Lion plus Tiger equals Liger
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A liger is the product of bizarre directive crossbreeding of a male lion and a female tiger, resulting in a creature that resembles their lion heritage more so than the tiger, and are entirely real. There are only a handful of ligers in the entire world.
Photo Dr. Bhagavan Antle and “Hercules” the Liger. From T.I.G.E.R.S. Preservation Stations, Barefoot Landing, Myrtle Beach, S.C. and Parrot Jungle Island, Miami, Fla.
A Liger isn’t even a species, it’s a hybrid — there is no scientific name assigned to this creature due to its human assisted ancestry. While male ligers are sterile, female ligers are fertile, and can reproduce, but they’re unable to produce fertile offspring.
Rare reports have been made of tigresses mating with lions in the wild, but breeding between lions and tigers generally occurs only in captivity. Under exceptional circumstances it’s been known for a tiger to be forced into ranges inhabited by the Asiatic Lion. However, this combination of species in the wild is considered highly unlikely. The present day range of wild lions and tigers no longer overlap.
“Crossing the species line” does not typically occur in the wild, as “it would result in diminished fitness of the offspring.” said Ronald Tilson, director of conservation at the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley.
Geography is another obstacle to natural lion-tiger mating. Wild tigers generally inhabit Asia, whereas the lion’s current natural habitat is almost entirely in Africa.
The Gir National Forest in India is the only location in the world where tiger and lion ranges overlap, increasing supposition that wild ligers roamed the area hundreds of years ago.
“This would be highly improbable, because the Gir forest is really very dry and not optimal tiger habitat.” said Tilson.
Photo Batistabomb
A liger looks like a giant lion with muted stripes or spots running through it. Most often, the striping is located across the back and hindquarters, while the abdominal area is spotted. The spots are inherited from the lion, even though they’re not usually obvious in adult lions. Spotting can be found on lion cubs and assist for camouflage in the wild. On rare occasions adult lions will retain these. Tiger ear spots may or may not be present and the same applies to the tiger facial ruff
Though the tigers involved are usually orange in color, white tigers have been hybridized with lions to produce white ligers and golden tabby tigers have been hybridized with lions to produce golden ligers.
Photo Batistabomb
The largest feline in the world, ligers can grow to more than 1000 pounds (450 kilos) in weight, and reported length of greater than 12 feet (6.7 meters). They will consume anywhere from 20 to 50 pounds of meat per day but can be capable of eating 100 pounds (45 kilos) in a single sitting. Their average reported longevity is anywhere from 18 to 24 years.
Hybrid animals usually display what’s known as ‘hybrid vigor’. This means the offspring grow much larger and faster than either parent — many hybridizations can cause gigantism. Ligers are generally 40% larger than their lion and tiger parents.
They usually chuff like a tiger and roar like a lion, but without sounding the typical lion grunt at the end. Their vocabulary consists of both lion and tiger sounds.
Like their tiger ancestors, ligers enjoy swimming, which goes against the nature of the lion. It gets the best of both parents in this respect which is not always the case with crossbreeds.
Photo Batistabomb
Although ligers make for beautiful creatures, crossbreeding animals in this manner is not a kind practice — the felines have to spend their lives in deprivation and confinement and are genetically so unhealthy that they often die young. Their large size is their undoing, as they would not likely survive in the wild.
Ligers live most of their lives in solitude, most often created for attracting audience or for Hollywood. The creature is marred in its small population by low lifespan, genetic aberrations and neurological defects.
Documentation of ligers dates to at least the early 19th century in Europe. Two liger cubs born in 1837 were exhibited to William IV and his successor Victoria. On December 14 1900 and on May 31 1901, Carl Hagenbeck wrote to zoologist James Cossar Ewart with details and photographs of ligers born at the Hagenpark in Hamburg in 1897.
The Magnificent Gargantuan Liger
A Liger Feasting
What is a Tigon
A tigon is the result of crossbreeding a male tiger with a female lion.
Tigon and Ti-Tigon from the Shambala Preserve
During the 1800’s there were more tigons than ligers but that trend has changed — tigons are not as plentiful today. Their crossbreeding is currently being practiced in China.
View a well produced 5 minute video on the rescue of a lion and white tiger, who had been raised together for the dreadful purpose of creating white ligers, the rescue of some baby cubs and others.
Sources: Liger.org, Big Cat Rescue and Wikipedia
Copyright 2007 Life in the Fast Lane.
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Zoos Killing Healthy Tigers for Skin Trade
White Lion Cubs Born at French Zoo
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Eclyse the Zorse and Famous Pet Peeps
That’s bigger than a march hare. is it as friendly thu.
Marvellous anyway.
Kind regards
[...] Lion plus Tiger equals Liger – Life in the Fast Lane: “A liger is the product of bizarre directive crossbreeding of a male lion and a female tiger, resulting in a creature that resembles their lion heritage more so than the tiger, and are entirely real. There are only a handful of ligers in the entire world.” [...]
I wonder if anyone has thought about a goat/cow (GOW) combo…I’d think it would produce some very interesting Cheese!!
The first time I’d heard of a liger was after watching the movie Napoleon Dynamite.
Those are the same exact pictures that I discovered via Google and I was blown away. It is such a huge animal, I was blown away.
It’s amazing they they inherit both traits and like to swim, that is something I never knew.
Awesome huh? Sad that the felines have such a short lifespan though.
