Guide To: Hybridization

Hybrids are the result of hybridization, or the interbreeding of two animals/plants of different taxa (classifications).

As a general rule, interbreeding can occur only between species of the same genus. Many hybrids are infertile, or unable to reproduce. Many big cat (panthera) hybrids are fertile only in the female sex. Canine hybrids are usually fertile. Equine hybrids are usually infertile. A chart of common mammal hybrids in today's time is shown at the bottom of this guide.

There are four types of hybridization (excluding population hybridization). These types are interspecific, intra-specific, intergeneric, and interfamilial. For our purposes, intergeneric (cross breeding of diferent genus) and interfamilial (cross breeding of different families) will not be allowed on The Blackblood Alliance without approval by the moderator team.


Interspecific hybridization is the breeding of different species with the same genus. They include many big cat hybrids, as well as coydogs and coywolves. It is the most common form of hybridization.

Interspecific hybridization is able to occur naturally. In today's time, there are many limiting factors to interspecific breeding, usually location. In the BBA world, however, all role played species are jumbled up into a generally close region. As long as these interspecific hybrids could occur in captivity, there is no reason why they could not occur on BBA.

An interspecific hybrid's fertility varies. Many of panthera (ligers, tigons, leopons, etc.) hybrid males are infertile, while the female counterparts can breed with the species she contains (Female ligers can breed with a lion or a tiger to produce li-ligers or ti-ligers). If an interspecific hybrid's fertility has not been determined in today's science - research it first - then the player of that hybrid can choose whether it is fertile or not.

Intra-specific hybridization is the crossbreeding of sub-species of the same species and genus. The most common intra-specific hybrids are dog hybrids. Dogs are a sub-species of wolves, thus wolf and dog offspring are also intra-specific. Intra-specific hybrids are usually fertile and occur naturally.

The naming of these hybrids is often made through the portmanteau method, or combining the names of the two parent species. Because the traits of a hybrid often depend on the which species was mother and father, the first half of the portmanteau is usually part of the father species. For example, a liger is a male lion and a female tiger, while a tigon is a male tiger and a female lion.

If you are unsure if your hybrid is allowed, simply research the scientific classification of the two parent species. If they have the same genus (panthera, canis, ursus, equus, etc.) then they are breedable.


Intergeneric hybridization is the crossing of two different animals/plants of different genus. It is rare and usually only found in plants. Intergeneric hybrids more or less never form completely as zygotes/embryos, are stillborn, or mutated, and are not allowed on BBA under normal circumstances.

The only known intergeneric hybrids on the forum are fox-wolves, the children of Coldsnap and Lutec. This was allowed once, and all the children are sterile/infertile. It has since never been allowed. To role play an intergeneric hybrid would have to be brought up with and agreed upon by the moderator team.

Interfamilial hybridization is the extremely rare crossing of two different animals/plants of different families. Guineafowl are a real life example of interfamilial hybridization.


Infertility is the biological inability of an organism to contribute to conception. It may also refer to the female's inability to carry a full term pregnancy.

In order to breed and produce offspring, organisms must have a similar number of chromosomes, so that during meiosis, they pair up and there is no shortage or surplus of chromosomes. Different mutations can form if the number of chromosomes during conception do not match up due to the deletion or duplication of genetic material, one being infertility.

Sometimes only males are sterile, and females can produce offspring with their parent species. Here is why:

Quote :

You have pointed out that male ligers (a cross only between a female tiger and a male lion; the converse cross between a female lion and a male tiger is less common) are sterile, while females are fertile. In males there is only one X, so it pairs with the Y in a small region. I would suspect that the difference between a tiger X and a lion X is pretty small, but the difference between a tiger Y and a lion Y is pretty big. This is probably why a female liger with an X of each type is ok, because she can go through proper crossing over.

The pairing up of a male's determining Y chromosome is more difficult than in the female's X chromosome, resulting in only their sterility.

If you are unsure if your hybrid should be infertile or not, research it to find out! If there is no information on it, then it's a safe bet that you can choose the fertility of your character.


