The Tiger: Where Does Its Name Come From?
Tiger, Ligre… There are several ways to name the descendants of a cross between tigers and lions, but between these two names there is a big difference that totally changes the appearance at first glance.
In the case of ligers, they are the product of the union between a lion and a tigress, and are highly valued in zoos because they have a genetic rarity that makes them very striking: they are much larger than their parents.
This is because the growth inhibitor gene in lions is transmitted by the lioness and, in tigers, it is transmitted by the males. This makes the ligers never stop growing and reach sizes that make hunting impossible due to their excessive weight.
As a result of such an unusual mixture, a liger weighing almost 800 kilos and over 4.5 meters in length was found in a zoo, something totally unfeasible for natural life.
But what is a tiger?
As you might have guessed, a tiger comes from a cross between a tiger and a lioness, a more genetically compatible combination that results in a feline that looks mixed between a lion and a tiger, but is smaller in size than a normal lion. .
It is a rare mixture, as it does not occur in nature because the two species do not live in the same territories, with the exception of the Bosque de Gir National Park. Bringing them together for the purpose of mating is the job of zoos, and this practice was much explored in the 1980s and 1990s, as no one had ever seen a tiger, ensuring an irresistible attraction and many financial benefits.
Today, however, captive breeding of these species is much more controlled for the good of both. Although new litters are still seen frequently in countries like India, Indonesia or Russia, it is less common every day.
As for the appearance of a tiger, it has the physiognomy of a small-scale lion, and usually weighs between 140 and 190 kilograms, but with typical tiger stripes on its skin. It is a very beautiful animal, although less impressive at first sight due to its small size.
Tiger reproduction
As a peculiarity, tigers are sterile, or at least the vast majority, as there is evidence of several successful crosses in which a tiger is involved, either with a tiger or a lion, but never between two tigers.
Another peculiarity of their physical appearance is the mane, in the case of males, less leafy than in lions, with long legs and a tail that makes them look more fragile than their parents. But what stands out the most is their bulk and musculature, as they are far from the 250 kilos that an adult male lion can weigh or the 350 kilos of a tiger.
On the other hand, when it comes to behavior, animal keepers say that tigers are much more like lions than tigers, being much more elusive and cautious.
In any case, it ‘s best to keep these two species separate to avoid clashes that often end fatally. Enemies that neither species is used to dealing with and that we humans push for economic benefits.
