Although the most famous hybrids are animals born of the imagination of humans (such as the minotaur or chimeras) , the truth is that there are a large number of real hybrid animals created either from natural hybridization, that is, in nature, without human intervention, or artificial hybridization, or what is the same, when humans have intervened.
In most cases, the real hybrid animals that have been born from artificial hybridization have done so to satisfy certain human needs , either food (such as the creation of harder crops) or even aesthetic (such as crosses between certain breeds of dogs or cats to achieve a more "pretty" species). This raises interesting moral debates. To what extent does the human being have the right to "play" with the genetics of animals ?
20 Real Hybrid Animals
one. The balfin (from the words whale and dolphin) It is a natural hybrid between a bottlenose dolphin and a false killer whale. Although it is known that they exist in the nature , only one has survived in captivity.
two. The narluga is a cross between a beluga whale and a narwhal of which very little is known, although there have been sightings (and even skulls have been found) in the North Atlantic and in the Arctic.
3. The beefalo is an animal similar to a cow or a bull , but bigger and with thick fur. It is a hybrid between a cow and a buffalo and is very appreciated for its meat low in calories and fat.
Four. Zebrasans, as the name suggests, are a cross between an ass and a zebra. They are typical of southern Africa and are a hybrid produced in nature, although some zoos have managed to produce them in captivity.
5. The flare is a cat that is the result of the cross between a domestic cat and a bengal cat (a wild cat from Asia). From the fourth generation they are more tame. Its fur tries to look like a leopard.
6 The mule, one of the most famous real hybrid animals, is the cross between a mare and an ass. They are sterile, like most hybrid animals artificially created.
7 The caraval is the cross between a caracal and a serval, two species of wild cats. The crossing occurred by accident at a zoo in Los Angeles, and the litter of kittens was given to an animal shelter.
8 The dzo is the result of crossing a yak with a cow. This is one of the real hybrid animals that is used in areas of Tibet, Mongolia, etc. for agricultural tasks, since they have more strength than a cow.
9. The bed is a hybrid animal between the dromedary and the llama which was carried out in 1998 with the purpose of creating an animal with more wool than the llama and with the size and behavior of a dromedary.
10 The pumapards are a cross between a male cougar and a female leopard. The hybrids were artificially created and breeding was interrupted around 1900, as they were considered uninteresting (the goal of this hybridization was to obtain new beasts).
eleven. The coydog are the result of the cross between a coyote and a domestic dog. Although fertile, after several generations of mating these animals have problems of genetic diseases and communication.
12 The grolar is a bear produced by the hybrid between a polar bear and a brown one. These crosses have occurred both in captivity and in the wild (some suggest the migration of brown bears to cooler areas due to global warming).
13 The leopón is a hybrid between a leopard and a lioness. It has a head similar to lions (males have a small mane) and the rest of the body, to leopards. The females can have an internal conflict when they feel divided between the solitary life of the leopard or in a group of lions.
14 The ligres are also real hybrid animals in which a lion crosses, this time with a tigress. It is believed that they are the result of human actions, since their habitats are too distant for them to occur naturally.
fifteen. The only known hybrid between African elephant and Asian elephant was Motty , who was born in a London zoo and died only twelve days after being born because of an infection and despite all the care he received.
16 The wolfhound is a cross between a dog and a wolf. They have been used for hundreds of years, since our ancestors used them to hunt the mammoth.
17 The zubrones are a cross between cows and bison. The result is a very large and strong animal, weighing about 1000 kilos. The males are sterile, while the females can have offspring.
18 The yakalos are real hybrid animals resulting from crossing a yak with a buffalo. They are very appreciated in cold areas, where some farmers raise them to get milk or meat, since they support very well the low temperatures.
19 The parrotfish is an artificially created hybrid (although it is not very clear how) very social , who likes to stay at the bottom of the aquarium, flushed and with a deformity in the head.
20. Finally, the cabrejas are a cross between goat and sheep . The cabrejas have thin but muscular legs and are quite small.
We hope you liked this article about real hybrid animals and that you have asked questions. For example, do you think we have the right to play with the genetics of the flora and fauna of the Earth? Do you know any other hybrid animal that is not on the list? Remember that you can tell us what you want in the comments!