About The TigonDalat

A tigon (/ˈtaɪɡən/) or tiglon (/ˈtaɪɡlən/) is a hybrid cross between a male tiger (Panthera tigris) and a female lion (Panthera leo). Thus, it has parents with the same genus but of different species. The tigon is not currently as common as the converse hybrid, the liger; however, in the late 19th[year needed] and early 20th centuries, Gerald Iles wrote that he had been able to obtain three tigons, but he had never seen a liger.[citation needed] The tigon's genome includes genetic components of both parents.[1] Tigons can exhibit visible characteristics from both parents:[1] 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. It is a common misconception that tigons are smaller than lions or tigers. They do not exceed the size of their parent species because they inherit growth-inhibitory genes from the lioness mother, but they do not exhibit any kind of dwarfism or miniaturization; they often weigh around 180 kilograms (400 lb).[citation needed] This cross-breeding (between tiger and lioness) can cause difficulties during pregnancy because a tiger is a bigger cat than a lion.[2] Genetic defects of cubs are not rare. It has been estimated that 1 in 500 000 survives, which shows a very low survival rate.[3]