This article was originally published on VisualChase
Where Is the Wolphin
It is usually the easiest to hybridize two breeds of animals that are already pretty similar. That is exactly the case with a whale and a dolphin. Although they are very clearly different creatures, they do have lots of similarities. Perhaps that is why some people got together and chose to breed a common bottlenose dolphin with a false killer whale...creating a wolphin. At first glance, it looks much more like a whale than a dolphin.
Sea Life Park in Hawaii is the home of this interesting creature. Although it looks more like a donkey, it is impacted by the size of a whale and is much larger than the average dolphin.
Say Hello to the Beefalo
The time has come to say hello to the beefalo. Whoever came up with the name for this buffalo and cow hybrid seemed to have wanted to be a bit creative. Instead of choosing cowalo or buffacow, they went with the name of the food the animal provides (they are more than just a piece of meat!). This is actually one of the oldest hybrids known to man as farmers were known to interbreed these two species as far back as 200 years ago.
This beefalo really just looks like a large and very muscular cow. Maybe it is also hard to tell just from the picture the many differences this animal has because of its combined genes.
Nothing Quite Like a Jaglion
A jaglion. The name alone sounds like something out of a science fiction book. Well, the concept of a jaguar and a lion as a genetic hybrid also seems to come right out of a science fiction book. The animal itself also seems to possess some of the best qualities of both species, creating a majestically powerful animal that is also stunning. There are a few jaglions that can be found in sanctuaries around the world.
There is a famous set of jaglions named Jahzara and Tsunami. Their names seem as fierce and powerful as they do, and they seem to live up to their reputations.
Pizzly Bear in the Wild
Unlike most of the other hybrid animals on this list, the Pizzly Bear can actually be found in nature. What is a pizzly bear you might ask? It is the result of a grizzly bear and a brown bear mating. Although it is unclear why they are called pizzly bears and not bizzly bears, it is still a pretty cute name for this even cuter animal. Just look at that fur!
In case you were wondering how it happens that these two animals would end up mating, it is usually the result of climate change and a lack of suitable mates. They want to fulfill their purpose of producing offspring and if that means choosing a different breed of bear, so be it!
Have You Ever Seen a Tigon?
Both tigers and lions are pretty terrifying creatures. They are some of the biggest cats in the world and certainly the most terrifying (by far). Have you ever thought about what would happen if you combined the two? Well, it looks like some other people have and wanted to see what would be created. They bred a female lion and a male tiger to create the interesting and unique tigon.
Don't be fooled into thinking that this is a liger, since it is not! This creature is specifically known as a tigon and just like many of the other hybrid creatures, they cannot reproduce on their own.
Introducing the Zonkey
People tend to love zebras. There are even some people who travel all around the world just to catch a glimpse of one on an African safari. Donkeys are well-loved around the world as well, but they are nowhere near as exotic as the black and white striped zebra. What happens when you combine the two? You are presented with...the zonkey. Although they are both pretty similar genetically it is ver unlikely that the two would ever breed together naturally.
Zookeepers have worked to create this interesting hybrid and have successfully created the zonkey. However, zonkeys cannot produce their own offspring as is often the case with animals that are not bred by nature.
The Beautiful Savannah Cat
If you are looking to bring home a cat, perhaps you should consider this adorable creature known as the savannah cat. A unique species of cat from certain areas of the African Sahara were bred with the common housecat to create this cute and huggable kitty. It has stunning, pointy ears and a strikingly designed coat of fur thanks to its Savannah roots, but the sweetness of your good old house cat.
The personality of this cat is also top-notch. They are generally very playful and friendly. Some people have even compared them to dogs due to their outgoing personalities.
Here You Have the Leopon
Can you guess what a leopon is? Perhaps just by the name or by the looks of it, it may be very clear. A leopon is the combination and the genetic hybrid of a jaguar and a lion. Legend has it that there are even some of these creatures to be found in the wild (in extreme circumstances), but this has yet to be proven. Considering the large difference in size between the two creatures, it is unlikely to occur naturally.
