Tiglon
Encyclopedia
A tiglon tigon, and tion (not tigron) is a hybrid cross between a male tiger
(Panthera tigris) and a lion
ess (Panthera leo). Thus, it has parents with the same genus
but of different species
. The tiglon is not currently as common as the converse hybrid, the liger
; however, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, tiglons were more common than ligers.
Tiglons can exhibit characteristics of both parents: they can have both spots from the mother
(lions carry genes for spots—lion cubs are spotted and some adults retain faint markings) and stripes from the father
. Any mane that a male tiglon may have will appear shorter and less noticeable than a lion's mane and is closer in type to the ruff of a male tiger. It is a common misconception that tiglons are smaller than lions or tigers. They do not exceed the size of their parent species because they inherit growth-inhibitory gene
s from the lioness mother, but they do not exhibit any kind of dwarfism or miniaturization; they often weigh around 180 kilograms (396.8 lb).
A century ago, tiglons were evidently more common than ligers. Gerald Iles, in At Home in the Zoo (1961), was able to obtain three tiglons for Manchester's Belle Vue Zoo
, but wrote that he had never seen a liger. A number of tiglons are currently being bred in China.
. The female cub, although of delicate health, was raised to adulthood.
At the Alipore Zoo in India, a female tiglon named Rudhrani, born in 1971, was successfully mated to an Asiatic Lion
named Debabrata. The rare, second generation hybrid was called a litigon . Rudhrani produced seven litigons in her lifetime. Some of these reached impressive sizes—a litigon named Cubanacan (died 1991) weighed at least 363 kilograms (800.3 lb), stood 1.32 metres (4.3 ft) at the shoulder, and was 3.5 metres (11.5 ft) in total length.
Reports also exist of the similar titigon (ˌtaɪˈtaɪɡən), resulting from the cross between a female tiglon and a male tiger. Titigons resemble golden tigers but with less contrast in their markings. A female tiglon born in 1978, named Noelle, shared an enclosure in the Shambala Preserve with a male Siberian Tiger called Anton, due to the keepers' belief that she was sterile. In 1983 Noelle produced a titigon named Nathaniel. As Nathaniel was three-quarters tiger, he had darker stripes than Noelle and vocalized more like a tiger, rather than with the mix of sounds used by his mother. Being only about quarter-lion, Nathaniel did not grow a mane. Nathaniel died of cancer
at the age of eight or nine years. Noelle also developed cancer and died soon after.
Tiger
The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...
(Panthera tigris) and a lion
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
ess (Panthera leo). Thus, it has parents with the same genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
but of different species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
. The tiglon is not currently as common as the converse hybrid, the liger
Liger
The liger is a hybrid cross between a male lion and a tigress . Thus, it has parents with the same genus but of different species. It is distinct from the similar hybrid tiglon. It is the largest of all known cats and extant felines.Ligers enjoy swimming, which is a characteristic of tigers, and...
; however, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, tiglons were more common than ligers.
Tiglons can exhibit characteristics of both parents: they can have both spots from the mother
Mother
A mother, mum, mom, momma, or mama is a woman who has raised a child, given birth to a child, and/or supplied the ovum that grew into a child. Because of the complexity and differences of a mother's social, cultural, and religious definitions and roles, it is challenging to specify a universally...
(lions carry genes for spots—lion cubs are spotted and some adults retain faint markings) and stripes from the father
Father
A father, Pop, Dad, or Papa, is defined as a male parent of any type of offspring. The adjective "paternal" refers to father, parallel to "maternal" for mother...
. Any mane that a male tiglon may have will appear shorter and less noticeable than a lion's mane and is closer in type to the ruff of a male tiger. It is a common misconception that tiglons are smaller than lions or tigers. They do not exceed the size of their parent species because they inherit growth-inhibitory gene
Gene
A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...
s from the lioness mother, but they do not exhibit any kind of dwarfism or miniaturization; they often weigh around 180 kilograms (396.8 lb).
A century ago, tiglons were evidently more common than ligers. Gerald Iles, in At Home in the Zoo (1961), was able to obtain three tiglons for Manchester's Belle Vue Zoo
Belle Vue Zoo
Belle Vue Zoological Gardens was a large zoo, amusement park, exhibition hall complex and speedway stadium in Belle Vue , Manchester, England, opened in 1836...
, but wrote that he had never seen a liger. A number of tiglons are currently being bred in China.
Fertility
In Wild Cats of the World (1975), Guggisberg wrote that ligers and tiglons were long thought to be sterile; in 1943, however, a fifteen-year-old hybrid between a lion and an "Island" tiger was successfully mated with a lion at the Munich Hellabrunn ZooTierpark Hellabrunn
Hellabrunn Zoo is a zoological garden in the Bavarian capital of Munich. The zoo is situated on the right bank of the river Isar, in the southern part of Munich near the quarter of Thalkirchen...
. The female cub, although of delicate health, was raised to adulthood.
At the Alipore Zoo in India, a female tiglon named Rudhrani, born in 1971, was successfully mated to an Asiatic Lion
Asiatic Lion
The Asiatic lion also known as the Indian lion, Persian lion and Eurasian Lion is a subspecies of lion. The only place in the wild where the lion is found is in the Gir Forest of Gujarat, India...
named Debabrata. The rare, second generation hybrid was called a litigon . Rudhrani produced seven litigons in her lifetime. Some of these reached impressive sizes—a litigon named Cubanacan (died 1991) weighed at least 363 kilograms (800.3 lb), stood 1.32 metres (4.3 ft) at the shoulder, and was 3.5 metres (11.5 ft) in total length.
Reports also exist of the similar titigon (ˌtaɪˈtaɪɡən), resulting from the cross between a female tiglon and a male tiger. Titigons resemble golden tigers but with less contrast in their markings. A female tiglon born in 1978, named Noelle, shared an enclosure in the Shambala Preserve with a male Siberian Tiger called Anton, due to the keepers' belief that she was sterile. In 1983 Noelle produced a titigon named Nathaniel. As Nathaniel was three-quarters tiger, he had darker stripes than Noelle and vocalized more like a tiger, rather than with the mix of sounds used by his mother. Being only about quarter-lion, Nathaniel did not grow a mane. Nathaniel died of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
at the age of eight or nine years. Noelle also developed cancer and died soon after.
See also
- Hybrid growth disordersHybrid growth disordersHybrid growth disorders refer to reduced growth or overgrowth in an organism that is a hybrid of two different species. In some sense, it is a type of hybrid dysgenesis when the growth disorder proves deleterious, thus making it the opposite of heterosis or hybrid vigour.Hybrid growth disorders may...
- LigerLigerThe liger is a hybrid cross between a male lion and a tigress . Thus, it has parents with the same genus but of different species. It is distinct from the similar hybrid tiglon. It is the largest of all known cats and extant felines.Ligers enjoy swimming, which is a characteristic of tigers, and...
- List of portmanteaus
- Maltese tigerMaltese tigerThe Maltese tiger, or blue tiger, is a sub species coloration morph of a tiger, reported mostly in the Fujian Province of China. It is said to have bluish fur with dark grey stripes. Most of the Maltese tigers reported have been of the South Chinese subspecies. The South Chinese tiger today is...
- Panthera hybridPanthera hybridThe four living species of Panthera genus may produce a number of hybrid crosses...