I recently heard about this lion/tiger breeded… my bro saw it on the animal channel or discovery channel. The inhibitor genes responsible for turning off growth were supposedly lost in the combo. So, how big will this thing get? Has this been doen before now?
I heard it eats 25 pounds of food a day, more than twice as much as a regular lion or tiger! Any other cool facts about this monster are welcome.
Here’s some info I picked up:
http://www.sierrasafarizoo.com/animals/liger.htm
One site said 900lbs. this one above said 800-1200lbs.
Ligers are reasonably common and an old hybid. These days they are more likely the product of accidents in most places, since zoos see little value in them.
The generally hit about and 12 feet in length and about 700 pound.
Some liger information. Most of what you’ve heard has been greatly exaggerated, shall we politely say. Ligers are perfectly healthy cats, and they are fertile, unlike most other cross-species breeds.
I’m amazed. I didn’t know this creature could exist.
Well, the more I read, the more confused I am. There’s quite a bit of conflicting information. Some sites say they are sterile, some say fertile, and some say only the male is sterile. Most, but not all, agree it is the world’s largest cat. This is the most authoritative site i’ve found thus far.
Your bro saw it on the show “Humanzee”, which was about Oliver, the aleged human/chimp hybrid. It was somewhat of a typical DSC psuedo-science show, but it was worth it just to see the footage of the liger. IIRC, the oversized aspect does not show up in tigons (tiger is the father, lion the mother) because of the growth regulating genes on the X/Y chromosomes. I’m sure someone who watched the show can clarify that.
Actually, the camel/alpaca hybrids are even more astonishing. IIRC, those species are thougth to have split 11M yrs ago.
Only females and not 100% at that. Far as I know, no male hybrids of this nature are ever fertile.
As for the larger size:
*A form of giantism is found in certain big cat hybrids due to the interaction of mismatched genes. Lion/tigress hybrids (ligers) often exceed the size of either parent, but are not disproportionately leggy. Male ligers are almost always sterile (the apparent exceptions are anecdotal) and are reported to be relatively docile (probably due to a deficiency of testosterone). One suggestion is that giantism in ligers is due to endocrine (hormonal) abnormalities resulting in a longer growing period during which they attain a larger size before becoming mature. Another suggestion is that gene mismatches cause them to produce abnormal amounts of growth hormone compared to the parent species. A third theory is that they inherit different genes for large size from each parent and these genes (which were never intended to meet up in the natural course of things) have a compound effect on the hybrid.
By far the most plausible explanation for giantism in ligers(and a corresponding tendency to small size in tigons [tiger/lioness]) is due to “genomic imprinting” - the unequel expression of genes depending on parent of origin i.e. whether certain growth genes are inherited from the male or the female. A number of genes are contributed unequally by the male and female parents affect the size, general health and longevity of the offspring. This has been demonstrated in the laboratory using rodent species. The result is called growth dysplasia.*
From here: http://www.messybeast.com/giantcats.html
The much rarer Tigons, in contrast to Ligers, are conversly believed to suffer from dwarfism.