Animal Database

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Animal Database
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Animal Database
Liger
Liger
Adult Liger in captivity
Information
Range Most in Zoo's & Labatories, Few in the Wild
Scientific Classification
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Mammalia
Order Carnivora
Family Felidae
Genus Panthera
Species Panthera leo x Panthera Tigris

The liger is a rare hybrid between a male Lion and a Tigress (female tiger), few in numbers because of the numerous differences between the two cats. They are the largest feline of all extant species, often growing much larger than their parents, and are quite distinct from a similar hybrid, the tigon.

Famous Ligers[]

Hercules is a Liger in captivity, owned by the American Big Cat trainer, Bhagavan Antle, the largest non-obese liger, weighing 418.2 kg (922 lb). He is a fast runner, topping at 50 miles per hour. He once appeared on a show starring him!

Appearance[]

The liger has a subtle tiger-like striped pattern against a lionesque tawny background. In addition, it may inherit rosettes from its lion father. These marks can be black, dark brown, or sandy. The backdrop color may be tawny, sandy, or golden. The underparts are pale, similar to tigers, and serve as an example of countershading. The specific pattern and color are determined by which subspecies the parents were and how the genes interact in the offspring.

Golden Ligers[]

White tigers have been mixed with lions, resulting in "white" (really pale golden) ligers. In principle, white tigers and white lions might be crossed to generate white, pale, or even stripeless ligers. There are no black ligers. Very few melanistic tigers have ever been observed, with the majority being the result of excessive markings (pseudo-melanism or abundism) rather than true melanism; no tales of black lions have ever been confirmed. Gray or blue ligers are extremely unlikely because blue or Maltese tigers are almost certainly extinct. It is conceivable for a liger to be white, but this is quite rare.

Growth & Weight[]

The liger is commonly thought to be the world's largest cat. Males can grow to be 3 to 3.6 meters (9.8 to 11.8 feet) long, rivaling even enormous male lions and tigers in size. Imprinted genes may contribute to the huge size of ligers. These are genes that may or may not be expressed by the parent from which they are inherited, and they occasionally have a part in hybrid growth concerns. For example, in some dog breed crosses, genes expressed exclusively when maternally inherited allow the offspring to grow larger than expected for either parent breed.

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