Fertility

Male ligers are sterile, but female ligers are fertile and can be bred to tigers (resulting in ti-ligers) or to lions (resulting in li-ligers). Ti-ligers are more tiger-like, having a greater percentage of tiger genes . Li-ligers are more lion-like, having a greater percentage of lion genes. Neither are common. The fertility of hybrid big cat females is well-documented across a number of different hybrids. This is in accordance with Haldane's rule : in hybrids of animals whose gender is determined by sex chromosomes , the heterogametic sex (the one with two different sex chromosomes e.g. X and Y ) is either absent, rare or sterile.

According to Wild Cats Of The World (1975) by Guggisberg, ligers and tigons were long thought to be sterile: In 1943, however, a fifteen year old hybrid between a lion and an 'Island' tiger was successfully mated with a lion at the Munich Hellabrunn Zoo. The female cub, even though very delicate, was raised to adulthood.

More recently, a self-styled behavioural research program in the USA bred a female ti-liger called Lady Kali .



Male ligers are sterile, but female ligers are fertile and can be bred to tigers (resulting in ti-ligers) or to lions (resulting in li-ligers). Ti-ligers are more tiger-like, having a greater percentage of tiger genes . Li-ligers are more lion-like, having a greater percentage of lion genes. Neither are common. The fertility of hybrid big cat females is well-documented across a number of different hybrids. This is in accordance with Haldane's rule : in hybrids of animals whose gender is determined by sex chromosomes , the heterogametic sex (the one with two different sex chromosomes e.g. X and Y ) is either absent, rare or sterile. According to Wild Cats Of The World (1975) by Guggisberg, ligers and tigons were long thought to be sterile: In 1943, however, a fifteen year old hybrid between a lion and an 'Island' tiger was successfully mated with a lion at the Munich Hellabrunn Zoo. The female cub, even though very delicate, was raised to adulthood. More recently, a self-styled behavioural research program in the USA bred a female ti-liger called Lady Kali .