Liger is a real animal that really lives, although it can only happen in captivity.
Liger (lion - tiger) is an animal that is the result of a marriage between a male lion and a female tiger.
This hybrid (cross) animal is recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest living cat in the world.
Liger has the same genus as the two mothers but is a different species.
Liger has some physical characteristics of lions and tigers. Even liger behavior is a combination of lion and tiger behavior.
Liger is different from tiglon. Tiglon (pronounced as tig-lun) is the result of a cross between a male tiger and a female lion.
Tiglon has a size not as big as liger but still has the characteristics of both parents.
Another term that should not be interchangeable is a tigon (not a tiglon) that refers to a creature similar to a liger.
- Physical Characteristics
Liger looks like a giant lion that has faint lines similar to a tiger.
Liger has a larger body than the two parent.
The liger's head resembles a lion's head with a tail that also resembles a lion. The difference, liger does not have a mane like a lion.
The shape of the liger's face is more similar to a tiger. The color of the liger body varies from golden, brown, or colored as sand. As found in the tiger, the lower body of the liger is pale.
- Liger's behavior
Liger inherited the characteristics of lion and tiger behavior. For example, liger is good at swimming like a tiger.
However, liger also likes to socialize like a lion. Unlike the tiglon, liger has a higher life expectancy than tiglon.
It's just that, liger is likely to experience various health problems inherited from both parents.
- Liger's History
Liger is thought to have started there since the late 18th century. Here are some notes about liger:
In 1799, Etienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire made a painting showing animals that were the descendants of lions and tigers.
In 1825, a liger carving born in 1824 was created by GB Whittaker.
During 1935, four ligands were successfully bred in the Zoological Gardens of Bloemfontein, South Africa.
In Jungle Island park, Miami, there is a liger named Hercules. The Liger holds the record recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's largest living cat. Hercules weighs more than 410 kg.
- Liger Life Span
Liger's lifetime is not known. The female liger named Shasta, born at Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City, died at the age of 24.
Another note, the male liger named Nook, who lives in the animal protection Valley of the Kings in Wisconsin, died at the age of 21 years.
- Liger Fertility
At first ligands and tiglons are considered sterile. However, in 1943, a fifteen-year-old liger was successfully mated to a lion at the Hellabrunn Zoo of Munich.