6 Hybrid Animals You Should Know
When thinking of hybrid animals, our minds may wander to different fantastic beings. Literature and cinema have greatly influenced this aspect, since general culture tends to create impossible creatures from what already exists.
However, in nature we can find hybrid animals as much or more interesting than those narrated. Even so, not all of them have a promising future at an evolutionary level, since hybridization usually entails a series of associated costs. If you want to know more about this topic, read on.
6 hybrid animals you should know
The Earth is home to fauna and flora that is divided into kingdoms, orders, families, genera, and other taxonomic groups. The closer 2 species are on a phylogenetic and geographic level, the more likely a reproductive event will 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 the designations of their parents. First, the name of the male appears, followed by that of the female. We give you some examples.
1. Balfin
The name gives a clue that dolphins are involved in their appearance. As has been observed, the parents of the whale ( Tursiops truncatus x Pseudorca crassidens ) are a bottlenose dolphin and a false killer whale.
Regarding 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 combining both species.
2. Bengal
There is no doubt that felines are loved in most cultures, as they are part of homes across the globe. The bengal is a feline that breaks with preconceptions, because its wild coloration makes it far away 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 chance cross between a domestic cat ( F. silvestris) and a leopard cat ( P. bengalensis ). Currently, it is recognized as a race of its own, the Bengali race.
3. Bed
Yes, the name is well spelled and yes, there really is a hybrid animal with this nickname. Specifically, the bed ( Camelus dromedarius x Lama glama ) is an animal resulting from the cross between a llama ( Lama glama ) and a dromedary ( Camelus dromedarius ).
To situate ourselves, the dromedary lives on the African continent and has a single hump, a trait with which it differs from camels. On the other hand, the flame is present in different countries of South America.
The dromedary exceeds the size of the llama by 6 times, so the litter was born through artificial insemination. Despite the size of its father, the litter 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 the cross between a yak and a cow. It stands out for being a very strong animal, used in the different agricultural activities of countries such as Nepal, Bhutan or Mongolia. In addition, it is also appreciated for its meat, considered a delicacy for those who eat it. At the body 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 ) arises from the cross between a lioness ( Panthera leo ) and a male jaguar ( Panthera onca ).
In its appearance, man bears 100% responsibility, since this hybrid animal does not appear in the wild. The main reason for the absence of this hybrid in the wild is that both species live in totally different ecosystems.
Currently, Tsunami and Jazhara are the two most famous jangleons. The first is a golden male with light spots, 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 cross between a narwhal and a beluga, appears 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.
The studies carried out 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 about it.
Ultimately, hybrid animals can arise spontaneously in nature. However, man also notably influences their appearance, since many times species that would never be found among them in a natural environment are crossed.
Either way, most hybrids are sterile, so they won’t be able to have offspring. However, for their appearance, their parents must be close on the evolutionary scale.
