid animal whose appearance stands out for being a total mixture of both species. Thus, the head is more similar to that of the llama, while the color of the mantle and the body is more similar to that of the dromedary, except for the hump, since the cama does not have one.
This hybrid animal does not occur naturally, so it is a human-induced crossbreeding of animals. In the following WeirdTravelMTT video we can see an example of this type.
Other Animal Crossing Examples
Although the above hybrid animals are the best known, the truth is that they are not the only ones that exist, so we can also find the following animal crosses:
- Goat (goat + sheep)
- Bed (camel + llama)
- Coydog (coyote + bitch)
- Coywolf (coyote + wolf)
- Dzo (yak + cow)
- Savannah cat (serval + cat)
- Grolar (brown bear + polar bear)
- Jaglion (jaguar + lioness)
- Leopon (lion + leopard)
- Tigardo (tiger + leopard)
- Yakalo (yak + American bison)
- Zubrón (cow + European bison)
Did you know all these rare and curious hybrid animals? Although most have been developed by humans, some of them have appeared completely naturally.