Tigon

The tigon also called tiglion, tigion, and tion is a hybrid offspring of a male tiger (Panthera tigris) and a female lion, or lioness (Panthera leo). They exhibit visible characteristics from both parents: 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. Tigons do not exceed the size of their parents' original species because they inherit growth-inhibitory genes from both parents, but they do not exhibit any kind of dwarfism or miniaturization; they often weigh around 180 kg (400 lb). It is distinct from the reciprocal cross, the liger, which is a hybrid of a male lion and a female tiger, often weighing from 320 kg (710 lb) to 550 kg (1,210 lb).