Okiedokie Crunch-
Ligers, wolphens, and Zorses; Oh My!
All are very much real unlike Cabbits that are an urban legend. Rabbits and cats do not carry the same number of chromosomes and have considerably different gestation periods. We can currently only hybridize animals which are genetically alike. This means lions can mate with tigers because they are both members of the cat family. Horses can mate with zebras and produce zorses. They are all part of the same families and very alike genetically. Additionally, they have the same number of chromosomes and comparable gestation periods.
Backing up to the ligers, in natural conditions lions and tigers generally don't occupy the same territory. There is only one area in which they coexist today and that would be in India in the Gir Forest. There have been many reports of interbreeding of the species in the wild when their range included China and Persia however all are still uncomfirmed.
Ligers are not necessarily infertile. While some females can and have mated with other big cat species, no fertile males have been officially documented. In my humble opinion, this is Ma Nature's way of preventing species from becoming genetically polluted. If a female liger were to reproduce with a tiger, it would be called a titi, and if it were to reproduce with a lion, it would be called a lili.
About their size, I found this- "Ligers grow much larger than tigers or lions. This is because female lions and male tigers transmit a growth-inhibiting gene to their descendants. Being the offspring of a male lion and female tiger, the liger does not have the growth-inhibiting gene and grows much more. They will grow constantly through their lifespan until their bodies cannot sustain their size anymore". Hence the short lifespans of the liger and hence why tigons would be much smaller because they inherit the growth-inhibiting gene twice for lack of a better explanation.
All of this I find incredibly disappointing as Tigers are above and beyond all, an endangered species. It is most unfortunate accidental breedings have occurred due to the proximity in which many have been maintained in captivity however I find intentional breedings to be questionable at best. Basically, ligers and tigons exist because of human influence.
http://members.aol.com/jshartwell/hybrid-bigcats.html
Regarding a hybrid-
A hybrid is the offspring of two organisms that belong to different breeds, varieties, species or genera.
To find a definition on your own, go to
www.yahoo.com and type the word and then type dictionary and that should get you a few hits. Here's another definition for hybrid.
NOUN:
1. Genetics The offspring of genetically dissimilar parents or stock, especially the offspring produced by breeding plants or animals of different varieties, species, or races.
2.
a. Something of mixed origin or composition.
b. Something, such as a computer or power plant, having two kinds of components that produce the same or similar results.
Regarding a website on hybrids, generally it is best to go back to a search engine such as
www.yahoo.com or
www.google.com and then type the words hybrid and plants. Once the search is returned, you will have to poke around and see what meets your needs.
try here and look for an article titled “The Hybrid Dilemma” by Thomas T. Watson
http://waynesword.palomar.edu/wayne.htm
Also then please try this website-
http://www.agresearch.co.nz/scied....ant.htm
That should be enough to print off and read for now. Best wishes to you.