Hybrid-beasts are one of the strangest sub-classes in the field of cryptozoology. Neither completely unknown to science, nor believed to be extinct, these creatures are unique amalgamations, which possess the attributes of two or more commonly known species.
The Darwinian view regarding these intermingled animals is that they are homologous, in other words, that these hybrids are most likely descended from common ancestors, which, over millions of years of evolution, split into an array of different species.
Another theory holds that some animals, while bearing no resemblance to one another, may have developed analogous traits, such as the flippers found on aquatic mammals and fish, or the wings of birds and insects. While they are biologically dissimilar, they serve the same primary function and may seem to be virtually identical to the untrained eye.
Other researchers have speculated that these unusual animals are probably the arcane results of inter-species breeding, genetic manipulation, or simple natural selection.
Whether the animals that made this list are the products of folklore, tabloid journalism, simple misidentification or taxidermic hoaxes, the fact remains that these crossbred-beasts carve a wide and fascinating swathe across the entire cryptozoological spectrum.
[showlist catid=”7″ length=”30″]
