Hinny - a cross between a female donkey and a male horse.
Mules and Hinnys are an interesting hybrid as they can come in all shapes and sizes. They have the teeth, height, body and rump of a horse, but the head, long ears and small hooves of a donkey. The Mule/Hinnys were bred as they are more patient creatures than horses, especially when it comes to carrying weights, as well as their skin being thicker, protecting them from long hard days in the sun.
The differences between a mule and a hinny, is that they are generally a smaller animal. Hinny's also resemble more of a horse's face, with shorter ears than a mule, other characteristic differences include the tail and mane are more similar to a horses than that of a mule. As a working animal, these creatures are the best of both horses and donkeys. In the war, mules were used to transport heavy weaponry such as small canons.
 |
| A Standard Hinny |
 |
| A Standard Mule |
Zebroid
A Zebroid is a general term for a zebra x equine hybrid. There are three types of zeroed:
Zorse - a cross between a zebra stallion and a female horse. It is more common for the male zebra and mare to mate, but on a rare occasion, it has been known. This rarer hybrid is called a horbra, hebra, zebrinny or zebret. The Zorse is sterile.
 |
| Zorse |
Zony - a cross between a zebra stallion and a pony mare. This can include any types of pony, even miniature species such as the Shetland Pony. This is called a Zetland.
 |
| Zony |
 |
| Zetland |
Zebronkey - a cross between a zebra and a donkey. Donkeys and zebra's are very closely related in the equine family, which is why it can be either a male zebra and female donkey or a female zebra and a male donkey. These hybrids occur in the wild, mainly in South Africa, where the two are kept in close proximity. A like the Zorse, the Zebronkey is sterile.
 |
| Zebronkey |
With one of the more humorous names, a beefalo is a cross between a male domestic cow, and a female American Buffalo. These hybrids are fertile creatures, and generally created in breeding programs. These animals were created by humans, solely to combine the creatures for the meat they provide. The first combination of the two breeds was in 1749, then again in 1886, in an attempt to help the cattle survive the winter, as the animal had a larger coat.
 |
| Beefalo |
The Savannah Cat is a cross between the domestic cat, and the Serval, an African wild cat. The Savannah Cat is the largest domestic cat, with a slim body and larger ears than a domestic cat. The Savannah cat is fertile, creating F1, F2, F3 generations of cat. An F1 Savannah Kitten is 50% Serval, F2 is 25% and so on. The F1 kittens are more sought after, leading to a hefty price tag for breeders, up to £12,000 a kitten. The closest generation to the Serval, F1 Cats, can weigh anywhere from 14-25 pounds, with the further generation cats weighing about 7-12 pounds. Savannah Cats are known for their dog-like temperament, and are often noted to follow their owners around like canines. They can jump up to 8 feet, making fridges and high cupboards an easy task to jump onto. Savannah Cats are much more social creatures than the domestic cat, and require a lot more dedication. They have a spotted coat, which is the only coat accepted by the TICA breed standard.
 |
| Savannah Cat compared to a domestic cat. |
 |
| Savannah Cat. |
A very rare combination of a bottlenose dolphin and a false killer whale. This hybrid is reported to live in the wild, but has occurred twice in captivity. The first Wholphin was born in Tokyo SeaWorld, but died after only 200 days. The next Wholphin was born in Hawaii's Sea Life Park in 1985, called Kekaimalu, meaning 'from the peaceful ocean'. Kekaimalu was fertile, and bore a calf when she was very young, but it soon died. In 1991, another calf was born, named Pohaikealoha, which had to be hand-reared by the staff at the park, as Kekaimalu cared for the calf but did not nurse it. The calf died when she was 9 years old. In 2004, Kekaimalu gave birth to her third calf, sired by a male bottlenose, which lives in the park with it's mother to this day. Kawili Kai, the female calf, was nursed by Kekaimalu, and by the age of 1 was the size of a fully grown bottlenose. The calves were all 3/4 bottlenose, and 1/4 false killer whale. Kawili Kai has the blend of silvery skin of a bottlenose and the black markings of a killer whale.
 |
| Kawili Kai, 9 months of age. |
 |
| Kekaimalu and her calf Kawili Kai |
There are many more hybrids that have occurred in the wild, and in captivity. Humans remain prominent at the cause behind cross-breeding, whether it be to create the perfect pet for households, or to create the best animal that produces the best meat. There are many risks and factors to take into consideration when cross-breeding, for example, the temperament of the animal, the size, difficulties delivering, health issues, and short life-spans. Many people believe that humans should not mess with nature, which is essentially what is happening when these animals are forced to cross-breed.
The Cattle Site (no date) Breeds - Beefalo. Available at: http://www.thecattlesite.com/breeds/beef/97/beefalo/ (Accessed: 10 November 2015).
Messy Beast (1915) Hybrid equines. Available at: http://messybeast.com/genetics/hybrid-equines.htm (Accessed: 10 November 2015).
Mother Nature Network (2015) 11 amazing hybrid animals. Available at: http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/photos/11-amazing-hybrid-animals/zebroids (Accessed: 10 November 2015).
A1 Savannah (2014) A1 Savannahs pricing. Available at: http://www.a1savannahs.com/cats/savannah-pricing (Accessed: 10 November 2015).
Hawke, C. (2005) ‘A “Wholphin” is born’, CBS NEWS, .
Mother Nature Network (2015) 11 amazing hybrid animals. Available at: http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/photos/11-amazing-hybrid-animals/wholphins (Accessed: 10 November 2015).
No comments:
Post a Comment