So if they cross a mouse with a rat do they get a mat or a moat?
Thanks Madhatter, the liger does appear to be quite friendly and loving from the video, same liger as depicted in most of the photos.
A gow? Interesting Tom, I’ve always loved feta cheese
Jerad, Hercules is amazingly massive. You don’t realize just how large he really is until you see him next to humans.
It’s actually very sad that people do this to animals, Colin. There are very good reasons why crossbreeding doesn’t happen readily in nature. They frequently suffer from genetic aberrations and defects.
A mat or a moat … since this is your concept, you decide
That is insane! I really can’t beleive the liger is so nice. Only a matter of time until that ginormous animal turns on its breeder. Good find!
I can’t get over how massive they are. I agree Deborah – in view of what they suffer it is sad. It is just as well that they are difficult to breed so there aren’t many of them.
I think my sons must be hybrids – I am 5′2″, their father 5′10″, and my older son 6′2″
You could have a point Smartest Man, he may be fine now, but with the issues these creatures have from crossbreeding, I’d say they could be unpredictable animals.
“It is just as well that they are difficult to breed so there aren’t many of them.” Exactly Sue.
Haha, well if it was the probverbial ‘postman’, I think you’d have known
wowsa…that’s a mighty big animal Deborah !!!!!
but it looks fairly tame…..excellent post
About as big as they get as far as felines go Kim, and thanks
i really like your blog the vids were insane in a good way
Thanks so much Fred, glad you’re enjoying it
We are doing a project at school on the Liger. Could we please use the image that you have posted of the liger. Please let us know. Thank you for your help.
Sohail and Tyrique
Grade 5 Students
Bolton C. Falby P.S.
Ajax, ON
Canada
Sohail and Tyrique, all you need to do is click on the links to the images. There you’ll find the original source, where you can ask for their permission.
this freaking animal are hugmongus i wish i could have one so i could scare people
awesome n can i say ur ligers are “top bannana!”
This is awesome. Although I would recommend saying things like I don;t know if they r part of a niche
Now that is just the cutest thing i’ve ever seen. It’s a shame they’re sterile.
Im have done a research paper about the ligers, in my zoology class. and i have fallin’ in love with this beautiful animal.
i like the site it helped me out with the report.
‘Liger’, is like me, ’cause it is ‘mixy’ and ‘Golden (colour)’ L.O.L.
what do they want to convey to mankind? do they want to convey to us that if they want they could interfair in Almighty GODs deeds? How bad they are n how wrong they are doig.OK.
THANKS
Definitely, cross-breeding between species typically harbors difficulties for the offspring, Abdul.
I had since they were babies.They are pretty.Both of my ligers are 11ft tall.The white is 455 pds and the black is a male,he is 500 pds.I am about they about to have babies soon within two months.
It is nice. Liger
It is nice. Liger is a very rare animal in the world. It’s face is like tiger and body is like lion. So, it is called as liger.This is because of when a male lion and female tiger fuses together, the liger is born.
Hai,
This site is nice. Liger is a very rare animal in the world. It’s face is like tiger and body is like lion. So, it is called as liger.This is because of when a male lion and female tiger fuses together, the liger is born.
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hey…ligors r awesome….beautifull animal….
one has to practically see it..to belive it though…
but id like to knw, what is the approx lifespan of a ligor…
are there any ligors in India n where??
has ny1 ever thought…that if we have a large numb of ligors and trigons…and if the go wild …. the amt of mess they can create…they are so huge and heavy…imagine the power they must have….sacry!!!
ese liger me encanto es super lindo aparte esas pintas q se manda es super tierno verdaderamente me encanto
Sueblimely , if your oldest son its 6′2 then maybe your husband its not the Father =D
.. if its a secret we wont tell .. LOL
JK.
i m amaed by these ligers and tigons. honestly! i just read about hybrids and cross breeds but that was only for plants and all! but this is simply superb! hats off 2 d scientists!
wow thats great to know there is a ligon.when i heard it first time i was shocked and very curious to see it hust i saw and it was fantabulous.no words .
that is rilly cool how you rased a liger
I think that ligers are so anazin and they look so magnificent and the size of them shock me, but i think they are so cute
I first heard of a liger when i was about 9 and im now 15 almost 16 and they still amaze me!!!!
they rock!!!!!!!
It’s different, but this is beautiful!
ccccooooooollllll
Ligers are awsome I am even doing my science project on them. It is siad though that most ligers dont live through their first weeks of their lives. But it is so cool how they are the worl’s largest cats. Theyy are so baeutiful too.
how can you say they are awesome? they are breed for human interest only. they grow so big that their hearts give out at an early age. they liver awful lives so that humans can go and look at them. how would you like that to happen to you? they are not cool. they are another example of human’s selfishness to make something that they like without thinking of what is actually being hurt.
I agree with edna’s post above! This is just another example of ‘designer’ breeding, these poor animals are being born into a captive lifestyle – purely for OUR entertainment! If it was a natural thing, they obviously wouldn’t suffer from so many ailments and most certainly wouldn’t be born infertile! How can a ’sick’ animal that is suffering be “cute”, “beautiful” or “cool”? It’s obsurd! People need to open they’re eyes and think – this is WRONG!
nice tigers i love it
This liger is awsum!!!!!!!!!
I went to parrot jungle island today and saw the first picture at the top of the page of the liger named hercules.he was sooo awesome!He walked around a little then like just fell asleep. -_-