Strange Hybrids In A Strange World

The Dzo is a cattle hybrid with the Yak, and is commonly found in Tibet and into Mongolia where they are also a popular hybridized breed. Technically speaking the Dzo is the male hybrid, the female is known as the zohm, or dzomo, additionally there are different spellings and different terms (yakow). The females, Dzomos, are fertile while the males, Dzos, are sterile. This species is noted to enjoy Hybrid Vigor, where the beneficial traits of both breeds are expressed in the hybrid and outweigh the harmful traits if any are present.

The Yak, Bos grunniens, is an animal commonly found in Tibet and as far north in Mongolia, however they are now listed as a threatened and vulnerable species due to pure bloodlines being lost to hybridization and the declining numbers of wild yak. Wild yaks are commonly upward of 2500lbs, and form herds of 10-30. Domestic yaks on the other hand weigh much less, usually maxing out at less than 1300lbs, while females of both are much smaller than the males (560lb max for domestic females, and 730lbs for wild females). They are crossed with the common domesticated cow (Bos primigenius Taurus). The domestic cow has been used for centuries for milk, production of cheeses, yogurts, and any dairy product, and is currently the most populous of the living bovines to date, with nearly a billion cows worldwide in recent estimations. They are a major backbone for economies all over the world, and their greatest population is in India. They are crossed with the Yak to create the Dzo hybrids.

The Dzo exhibit desirable traits of strength and health greater than the domestic cow and the yak, and are commonly employed for plowing and other heavy work, they are also highly prized and can be, using the females, interbred with either cattle, other yaks, to get the desired results for either milk production, meat production, or beasts of burden and labor. They are also used for milk production and meat, and in Mongolia they are prized for having a greater output of milk, which is used for many foods and cheeses, along with having more lean meat. They are commonly found throughout Tibet and into Mongolia. A closely related hybid is the crossing of a Yak with a Bison (American Buffalo), to create what is known as a Yakalo.

Picture of the Dzo by ottmarliebert.com from Santa Fe, Turtle Island, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.0

The Savannah cat is a hybrid between two related species of feline. Through this hybridization a new line of cats was created, and known as the Savannah cat. The history goes back to when a Bengal cat breeder (also a hybrid cat) crossed a domesticated cat (Felis silvestris catus) with a Serval (Leptailurus serval). Although they are neither in the same genus, they are in the same Family Felidae and Subfamily Felinae, and are able to interbreed. After the first hybrids were produced, attempts were made for several years to get it popularized. Finally in the early 90s a breeder joined in the production and founding of the Savannah cat breed. As of the early 2000s there were nearly 22,000 Savannah cats.

Due to their hybridization with a large wild cat, they are typically larger than normal housecats and can weigh up to 35lbs for first generation offspring, while the second and later generations are between 15 and 25lbs. Due to the broad mixing of genetics the variability of size and weight occurs from litter to litter, with some in excess of 35lbs as adults, without obesity. Depending on the breed of domesticated housecat used, their patterns and overall coat will look different, and will produce wide variations. Of note is the fact that although the Savannah is a hybrid of the common domestic cat, only certain breeds of domestic cat are recognized, while others are not. Some breeders will mix the Bengal hybrid with the Savannah hybrid to create even more genetically varied stock, however the Bengal is not accepted as one of the breeds. Accepted breeds according to the TICA are the Ocicat, Egyptian Mau, Domestic Shorthair, and the Oriental Shorthair. Due to hybridization males are sterile until around the 5th generation, while females are not, and can be fertile with the first generation hybrids. Their costs go up accordingly, with females being much more valuable than males.

Strangely, for cats, they are comparatively placed next to the temperaments of domestic dogs with descriptions of being loyal, and exhibiting common domesticated dog traits such as following their owner, playing fetch, and use of a leash, they are mostly considered to be friendly and social when greeting new people, however there is a variance in this as some have reported hissing and general displeasure with meeting strangers. One other trait not associated with normal domestic housecats is that the Savannah cat generally enjoys water, and swimming.