If you have any questions, please post them here and they will be answered in this section. This will eventually form a FAQ listing.


Search for Hybrids(Biology) on Wikipedia
Sterile Hybrids
Hybridization
Interspecies breeding
More on Hybrid Mammals
And other various Googled activity.



Some Possible Combinations
Ursus - Any combination of

• American Black Bear (Ursus americanis)
  
• Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) including Grizzlies, Kodiaks, etc.
  
• Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus)
  
• Cave Bear (Ursus spelaeus)
  
• Asiatic Black Bear (Ursus thibetanus)

Canis - Any combination of

• Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) including the Dog, Red wolf, Dingo, etc.
  
• Coyotes (Canis latrans)
  
• Dire Wolf (Canis dirus)
  
• Spirit Whisperers (Canis phasmatis)
  
• Golden jackal (Canis aureus)
  
• Side-striped jackal (Canis adustus)
  
• Black-backed jackal (Canis mesomelas)
  
• Ethiopian Wolf (Canis simensis)

Panthera - Any combination of

• Lion (Panthera Leo) including the American Lion
  
• Jaguar (Panthera onca)
  
• Leopard (Panthera pardus)
  
• Tiger (Panthera tigris)
  

Smilodon - Any combination of

• Smilodon fatalis
  
• Smilodon populator
  
• Smilodon gracilis
  

Equus - Any combination of

• Donkey (Equus Asinus)
  
• Domestic Horse (Equus caballus)
  
• Wild Horse (Equus ferus)
  
• Zebra (Equus zebra)
  
• Other wild asses

Vulpes - Any combination of

• Arctic Fox (Vulpes lagopus)
  
• Kit Fox (Vulpes macrotis)
  
• Swift Fox (Vulpes velox)
  
• Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes)
  
• Fennec Fox (Vulpes zerda)
  
• Other various fox species listed under vulpes

-There are many many more. Let me know if you'd like me to list some.

Some Naturally Impossible Combinations
These should have to go through a moderator
Snow leopard (Uncia uncia) x Other Big cats (Panthera)

• The snow leopard was once "panthera" and may still be considered panthera on Spirit Whispers.

Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta) x Wolves & Canines (Canis)

• Different genus.

Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta) x Brown Hyena (Hyaena brunnea) See List Below

• Different genus. Brown and Striped Hyenas are in Hyaena. Aardwolves and Spotteds are not

Sabre (Smilodon fatalis) x Other big cats (Panthera) See List Below

• Sabres are "Smilodons" in themselves, making it impossible to breed with Lions, Tigers, etc.

Foxes (Vulpes) x Wolves (Canis)

• Allowed once, Coldsnap x Lutec

Maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) x Other Canids

• The only species of it's genus Chrysocyon

Dhole (Cuon alpinus) x Anything else

• The only species of it's genus Cuon

African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus) x Other Canids (Canis)

• Different genus.

Intergeneric Allowed Hybrids on Spirit Whispers
Sabre (Smilodon fatalis) x Other big cats (Panthera)

• Found in Stoneclaw etc. Mod approved

Hyena Hybrids (Spotted, Striped, Brown, and Aardwolf)

• Mod approved.

Key
Fertile - Able to Breed
Males Sterile - Only Females can Breed
Sterile - Breeding Not Available or Almost Always Sterile
Unknown

Bovidae	Beefalo · Dzo · Sheep-goat* · Yakalo · Żubroń
Camelidae	Cama** · Huarizo
Canidae	Coydog · Coywolf · Kunming Wolf-dog · Saarlooswolfhond · Sulimov dog · Wolf-dog hybrid*** · Dog Hybrids
Delphinidae	Wholphin
Equidae	Hinny · Mule · Zebroid: Zonkey, Zony, Zorse
Felidae	Bengal · Caraval · Chausie · Cheetoh · Pumapard · Savannah · Serengeti cat Panthera: Congolese Spotted Lion · Leopon/Marozi · Liger · Tigon
Ursidae	Grizzly–polar bear hybrid