The leopon looks like something out of a Disney movie. It could either be the evil character of the story or the benevolent queen or fairy that makes everything turn out for the best.
Undoing Generations of Domestication With the Wolfdog
Human beings have spent thousands of years domesticating the wolf into the cute and friendly dog that the world knows and loves today. It's sort of funny to think that there are now some people who are trying to interbreed dogs and wolves. It's almost as if they are trying to undo the work of thousands of years of domestication. Regardless of the intentions, it is not so far-fetched (pun intended) to think that dogs and wolves would breed together.
This combination of species is unlikely to happen in the wild due to the nature of the animals (wolves are far more fierce than the common pet dog), but genetically it does not present too much of an issue due to the similarities.
Hinny the Mini Horse
Introducing the hinny...an animal with an adorable name and a lovely set of parents. The hinny is the result of a male horse mating with a female donkey. Although you may think that this is simply a mule, it is a different animal entirely. Because of the different gender of the species of the animal parents, the hinny is smaller but stronger than a mule...as if mules weren't already strong enough!
You might be wondering why the hinny is smaller than a mule and the answer is that the womb of a donkey is much smaller than that of a horse, preventing the animal from growing larger than the mother could carry.
The Dzo of Tibet and Mongolia
The Dzo is unlike most of the other animals on this list as its name is not the result of simply combining the names of the two parent species, but it received a unique name all of its own. Because of that, you probably cannot guess what the dzo's parents are. They are a cow and a yak and the dzo can commonly be found in Tibet and Mongolia and is even considered somewhat of a delicacy (both its meat products and its milk).
The combination of these two incredibly strong and powerful animals creates a superpower of strength. The dzo is often used as a pack animal (not surprisingly) as it can carry some extraordinary loads.
Mulard the Fatty Duck Made to Eat
Just by looking at the picture, you might think that the mulard is a combination of a duck and swan, however that is not the case. The mulard is actually the result of the interbreeding of the pekin and the muscovy duck. This species was esentially created to solve a "crisis" in the meat world of duck meat as the mulard offers a higher meat content than the normal foie gras.
This is such a beautiful creature it seems like it would be a shame to create and reproduce it for the sole purpose of meat production!
The Good Old Mule
Perhaps the most famous hybrid in existence (and the oldest), you may not have even known that a mule is in fact the combination of two animals. Do you know what the parent species of the mule are? Mules are the result of a donkey and a horse mating. Despite the similarities between the two species, a mule is actually not able to reproduce on its own.
A mule is incapable of reproducing (despite the similarities) because of the unique chromosomal makeup of the horse and the donkey. However, throughout history farmers have continued to create mules to be pack animals that are strong and sturdy (and stubborn as the legend goes).
A Shocked Fish - The Blood Parrot Cichlid
The name of this interesting and memorable fish is probably very foreign sounding and unfamiliar. When you hear the parent species you will be even more confused. The Midas (a fish local to Costa Rica and Nicaragua_ combined with the redhead chichlid to create what is presented before you. The blood parrot cichlid actually has a mouth that is almost stuck in that open, shocked position making it difficult for them to obtain a consistent amount of food in the wild.
The bright and colorful fish looks pretty shocked in its everyday existence. Although it is very beautiful it lives a difficult life of constantly struggling to find and catch enough food.
Combining Two Rhinos
Did you know that there are multiple different types of rhinos? There are black rhinos and white rhinos and they are considered different species. However, they are not so different that they will never intermingle. Occasionally there is the wild love story of a black rhino that fell in love with a white rhino and combined their two species. Although most average people cannot differentiate between all the different species, they all look a little different.
It is perhaps for the best that the rhinos are mating between the species. Although they are changing the species, rhinos are very endangered and at least this gives them the opportunity to reproduce.