The health of these hybrids has been evaluated as having a trait known as “Hybrid Vigor” which means that they benefit from the hybridization more than the possible consequences of hybridization. Known or possible issues are minimal, but a vet must be informed to avoid any issues or possible negative outcomes with treatment, such as lower dosages for their size due to a smaller liver, and possible reactions with Ketamine and live vaccinations. As for their diet there is much controversy, ranging from general cat-food being good, to raw diets of organics being the only acceptable diet; however they are denoted as being hardy in either case or ranges in between.

Currently the only place totally illegal to own a hybrid cat, even if it is more than five generations out, is New York City in New York. Other areas have restrictions and registrations along with permit laws, however New York City is the only place in the United States that explicitly forbids ownership of any hybrid animals. Many arguments have been made by the owners of these hybrids, and there have been no recorded attacks, or fatalities, from the Savannah Cat (as their size would dictate they would be unable to hurt much except for small children, but seem to be good around children anyways). However, it is possible that ignorance of the issues involving hybrids by those in charge of the laws in New York and New York City have painted their views on the matter. In several interviews many officials have seemed concerned about safety, even though not one was able to name an incident involving the Savannah Cat (because there have actually been none, with over 22,000 currently kept as pets).

A Jaglion is a hybrid between a male jaguar and a lionness, it has the background color of the lion and the powerful build and the rosettes of the jaguar.

In April 2006, two Jaglion cubs were born at Bear Creek Wildlife Sanctuary in Canada, one male (Tsunami) and one female (Jahzara). It was an unintended mating between the black jaguar Diablo and the lioness Lola who had been hand-raised together and were inseparable. They were kept apart when Lola came into oestrus. Tsunami is spotted, but Jahzara is a melanistic jaglion due to inheriting the jaguar’s dominant melanism gene. It was not previously known how the jaguar’s dominant melanism gene would interact with lion coloration genes.

Picture taken at Walter Rothschild Zoological Museum, England by Sarah Hartwell, licensed under GFDL

The Blue Bedlington Terrier is named after the mining town ‘Bedlington’ in the Northeast of England. They went by different names a ‘The Rothbury Terrier’ and due to its assistance with poaching ‘The Gypsy Dog’. They have a pear-shaped head, an arched back with a curly coat. They also have quite a reputation thgroughout history, when they were known to take on badgers in the field and to fight to the death in dog fighting. Through selective breeding, it developed into a much more social race.

They are often described as a “lamb on a leash”, because of their non-shedding fur and their woolly texture. The Bedlington Terrier moves with unique, light movement and sometimes seems to “float” above the ground.

Photo of the Blue Bedlington Terrier by Deanna 

The Pumapard is a hybrid between a puma and a leopard… Carl Hagenbeck in the 19th century crossbred the two and created this hybrid. Unfortunately, the pups did not reach adulthood. A male Puma and female Leopard had produced a hybrid male cub. In that time, it was normal for a dog to foster the pup and it was reared by a Fox Terrier bitch at Hagenbeck Tierpark, Hamburg.

Pumapards can be the result of a female Puma mating a male Leopard, or a male Puma mating a female Leopard. In both cases they show a form of dwarfism. They only grow to about half the size of their parents.

Picture of the pumapard by Messybeast at en.wikipedia, licensed under GFDL

Other names: zebrass, zebronkey, zeedonk, zedonk, zebadonk, zenkey, donbra, zebrinny, or deebra

They zonkey is a cross between a zebra and a donkey. Usually a male zebra is paired with an ass mare or horse mare, but the opposite can also occur (see also Haldane’s rule / law). As with so many hybrids, the species have different number of chromosomes: a donkey has 62 chromosomes and a zebra (depending on which species) has 42 - 62 chromosomes… The hybrid zonkey has a number of chromosomes in between of both parents.

Zonkeys are generally more easily bred than a zorse, because the donkey and zebra communicate quite similair, this is not the case with a horse and zebra.

Hybrids between the ass and zebra were mentioned by Charles Darwin in his Origin of Species (1859).