Natural Oddities : 5 Fascinating Crossbred / Hybrid Animals
Sometimes nature can provide fascinating realities that would give even the best fiction writer a run for their money. Learn about five incredible hybrid animals in the first installment of our "Natural Oddities" articles, a 3 part series on odd yet amazing occurrences in mother nature.
We are all familiar with crossbred species for animals such as dogs and cats but many other hybrid combinations occur in the wild every year. Many scientists believe this intermingling of species help nature determine which genetic combinations are most suitable for this planet for some organisms. We put together a list of five awesome hybrid animals that stretch across the animal kingdom.
Lion + Tiger = Liger
Easily one of the coolest hybrid animals in existence, the liger is a cross between a male lion and a female tiger. Ligers are distinguished by their larger than average size and their distinguishable tiger-like stripes atop golden-tan fur common with most lions. The largest liger Hercules weighs in at 900 pounds and is currently the largest cat on earth according to the Guiness Book of World Records. Despite previous beliefs of sterility in male ligers both the male and female genders are fertile and capable of reproduction.
Other big cat crossbreeds you may want to check out are: tigon, leopon, marozi, pumapard, ashera, bengal, caraval, savannah, cheetoh, chausie, serengeti cat, panthera, and the kellas cat.
Zebra + Donkey = Zonkey
With over ten other names (zedonk, zeedonk, zebrass, zebronkey, zebadonk etc.) the zonkey is a cross between a zebra and a donkey which occurs either in domestic holdings or in natural settings such as certain areas of South Africa. The zonkey shares the zebras characteristic stripes while physically resembling a true mix of both species. Unfortunately much like their cousins the mule, male zonkeys are born sterile while females are poorly fertile making the chances of zonkey reproduction nearly impossible.
Other equine (or zebroid) crossbreeds you may be interested in are : zorse, zony, mule, zetland, and the hinny.
Whale + Dolphin = Wholphin
The wholphin is a rare and fascinating crossbreed between a false killer whale and a bottlenose dolphin. Although these hybrids have been reported to exist in the wild there are only a couple in actual captivity. The false killer whale is estimated to grow as large as 20 feet in length and weigh up to two tons while the bottlenose dolphin will reach approximately 12 feet in length and weight around 700 pounds at full maturity. Surprisingly the wolphin is almost an exact average of these two species in every way for example their 66 teeth which is exactly between the 44 teeth of the false killer whale and the 88 teeth of the bottlenose dolphin.
Bison (Buffalo) + Cattle = Beefalo
The Beefalo, also referred to as the Catallo, was originally bred to combine both of the best characteristics of the common domestic cattle with the bulky and formerly plentiful American Bison. Much like the Bison, the scientific studies have shown that Beefalo meat is lower in cholesterol and fat when compared to its purebred cattle counterpart although popularity of this meat is low due to its high price and nominal supply. Thanks to their Bison lineage Beefalo are known for their superior ruggedness compared to domestic cattle such as better foraging capabilities, the ability to handle harsher weather, and their minimal impact on rangeland.
Other bovine crossbreeds you might be interested in are : yakalo, zubron, sheep-goat hybrid and chimera, and the dzo.
Grizzly + Polar = Pizzly Bear
Giving the liger a run for its money on the "intimidating" scale, the Pizzly bear, is a mix between a female grizzly (or Kodiak / Brown Bear) and a male Polar bear which was once believed to be impossible in the wild until the accidental discovery of one in 2006. The reproduction of these species from opposite genders than the Pizzly bear are known as Grolar bears. Pizzly bears typically share the white coloring of their Polar bear fathers and the sharp claws, facial traits, and arched back of their grizzly mothers. Little is known why these hybrid occurences are occuring in the wild since these two species have very different habitual preferences but some scientists theorize that due to global warming many polar bears have been forced to venture from their typical icy homes to more moderate climates where certain grizzly populations live.