Have You Heard of the Humanzee
Although this is more of a myth and an idea of a scientific experiment (thankfully) many scientists have been interested in studying what would happen if human beings and chimpanzees were bred together. Considering the extremely high amount of DNA that is shared between humans and chimpanzees (over 95%), they often thought that the results would be interesting, to say the least.
China is rumored to have attempted a similar experiment in the 1960s, but there is no further information about it besides their attempts.
Bees Weren't Meant to Be Killers
Bees are known as the backbone of our earth and are generally harmless and kind creatures. That is until the killer bee came into existence. Killer bees were not a thing before the 1950s when some scientists decided to combine multiple species of bees in hopes of creating bees that would increase honey production. Their experiment failed to create bees that produced more honey and instead just created killer bees that were much more violent and protective about their hives.
The origins of the killer bee are the honey bee, known as Apis mellifera, and the African bee, known as Apis mellifera scutellate. Who ever thought the result would be the killer bee?
And Here Is the Liger
In case you were concerned earlier when you saw the tigon, now you can be reassured that the liger has also made its way to this list. The liger, although it cannot be found in the wild (only in zoos), has managed to become quite famous due to its enormous size. The best genes of both of these creatures seemed to have combined to create one enormous cat that is both daunting and terrifying.
Sadly, this hybrid did not turn out for the best. These creatures are literally too large for their bodies and can oftentimes die as a result of too much weight for their hearts to bear.
The Beautiful Zorse
You might be thinking that a zebra and a horse are essentially the same animals, just with a different coat and design for their hair. Although this is somewhat true and the reason that having that mate is actually pretty simple, it is unlikely that this would ever occur in nature without the help of humans. The zorse can actually reproduce, however, they are very likely to be dwarfs due to the circumstances.
You can see how the genes of the two breeds combine to make this crazy and beautiful hybrid. The stripes are only slightly visible underneath the smooth coat of the horse hair.
The Coyote Is a Hyrbid
Much like the mule, the coyote is probably one of the least known or most well-known hybrids (depending on how you look at it). The animal itself is very well known, but it is not as known that it is a hybrid. Coyotes are the result of breeding between wolves and dogs. The exact origins are not fully known and it is most likely a fully natural occurrence, not one concocted by human scientists in a lab.
You might be tempted to run up and cuddle this furry animal as it looks just like some people's house pets. But you might want to be careful. Although coyotes are not the most dangerous of all wild creatures, they are still wild animals.
Cama or a Clama?
Perhaps the real question when it comes to all of these different hybrid animals is who is reasonable for naming them? There were certainly many different options for the naming of a camel and a llama's offspring. They could have called it a cllama, a cama, or a lamel just to name a few. The end result of this combination is pretty much a camel without a hump (at least just from the external appearance).
The camel and the llama are actually very similar species which is why the combination somehow works. Depending on the environment where they live, the cama can combine some of the features of both animals.
Toygers Just Look Like a Tiger
Have you ever wanted to have a house cat that looked like a tiger? It's many people's dream to have a tiger as a pet entirely (especially if you are dreaming of being like Jasmine from Aladdin). Well, you may have a chance with a toyger. Although the name suggests that they are part tiger, they are actually just bred to look and have many of the features of a tiger in a small car form.
Many people have the urge to have exotic animals around their house, but often (wisely) don't want the risks that come along with that. The toyger is the perfect solution to that problem!
Cheetohs - Not the Snack
It may be hard for you to think of anything else other than the snack when you hear the word cheetohs mentioned. However, there is a species of cat that was bred in the 1980s that also bears that name. It is the combination of domestic Bengal cats and another subspecies of cats known as Ocicats that gave this animal its stunning cheetoh-like appearance. But don't be fooled, as there is no cheetah actually in the lineage here!
This cat breed in another great example of what can be done to quench the desire to have an exotic cat without actually having an exotic cat. It looks beautiful and stunning like a cheetah, but it is a house cat!
