Though they rarely occur in nature, individuals from different but closely related species do occasionally mate, and the result is a biological hybrid- an offspring that shares traits from both parent species.
Here are some bizarre, but truly unique half breeds.
Zebroid: A zebroid is the offspring of a zebra and any other equine (an animal in the horse family), usually a horse or a donkey. There are zorses,zonkeys,zonies and a host of other combinations.
Savannah Cats: Savannah Cats are the name given to the offspring of a domestic cat and a serval-a medium sized, large eared wild African cat. The unusual cross became popular among breeders at the end of the 20 century, and in 2001 the international Cat Association accepted it as a new registered breed. Savannah cats are often compared to dogs in their loyalty. They can also be trained to walk on a leash and even play fetch.
Ligers: Ligers are the cross between a male lion and a female tiger, and they are the largest of all living cats and felines. Their massive size may be a result of imprinted genes which are not expressed in their parents, but are left unchecked when the two species mate. Some female ligers can grow to 10 feet and weigh 700 pounds.
Ligers are distinct from tigons, which wich come from a male tiger and a female lion. Various other big cat hybrids have been created too, including leopons (leopard+lion)
Jaguleps (Jaguar+leopard) and even lijaleps (lion+jagulep).
Beefalo: Beefalo are the fertile offspring of domestic cattle and American bison. Crosses also exist between domestic cattle and European bison (zubrons) and yaks (yakows). Beefalo were purposely created to combine the best characteristics of both animals with an eye towards beef production.
A USDA study showed that beefalo meat is lower in fat and cholesterol and also thought to produce less damage to wildlife than regular cattle.
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