6 Hybrid Animals You Must Know
When thinking about hybrid animals, our minds can wander about different fantastic beings. Literature and cinema have had a significant influence on this aspect, as the general culture tends to create impossible creatures out of what already exists.
However, in nature we can find hybrid animals as or more interesting than those narrated in these stories. Even so, not everyone has a promising future in evolutionary terms, since hybridization usually entails a series of associated costs. If you want to know more about this topic, keep reading.
6 hybrid animals you must know
The Earth is home to fauna and flora that have been divided into kingdoms, orders, families, genera and other taxonomic groups. The closer two species are at a phylogenetic and geographic level, the more likely a reproductive event is to occur. From this union, animals arise, but human intervention also plays an important role.
A curious detail of hybrid animals is that their scientific name includes the designations of their parents. First comes the male’s name, followed by the female’s. Let’s take some examples.
1. Pitchfork
The name gives a clue that dolphins are involved in its emergence. As noted, the parents of the pitchfork ( Tursiops truncatus x Pseudorca crassidens ) are a bottlenose dolphin and a false killer whale.
In relation to its appearance, only specimens in captivity were observed in Sea Life Park, in Hawaii. Their parents shared the same compartment and gave rise to 3 different offspring, whose shape, size and color result from the combination of the two species.
2. Bengal
There is no doubt that felines are loved in most cultures as they are part of homes around the world. The bengal is a feline that breaks with prejudice, as its wild coloring distances it far from the typical domestic cat. This hybrid animal responds to the scientific name Felis silvestris x Prionailurus bengalensis.
Ultimately, this means that this hybrid arises from the fortuitous cross between a domestic cat ( F. silvestris ) and a leopard cat ( P. bengalensis ). Currently, it is recognized as a breed of its own, the Bengal breed.
3. Bed
Yes, that’s the name, there really is a hybrid animal with that name. Specifically, the litter ( Camelus dromedarius x Lama glama ) is an animal resulting from the crossing between a llama ( Lama glama ) and a dromedary ( Camelus dromedarius ).
To get our bearings, the dromedary lives on the African continent and has a unique hump, a characteristic that makes it different from camels. On the other hand, the llama is present in several countries in South America.
The dromedary is 6 times the size of the llama, so the litter was born through artificial insemination. Despite the father’s size, the brood is an even smaller hybrid than the llama, with small ears but a long dromedary tail.
4. Dzo
The species Bos grunnies x Bos primigenius arises from a cross between a yak and a cow. It stands out for being a very strong animal, used in various agricultural activities in countries such as Nepal, Bhutan or Mongolia. In addition, it is also appreciated for its meat, considered a delicacy. In relation to the body, it resembles a cow, which at the same time has the long coat of a yak.
5. Jagleon
While the name may sound similar to some Korean city or town, it isn’t. The jagleon ( Panthera onca x Panthera leo ) arises from a cross between a lioness ( Panthera leo ) and a male jaguar ( Panthera onca ), also known as a jaguar.
In relation to its emergence, the human being has 100% responsibility, since this hybrid animal does not appear in nature. The main reason for the absence of this hybrid in nature is that both species live in totally different ecosystems.
Currently, Tsunami and Jazhara are the two most famous jagleons. The first is a golden male with light spots, while the second is a female with black spots. In the case of males, none with mane was observed.
6. Narluga
From the cross between a narwhal and a beluga, arises the narluga or Monodon monoceros x Delphinapterus leucas . The skull belonging to this hybrid animal was discovered in Greenland in 1990 by biologist Perter Heide-Jørgensen.
Studies have confirmed that this hybrid arises from a cross between a beluga male and a narwhal mother. Currently, this skull is the only scientific evidence that exists for him.
Ultimately, hybrid animals can spontaneously appear in nature. However, the human being also remarkably influences its appearance, since species that would never be found in the natural environment often cross.
Anyway, most hybrids are sterile, so they won’t be able to leave offspring. However, for its emergence, its parents must be close on the evolutionary scale.