Two Sharks in One - Blacktip Shark
Although the majority of Frankenstein-like animal hybrids on this list are the result of some bored scientists in local zoos, the Blacktip shark is actually a form of evolution in the making. Because of a change in the environment, two different shark species have started mating (the common blacktip shark and the Australian blacktip shark) to create the Blacktip Shark. Although to the naked eye and the uneducated non-zoologist, this might just look like any old shark, it is a different hybrid.
Scientists aren't quite sure what makes these sharks breed with other species instead of their own, but they speculate that it is related to the rising ocean temperature.
The Granola Bear - Have a Snack
Although the name granola bear brings up pictures of yummy snacks on camping and hiking trips, you can only hope that you won't run into one of these creatures on any venture into the wild. The Granola Bear (also known as a Grolar bear) is known to be found in the wild of North America and is the result of bear species mating when the ice caps melted, causing the bears to migrate south.
The granola bear is a combination of a grizzly bear and a polar bear. As much as it sounds like a terrifying combination...it actually is in real life and you'll want to stay as far away from them as possible.
Bring Out Your Polaroid for the Zebroid
Male zebras have been taken to female horses for breeding purposes and the result is a zebroid. You should really bring out your polaroid for the zebroid as they are worthy of some photographs. Imagine the stunning shape and size of a horse combined with the striking stripes of a zebra...you are presented with a zebroid! It is undoubtedly an unforgettable animal...to say the least.
Some people have even been known to ride the zebroid. Although you can technically ride a normal zebra as well, it is not as comfortable for the body due to the size. However, since zebroids are similar to horses in size, they are easier to ride.
The Human Pig
This is almost undoubtedly the most disturbing hybrid on the least and can definitely be considered the peak example of an "animal Frankenstein". Scientists call it a chimera, but casually it is known as a human pig. They are sometimes created in order to produce cheaper and more usable organs needed for human transplants. However, due to the intense controversy around this idea, there is no public funding assigned to them (rightfully so)!
Even despite the noble intentions, the execution of this sci-fi horror story-like plan is enough to give anyone nightmares for many years to come.
Make a Peep for the Geep
Most people are probably not able to even differentiate completely between a sheep and a goat. There are many different species confusing matters. To complicate things, even more, there is even one geep in the world. It's half sheep and half goat. Although its lineage has not been proven and its genetics still remains a bit of a mystery, it certainly looks like the combination of a goat and a sheep.
In case you want to find this little guy, you'd have to head over to the Scottsdale petting zoo and ask for "Butterfly". Don't worry about approaching him as he is friendly and eager for attention and love.
Introducing the Yakalo
There are two animals that are not the most well-known for various reasons. Most people know the name of a yak and a buffalo, but they are not the most common to come across in the wild. If you want something even more uncommon, you are presented with the yakalo...the combination of a yak and a buffalo. Buffalos nearly became extinct in the 1900s for multiple reasons and this hybrid was an attempt to save the species.
Farmers of the 20s created this hybrid in a desperate attempt to preserve the buffalo, however, all of their efforts amounted to failure as the offspring struggled to survive in the wild.
Everyone Loves a Baboon
Baboons are creatures that are very hard to miss. Unlike other types of monkeys, baboons are famous for their bright red bubble behinds, making them stand out in just about any circumstance. Although most species tend to stick to their own when it comes to mating, baboons have been known to regularly mate with different subspecies to create offpsring. This could be the result of loss of habitat or lack of mating partners.
Time is yet to tell whether this will be better for the baboon species or worse. Perhaps it will create an even better version of the baboon or perhaps they will create offspring that cannot reproduce.
The Narluga Whale
In case you couldn't already guess just from the name, the narluga is a combination of the narwhals and the beluga whale. The two species combine to create an extremely adorable creature as can be seen in the picture (the cute name is quite fitting as well). As with multiple other marine creatures on this list, they do occur in the wild naturally and are thought to be the ressult of climate change.
Just look at the adorable face of this "animal Frankenstein". It's hard to call it a Frankenstein when you see how cute it ended up turning out!
