19 Hybrid Animals You Probably Didn’t Know Existed

Hybrid animals have been around for centuries, raising controversy with their existence and surprising people with their unique appearances. Some hybrid animals are common, whereas others are rare or only found in captivity. Animals can have hybrid offspring if they have similar genetics to crossbreed. It’s rare for animals to crossbreed in the wild, so most hybrids are created by humans through selective breeding. We have compiled a list of 19 hybrid animals, most of which you probably didn’t even know existed. 

Leopon

When you cross a lion and leopard together, you get a hybridized big cat called the Leopon. These hybrid animals have incredibly unique appearances, which some people find unsettling. Leopons have lion-shaped bodies with leopard spots and males have thick manes. Their spots are not as distinctive as leopards and blend into their red to yellow-toned base coats. Most Leopons cannot reproduce because they are born infertile. 

Zonkey

The Zonkey is a mix between a female donkey and a male zebra. There are other hybrid donkey and zebra animals, like the Zedonk with a zebra mother instead. They look exactly how you would expect a zebra and donkey hybrid to look like. Zonkeys look like small donkeys with dark zebra stripes. Their heads and large ears make them look more like donkeys rather than zebras.

Chausie

The Chausie is a hybrid of a jungle cat and a domestic cat. They were recognized as a domestic breed in 1995 but belong to a different category. It is believed that Chausies were created in Egypt thousands of years ago. These hybrid felines are similar in size to traditional cat breeds. Their coats are typically solid black, black ticked, or black grizzled tabby, which are the three breed standard colors. 

Mule

Not many people know that mules are hybrid animals created by cross-breeding a male donkey and a female horse. Mules are likely created by humans and didn’t naturally occur in the wild. At one point, mules were highly popular in the United States and approximately six million mules existed in the 20^th century. Mules look more like donkeys but have the strength and stamina of a great working horse. 

Wolfdog

The Wolfdog is a hybrid animal created by breeding a domestic dog and either a Grey Wolf, Red Wolf, Ethiopian Wolf, or Eastern Wolf together. This is possible because both domestic dogs and wolves are “interfertile”, meaning they have similar genetics and can mate and have offspring. Wolfdogs are medium to large-sized with wolf-like features. They are controversial animals and aren’t legal in many parts of the world. 

Grolar

The Grolar, also called the Pizzly Bear, is a hybrid of a Polar Bear and a Grizzly Bear. These hybrids are rare and can be found in the wild and in captivity. Grolars are slightly smaller than their Polar Bear parents, with sharp claws and creamy white fur. Only a handful of these bears are found in the wild, primarily in the Canadian Arctic where their parent’s habitats overlap. 

Hinny

Another equine hybrid similar to mules are Hinny’s. Many people have difficulty distinguishing these two equine hybrids from each other. They were produced by breeding a male horse and a female donkey together. Hinnies have a donkey body and the long legs of a horse. They are smaller than mules and have a wider range of coat colors. Their heads are more horse-like than mules, giving them an interesting appearance.  

Jaglion

Perhaps one of the most beautiful hybrid animals to exist is the Jaglion. They are a mix of a lioness mother and a jaguar father. Jaglions are incredibly rare and aren’t found in the wild. They have a combination of features from both parents, with muscular bodies, spotted coats, and sometimes a lion’s mane. Most Jaglions are dark brown or black, but some have lighter coats and distinctive spots. 

Dzo

The Dzo is a hybrid of domestic cattle and a yak. Males of this hybrid are called Dzo and females are Dzomo or Zhom. Although Dzomo are fertile and can reproduce, Dzo cannot. Local farmers and traders use this hybrid as a pack animal to transport heavy loads across mountains. They are mostly found in Tibet and Mongolia and were bred to be larger and stronger versions of their parents. 

Zebroid

The Zebroid is a hybrid of a zebra and any other equine breed, but usually horses. It simply refers to any zebra hybrid. These hybrids have been around since the 19^th century and are named after their parents. Examples of popular zebra hybrids include the Zebrule, Zonkey, Zetlands, and Zebrose. Many zebra hybrids are born with a type of dwarfism.

Coywolf

The Coywolf is a coyote and wolf hybrid that descended from coyotes, Eastern Wolves, Grey Wolves, and domestic dogs. All of these canines can interbreed because of their similar genetics, hence the creation of the Coywolf. This hybrid is slightly larger than coyotes but smaller than wolves. Each Coywolf has a different appearance and temperament depending on which type of wolf they descend from. 

Savannah Cat

Savannah Cats are popular hybridized domestic felines created from a Serval and a domestic cat. They are larger and leaner than their parents and are incredibly active and athletic. Savannah Cats look similar to Servals with long legs, large ears, and spotted coats. They are one of the largest domestic cat breeds and can weigh up to 25 pounds, which is more than most Maine Coons. 

Beefalo

When you mix domestic cattle with an American Bison, you get the Beefalo. This hybrid was first noticed in North America back in the mid-1700s. They usually look more similar to domestic cattle and are found in a variety of colors. Beefalos can weigh an impressive 1,500 to 2,000 pounds and stand a staggering 55 inches tall. 

Wholphin

One of the world’s rarest animal hybrids, the Wholphin, belongs in the ocean. They were created from a male False Killer Whale and a female Common Bottlenose Dolphin. The first recorded Wholphin was born in 1981 in Tokyo but didn’t live for more than a year. Kekaimalu is the first Wholphin in the United States, and she currently lives with her daughter in captivity. 

Liger

Ligers are hybrids of female tigers and male lions. They are one of the largest felines in the world and get bigger than both lions and tigers. Ligers have faint tiger stripes and tawny-colored fur. Some Ligers are pale golden if they are bred from white tigers. The biggest Liger ever recorded was a male named Nook who weighed 1,213 pounds. 

Geep

Geep’s are created by crossbreeding sheep and goats. They have sheep-shaped bodies, long goat legs, and woolly coats. There are a few known cases of sheep-goat hybrids, one in 2000 from a male sheep that mated with a female goat that gave birth to a male Geep. Another case involved a female Goat in New Zealand that had several Geep offspring with a sheep father. 

Tigon

Sometimes confused for a Ligar, the Tigon is another hybrid of a tiger and lion. In this case, the Tigon is produced from male tigers and lionesses. Tigons look exactly like their parents, with faint spots or markings and a similar large size. Male Tigons have miniature versions of a lion’s mane, but it isn’t as noticeable as the Ligers. 

Zubron

The Zubron is a cattle and wisent hybrid. These large hybrids were first created in 1847, but some people believe they existed before that. Scientists considered Zubrons to be a potential replacement for domestic cattle because they were cheaper and tougher. However, fewer Zubrons were bred in fear that they would mess with the endangered Wisent’s genes. 

Bengals

Bengals are domestic cat hybrids developed from Asian Leopard Cats and domestic cats. They look like adorable mini leopards with their cat-shaped bodies and dark rosette markings. Although Bengals look wild and tough, they make great family pets worldwide. These felines are becoming increasingly popular as pets, but not everyone knows that they are hybrids. 

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