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These beautiful hybrid animals really exist
Hybrid animals are the result of crossing organisms belonging to two different breeds or species. Hybrids are born between species that are quite similar, from a biological point of view, so as to be able to overcome all reproductive barriers.
These matings occur very rarely in the wild, although the two species share the same habitat.
The story, however, changes when man is involved, who for utilitarian reasons or for having randomly approached two different species, has given way to some very special hybrid animals: some are very famous, others a rarity.
Freepik, Wikimedia Commons
Here are some beautiful hybrid animals that really exist
Hybrid animals are the result of crossing organisms belonging to two different breeds or species. Hybrids are born between species that are quite similar from a biological point of view, so as to be able to overcome all reproductive barriers. These matings rarely occur in the wild, even when species share the same habitat. The story, however, changes when man is involved, who for utilitarian reasons or for having approached two different species, has given way to some very particular hybrids: some are very famous, others a rarity. In parentheses, you will find the scientific name of the species from which these animals originate.
Liger (Panthera leo - Panthera tigris)
The liger is a cross between a male lion and a female tiger. Lions and tigers do not share the same territory in nature and therefore do not have many chances to mate. Currently, there are cases of coexistence only in the forest of Gir, India. The ligre is the largest feline in size today, as well as the largest of all time on a par with the extinct Smilodon populator.
Mule (Equus asinus - Equus caballus)
The mule is a hybrid almost always sterile because of its odd chromosomal kit and derives from the cross between the stallion donkey and the mare. The mule is the oldest and best known mammalian hybrid in the world. The reasons for its spread are strength, resistance to diseases and adaptability to unfavorable environments.
Barduct (Equus ferus caballus - Equus africanus asinus)
The barduct (Equus burdo) is a hybrid that arises from the crossing of a male horse with a female domestic donkey. Compared to the mule, the barduct has a greater resemblance to the horse and has a decidedly thicker mane.
Beefalo (Bos taurus - Bison bison)
The beefalo is the cross between the domestic bull and the American bison. The breed was created by man in the United States to combine the best characteristics of both animals, especially with the intent of beef production.
Coywolf (Canis latrans - Canis lupus)
The coywolf comes from the mating of coyotes with gray wolves. Hybrids are larger than pure coyotes and demonstrate intermediate behaviors between those of the coyote and the wolf. The crossing was noticed in its natural state in the thirties and forties in Canada, where coyotes colonized the areas inhabited by wolves and then interbred with the latter.
Mule (Serinus canaria - Carduelis carduelis, Carduelis magellanica, Carduelis yarrellii)
The mule is the hybrid between a canary and a goldfinch. This animal was created by man to obtain beautiful, attractive birds and above all with a melodious song.
Prizzly (Ursus maritimus - Ursus arctos horribilis)
The prizzly is a rare hybrid between polar bear and grizzly bear and has been found both in captivity and in the wild. The presence of prizzly in the natural state was confirmed in 2006, thanks to DNA analysis of an unusual-looking specimen found in the Canadian Arctic .
Zorse (Equus ferus caballus - Equus hartmannae, Equus grevyi, Equus quagga, Equus zebra)
Zorse is the hybrid between a horse and a zebra. This animal tends to have the slender and elongated shape typical of the horse, while on the coat (usually similar in color to that of the horse) appear the streaks typical of the zebra parent.
Savannah (Leptailurus serval - Felis catus)
The savannah is a cat resulting from the crossing of a serval, a wild feline, with a domestic cat. The first specimen was a female named Savannah, born in 1986 to Judee Frank, a breeder of Bengal cats who crossed a male serval with a Siamese cat.
Zonkey (Equus hartmannae, Equus grevyi, Equus quagga, Equus zebra - Equus africanus asinus)
A zonkey is a cross between a male zebra and a female donkey and is quite rare. The place with the greatest presence of zonkey is South Africa, where there are cases in which zebras and donkeys are found to live together. Like mules, however, zonkeys are genetically incapable of reproducing.
Animal Curiosities
21/06/2024
The world is beautiful because it is diverse, is a phrase we have heard a thousand times, and this is true not only for human beings, but also for animals.
On our planet, the variety of fauna is far greater than that of human beings, who are basically almost all the same. On the other hand, in the most remote parts of the Earth, but not only there, there are absolutely unique species of animals, so much so that they even enter Guinness World Record. Birds, fish, mammals, so many characteristics that make them absolutely recognizable, and also very rare.
Animal lovers, keep us company and discover all the most bizarre beasts on the planet.