tigon
Sign in to saveThe tigon is a hybrid offspring of a male tiger (Panthera tigris) and a female lion, or lioness (Panthera leo). They exhibit visible characteristics from 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 tigon 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.
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5 sectionsContents
- Fertility
- Coexistence of parental species
- See also
- References
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The tigon is a hybrid offspring of a male tiger (Panthera tigris) and a female lion, or lioness (Panthera leo). They exhibit visible characteristics from 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 tigon 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.
Tigons do not exceed the size of their parents' original species because they inherit growth-inhibitory genes from both parents, but they do not exhibit any kind of dwarfism or miniaturization; they often weigh around . It is distinct from the liger, which is a hybrid of a male lion and a female tiger, often weighing from to .