Lion

:"Lions" redirects here. For the album by the Black Crowes, see Lions (album).

Cross-breeding with tigers

Lions have also been known to breed with their close counterparts, tigers (most often Siberian), while in captivity to create interesting mixes. These two new breeds are called ligers and tigons.

Related Topics:
Ligers - Tigons

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The liger originates from mating a male lion and a tigress. Because the lion passes on a growth-prompting gene, but the corresponding growth inhibiting gene from the female lion is not present, ligers are larger than either parent. It is said that ligers do not stop growing and will grow constantly through their lifespan, until their bodies cannot sustain their huge size any longer, reaching up to half a tonne. Ligers share some qualities of both their parents (spots and stripes) however they enjoy swimming, a purely tiger activity, and they are always a sandy colour like the lion. Male ligers are sterile, but female ligers are often fertile.

Related Topics:
Liger - Tigress - Tonne

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The tigon is a cross between the lioness and the male tiger. Because the male tiger does not pass on a growth-promoting gene and the lioness passes on a growth inhibiting gene, tigons are often relatively small, only weighing up to 150 kilograms (350 lb), which is about 20% smaller than lions. They can best be described as "housecat-like" in appearance, although with round ears. Like male ligers, male tigons are sterile, and they all have both spots and stripes, with yellow eyes.

Related Topics:
Tigon - Kilograms

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Female ligers and female tigons are fertile and can produce offspring if mated to either a pure-bred lion or a pure-bred tiger.

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