Hybrid Animals
By Rishi Shetty
A hybrid animal is a cross between two different types of
animals. Did you know that a mule is a hybrid animal? Most
people think that the lion or tiger are the biggest in the cat
family, but really the liger, which is a hybrid animal is the
biggest cat. A liger is a cross between a male lion and a female
tiger. An adult liger weighs more than 700 lbs and is about 10
feet long.
Most hybrid animals are born from similar species which
have the same number of chromosomes but there are some
exceptions, for example the mule is a hybrid animal with a male
donkey (62 chromosomes) and a female horse (64
chromosomes). Majority of hybrid animals are bred in captivity
and have diseases and don't live as long as their parents. It's
very rare for a hybrid animal to have a baby but interestingly
there is liliger that is a cross between a male lion and a female
liger (ligress).
You can find lot more hybrid animals like Savannah cat,
Hinny (like mule, but female donkey and male horse), Zonkey
(Zebra and Donkey), Wholphin (Whale and Dolphin), Bengal cat
(leopard and domestic cat). While I like the natural hybrids, I
am not sure whether it is good for us to breed them in captivity
as these animals don't live long and carry diseases. What do
you think?
-Rishi Shetty
Age: 8-Years
Grade: 3