A litigon (/ˌlaɪˈtaɪɡən/) is a rare, second-generation
hybrid from a female
tigon
A tigon (), tiglon () (portmanteau of ''tiger'' and ''lion''), or tion () is the hybrid offspring of a male tiger (''Panthera tigris'') and a female lion (''Panthera leo''). (a hybrid between a male tiger and a female lion) and a male
lion
The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large cat of the genus '' Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphic; adu ...
, specifically an
Asiatic lion
The Asiatic lion is a population of '' Panthera leo leo'' that today survives in the wild only in India. Since the turn of the 20th century, its range has been restricted to Gir National Park and the surrounding areas in the Indian state of Gujar ...
.
Description
Litigons inherit and share characteristics with lions, the males sport manes and can also have rosettes.
History
The first attempt at breeding a litigon was successful; a female cub was born at the
Alipore Zoo
The Zoological Garden, Alipore (also informally called the Alipore Zoo or Kolkata Zoo) is India's oldest formally stated zoological park (as opposed to royal and British menageries) and a big tourist attraction in Kolkata, West Bengal. It has b ...
in
Calcutta
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, commer ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
in 1971 to a female tigon named Rudrani and an Asiatic lion named Debabrata. Rudhrani went on to produce seven litigons, some of which reached impressive sizes: a litigon named Cubanacan (died 1991) was estimated to weigh least , stood at the shoulder, and was in total length.
See also
*
Liliger
References
Panthera hybrids
Second generation hybrids
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