Ligers and Tigons

How Have Ligers and Tigons Been Created?

Lions and tigers are completely different. While lions live in social groups, tigers prefer to go it alone. The two big cats only come across each other rarely because of their different habitats. Lions live in Africa and tigers in Asia. So biologists believe that there are no ligers or tigons in the wild. We are only aware of ligers and tigons either purposefully or accidentally bred in zoos and circuses.

Lion

Photo: Mogens Trolle/Shutterstock

Tiger

Photo: apiguide/Shutterstock

What Do Ligers and Tigons Have in Common?

At first glance, you can see that ligers and tigons have characteristics from both parents. However, they’re not as strong as in their parents.

The wild, large mane of the lion is rather short and unspectacular in the case of the liger and tiger, for example. Also, the fur around the neck is rather short and unimposing. The stripes of the tiger are not as strong and clearly defined in liger and tigon, but lighter and more blurred.

Lion characteristics:

• Small mane
• Black tail tip

Tiger characteristics:

• Small ruffs
• Light stripes
• Light belly
• Likes swimming (which lions hate)

Liger

Liger - Photo: Ipatov/Shutterstock

• Table of Contents:
• 0. Introduction
• 1. Where do ligers and tigons come from?
• 2. Liger
• 3. Tigon