15 Strangest Animal Hybrids

  • 6 years ago
From Destructive hybrid Super-termites… to … a possible buffalo-crocodile mashup … Here are 15 of the Strangest Animal Hybrids!\r
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What do you get when you cross a domestic cat with an African wildcat known as a Serval (sur-val)? You get a feline called a Savannah Cat that can weigh around 20 pounds … and they can take a good bite out of your wallet. Depending on the gender and generation, kittens can cost up to $20,000 US dollars! Female Savannah Cats with up to 50% Serval parentage cost the most. Savannah cats are swift runners, can leap some eight feet into the air from a standing position, and they even like water! Overall, the hybrids are known to be sociable and friendly, but theyre not always welcomed around the world. Australia has banned their importation, citing them as a potential threat to native wildlife.\r
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Pizzly Bears -- The hybrid offspring of Brown bears and Polar bears are also known as Grolar Bears, and have been bred in captivity. In 2006, a hunter reported he had shot and killed a strange looking bear on Banks Island in the Canadian Arctic. DNA testing later revealed it was a Pizzly Bear … the first official confirmation of their existence in the wild.\r
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Tigons (tih-gones)\r
Chances are you know that Tigons are the result of a male tiger mating with a female lion. The resulting hybrids can exhibit traits of both parents, including tiger stripes and lion manes on the males. They can weigh up to 400 pounds, but never exceed the size of their parent species. \r
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Wholpin (wal-fin) -- These hybrids are the result of a female common bottlenose dolphin mating with a male false killer whale. Their size is between that of the two parents. Theyre extremely rare, with only one currently in captivity at Sea Life Park in Hawaii, but some have been reported in the wild Although the name does imply a cross between a dolphin and a whale, both species are ually contained in the same “oceanic dolphin” family.\r
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Asian and Formosan subterranean termites are two of the worlds most destructive species of termites … and its possible theyre producing hybrid offspring that could become Super-termites! Researchers in Florida noted that the two subterranean species were swarming at the same times and places, seeking mates. When scientists took specimens to the lab, the females laid eggs, which grew and resulted in a hybrid colony. So far, its unknown if hybrid colonies have survived in the wild … or whether the hybrid creatures bred in the labs can ually reproduce. Many experts are hoping the hybrid insects are sterile. … because the idea of super-termites with the destructive capabilities of two invasive specie poses a dilemma. \r
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A Liger (lie-jer) is a cross between a male lion and a female tiger. Like tigers, they enjoy the water … like lions, they are very sociable animals. Because the habitats of lions and tigers dont overlap in the wild, Ligers (lie-jers) have only been produced in captivity … although there are legends of them in the wild. Theyre considered to represent the largest known cat in the world, growing bigger than male Siberian tigers! Did you know a Liger (lie-jur) named Hercules holds the Guinness record for the worlds largest living cat … he weighs 922 pounds!\r
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Scientists in the US have been conducting experiments that combine human stem cells with pig DNA … with the goal of growing a human organ inside the animal! So-called ‘chimera (kie-meer-uh) embryos have been implanted inside sows where theyre allowed to grow for 28 days. The hybrid embryos are tested, and then destroyed. The aim is to grow a fully matured embryo inside an adult pig, with a fetus that has an organ composed of human cells. The organ could then be harvested for transplant into a patient. In addition to using pigs, researchers have also conducted experiments with sheep implanted with such hybrid embryos. Critics call the research “Franken-science”, and have concerns that the hybrid embryos might develop human chareristics. \r
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A bizarre-looking animal was found in a remote village of Thailand … and villagers were terrified by its appearance! The creature had the body shape of a buffalo . but had scaly skin, like a reptile … and a head that resembled a crocodile. It was said to have been delivered from a buffalo … which had previously given birth to a litter of healthy calves. This animal is said to have died shortly after birth. Locals later placed the creature on a table and set incense and candles around it … evidently in the hope that it will bring them good luck. Exly how this creature gained its unusual appearance is still unknown … could it a really be a cross between a buffalo and some sort of reptile?\r
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