Whiteangel33

Ligers - the result of crossbreeding lions and tigers - have roamed animal preserves and sanctuaries for years. It wasn't until recently, however, that these intriguing animals gained wide fame - thanks in part to the film Napoleon Dynamite.

In one of his many memorable lines, napoleon declared the liger "pretty much my favorite animal." He didn't mention the zorse, however, which is produced when a zebra and a horse mate.

Ligers and Zorses but not Ponkey

Not all animals can be crossbred. You'll never see a ponkey (pig and monkey). In general, the two animals that are to be crossbred must belong to the same genus and share the same number of chromosomes. Chromosomes are threadlike strands that carry genetic information. The offspring of crossbred animals share traits from both parents. For example, the liger inherits a full mane from the lion and stripes from the tiger. Hybrid animals are usually born sterile; they cannot produce offspring.

Hybrid animals are definitely interesting to look at, but some scientists think cross-breeding species is a bad idea. Not all of these animals survive to adulthood, and they can be born with genetic defects. In addition, crossbreeding typically does not occur in nature, only in captivity.

Here are some examples of crossbred animals:

Beefalo or cattalo: American bison and cow
Cama: camel and liama
Grolar or pizzly: grizzly bear and polar bear
Leopon: leopard and lion
Liger: male lion and female tiger
Mule: male donkey and female horse
Tigon: male tiger and female lion
Wolphin: false killer whale and dolphin
Yakalo: yak and buffalo
Zeedonk: zebra and donkey