Flue Whales in the Wild
As can be seen just from this list alone, it seems to be a pretty common theme that marine life is among the most popular animals for hybridization. Many of them can even produce offspring, something that is not as common among land mammals. This hybrid, known as the Flue is the result of blue whales and fin whales mating. They are also known as fin blues, but it is usually shortened to flues.
Judging based on this picture alone, flues look like pretty happy creatures, enjoying their existence in the deep blue ocean waters.
Chausie Cats From Egypt
Everyone has heard of the common domestic cat, but have you heard of a jungle cat? Cat breeders of the 90s took these two breeds and combined them to create the Chausie cat. Cat domestication goes as far back as ancient Egyptians, who are believed to be the first people to domestic the cat, starting with jungle cats. Thousands of years later and you have this cute, but majestic creature.
This cat really looks like something that came right out of an ancient Egyptian hieroglyph. Do you think the personality of the cat is also similar?
Kungas - The Extinct Species
It still counts as a cool hybrid even if it no longer exists anymore, right? The Kunga is a donkey-like animal that can be found in ancient Syrian art from thousands of years ago. Historians could never understand how these horse-like creatures were portrayed by these people at least a thousand years before wild horses were known to have entered the region. All of their questions were answered when they understood the Kunga.
This enormous horse, known as the Kunga is no longer in existence. It is unclear when it went extinct and little is known about it, but it is believed to have helped the ancient Mesopotamians in their wars and conquests.
A Roach and a Bream
There is no need to panic when you see this, although it may be hard to resist. This is not the result of a cockroach breeding with a fish...the animal Frankensteins have not been taken to that extreme level...yet. A roach is a type of fish and so is a bream. Unless you are a fish expert however you will probably not be able to differentiate them. Regardless, this hybrid has been found in Denmark.
Although hybridization is quite rare in the world of fish, it apparently happens at the end of the migration season between roach fish and bream fish to create the roach-beam hybrid.
Belgian Blues - The Cow of Cows
Although this is not technically considered a hybrid, as it is the result of selective breeding within one species, it is quite unique so it is worth noting. This cow is the result of taking the healthiest and largest cows through multiple generations and creating this massive cow type known as Belgian Blues. They are so massive that they even get to be the weight of a small car.
Imagine how much meat they can get from just one of these cows! Do you think it tastes better or worse than regular cow meat, or just about the same?
The Opposite of Evolution
In some parts of the world, it looks like they are trying to undo the millions of years of work that evolution did to create humans. According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Chinese authorities have approved the testing and production of human and monkey hybrids. Although it is unclear the purpose of such a study, it is apparently already underway and in full force.
There is not much information available on the progress of such progress, mainly due to the huge moral complications and questions on human and animal rights involved in the process.
The Human Being
Although this may not be an official example of a hybrid, it falls under the same category somehow and is quite interesting. Humans once shared the Earth with creatures known as Neanderthals. Although this was over fifty thousand years ago, the word is still used in common everyday slang (meaning something dumb). Essentially, Neanderthals were shorter humans that had more muscle and were assumed to not have been the smartest (hence the slang term).
Human DNA is so similar to Neanderthal DNA, making it very clear that interbreeding was very common way back in the day.
When Two Wood-Rats Combine
You have probably never even heard of the wood rat before reading this article, but now you are presented with the additional fact that occasionally two different species of wood rat are known to mate in the wild naturally. They are creating their own form of hybridization and an entirely new species of animal. This is not very common to see in nature and it is much more likely to see by human scientists.
It is even more difficult for researchers to differentiate between the Bryant Wood Rat and the Desert Wood Rat hybrids.
When Flies and Mosquitos Combine
What are two of the most annoying insects on the planet? Everyone can agree that they are undoubtedly the fly and the mosquito. What would happen if these two mated naturally in the wild to create the human most hated insect? This happens in nature when African flies mate with mosquitos and they have created an entirely new species. One scientist and researcher was at the forefront of this discovery.
The combined result ends up looking more like a bumble bee than a mosquito and fly hybrid.