countrygirl

flatback_frannie

I don't know, looks like a photoshop job to me! I don't think it's real. Besides that, I don't think horses and zebras can crossbreed.

mustangsally

I googled it just to check as it was a novel idea. Horses and zebras are completely different species and not compatible for breeding, according to what I found. Zebras may look like horses but they are quite different.

SaddleSore

Actually it's real. They are called Zorses, and they are infertile. Since horses and zebras have differing numbers of genes, the zorse cannot reproduce, just like a mule cannot. But they do indeed really, actually exist :P

Nan_Beth

Wow, that is crazy. I would have thought it was faked too, but I guess you learn something new everyday! they are pretty, in an odd sort of way.

sandles

Pretty yes but odd indeed. Does anyone know the statistics for how many are born each year? I would be curious to find out since they seem so rare.

CityChick

I seen pictures of Zorses before but never one that had the white coloration. While these beasties really exist this picture really does look like something someone made with Photo shop. The one I saw pictures of was in a horse magazine and had been crossed with a darker horse. You could see the strips but they weren't nearly as apparent.

countrygirl

I guess I'm a little naive when it comes to computer stuff as I would have never thought that was a photoshop picture. But I'm glad to hear this type of horse actually does exist.

Jewel

What a beautiful animal! It's almost a shame they can't reproduce. I don't know whether the picture is real or not but I know I would like to have one just like that one. It is beautiful!

pegasus

The picture didn't show up for me but I am intrigued by the possibility. I never knew that zebras and horses could interbreed, either. I mean, you can tell by looking at them that they are biologically related but I guess it just never occurred to me.

SaddleSore

This, hopefully is the picture for you;



They are odd animals indeed, and look and are named differently depending on whether it is a female or male horse in the mix.

MizzRibbon

Wow! That really is a beautiful creature. I too never gave much thought that they even existed. I was reading up on these types of interbreeds and found that there are actually Zonkeys too. Apparently, the zebra and donkey tend to breed easier together than a zebra and a horse will. Ok, now I want one! (:

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Winnie

I have to say that zonkey is just about my favourite name in the world! If I could find a reason to change my name to that, I would

It's a shame that they are infertile. I wonder what health problems they might have because of the chromosome numbers being different.

Derbygirl

These are so pretty! It is a shame that they can't reproduce. Perhaps, I'm a bit dense but I never knew that. I have seen pictures of these animals before and I just assumed that horses and zebras were closely related that Zorses could reproduce. Are the zonkeys infertile too?

Buckskin

I'm glad they can't reproduce, otherwise the species would have a tough time keeping seperate and they equids we know wouldn't actually be separate species at all.

they occur when equids of different species are kept together without adequate companionship of their own kind. I don't think that deliberately producing them is ethical.

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