6 Hybrid Animals You Should Know

Hybrid animals are born from the mating of two different species. There are more of them than you can imagine.

When we think of hybrid animals, our mind can wander to different fantastic beings. Literature and cinema have had a significant influence on this, as general culture tends to create impossible creatures from what already exists.

However, in nature we can find hybrid animals as or more interesting than those narrated. Even so, not everyone has a promising future at an evolutionary level, as hybridization usually carries a number of associated costs. If you want to know more about this topic, keep reading.

6 hybrid animals you should know

The Earth is home to fauna and flora divided into kingdoms, orders, families, genera and other taxonomic groups. The closer two species are phylogenetically and geographically, the more likely a reproductive event is to occur. Hybrid animals emerge from this union, but human intervention also plays an important role.

A curious detail of hybrid animals is that their scientific name includes their parent’s designations. First the name of the male appears, followed by that of the female. We give you some examples.

1. Balfin, one of the most curious hybrid animals

The name already tells us that dolphins are involved. As has been observed, the parents of the balfin ( Tursiops truncatus x Pseudorca crassidens ) are a bottlenose dolphin and a pseudorcan.

As for its appearance, only captive specimens have been observed in the Sea Life Park in Hawaii. Their parents shared the same habitat and gave rise to 3 different descendants, whose shape, size and color result from the combination of both 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 preconceptions, because its wild coloring makes it far from the typical domestic cat. This hybrid animal responds to the name of 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 ). It is currently recognized as a breed in its own right.

3. Cama, one of the most bizarre hybrid animals

Yes, the name is well spelled and yes, there really is a hybrid animal with this nickname. Specifically, the cama ( Camelus dromedarius x Lama glama ) is an animal resulting from the crossing between a lama ( Lama glama ) and a dromedary ( Camelus dromedarius ).

To place us, the dromedary lives on the African continent and has a single hump, a trait by which it differs from camels. On the other hand, the lama is present in several countries of South America.

The dromedary is 6 times larger than the llama, so the litter was born through artificial insemination. Despite the size of the sire, the cub is an even smaller hybrid than the llama, with small ears but a long dromedary tail.

4. Dzo

The Bos grunnies x Bos primigenius species comes from the 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, which is considered a delicacy. On a physical level, it resembles a cow, which at the same time has the long coat of a yak.

5. Jagleón

Although the name may sound similar to some Korean city or town, it is not. The jagleón ( Panthera onca x Panthera leo ) comes from the cross between a lioness ( Panthera leo ) and a male jaguar ( Panthera onca ).

Here man has 100% responsibility, as this hybrid animal does not appear in nature. The main reason for the absence of this hybrid in nature is that the species live in totally different ecosystems.

Currently, Tsunami and Jazhara are the two most famous jangleons. The first is a golden male, while the second is a black spotted female. In the case of males, no maned jangleon males have yet been observed.

6. Narluga

From the crossing between a narwhal and a beluga, the Narluga or Monodon monoceros x Delphinapterus leucas appears . The skull belonging to this hybrid animal was discovered in Greenland in 1990 by the biologist Perter Heide-Jørgensen.

Studies have confirmed that this hybrid arises from the cross between a beluga male and a narwhal mother. Currently, this skull is the only existing scientific evidence of this.

Ultimately, hybrid animals can spontaneously arise in the wild. However, humans also greatly influence their appearance, as species are often crossed that would not be encountered in a natural environment.