Tigers are animals that are a member of the cat species. They are a rather interesting species and there are many interesting facts about them. These are top 10 interesting facts about tigers.
1. Tigers can mate with other felines to produce hybrids. Tigers have very unique and diverse genetics. It is possible for a tiger to mate with a lion to produce a hybrid species of feline. For example, when a male lion copulates with a female tiger, the end result of the mating is a large hybrid feline called a Liger. When a male tiger copulates with a female lion, the end result of the mating is a small hybrid feline called a Tigon. Basically, the result of hybrid mating for tigers would depend on the potency of the genetics of the relative feline.
2. Tigers are well known for their distinctive coats as camouflage. As one of the world’s most discreet predators, tigers are extremely well versed in blending in with the environment. It is one of the famous methods that the tiger uses to successfully hunt its prey. Also, a tiger’s stripes are unique to the tiger itself. There are no pairs of tigers that share the same stripe pattern with each other.
3. Tigers can imitate the call of other animals in order to become successful in luring out their prey. For example, tigers have been recognized for developing an appetite for bears and bear food. On top of that, tigers have been known to possess the ability to imitate the sound of a bear’s prey. Then, when a bear comes near the tiger, thinking that the bear has found its prey, the tiger ambushes the bear. This is another characteristic that makes tigers illustrious and the one of the stealthiest hunters in nature.
4. Tigers are highly capable swimmers. Unlike other cats, tigers often prefer to cool off in lakes and streams on very hot days. Also, most cats perceive getting wet as a disciplinary measure while tigers prefer getting wet for comfort.
5. Tigers can come in a wide array of colors. The variation of hair color genes can cause a tiger to differ from its usual black and orange combinations. It is possible that a tiger’s coloration may be white, gold, black, and maybe even blue.
6. Tigers have a harsh short-term memory. They have a short-term memory which is about 30 times longer than an average human beings’ short-term memory.
7. Tigers do not purr. Tigers do not show happiness by purring. Instead these creatures squints their eyes, or even completely closes them to show happiness. The tiger lowers its defense by intentionally and temporarily losing its vision, which is a clear indication that it feels comfortable and secure.
8. Tigers live alone the aggressively mark territories up to 100 square kilometers in size to keep rival species away. Tigers usually mark trees with urine and anal gland secretion. They also mark trees by scratching their claws.
9. Tigers are capable of killing animals over double its size. They are one of nature’s most feared hunters. Tigers typically hunt alone. They ambush their prey by overpowering them from various angles while utilizing their size and strength to cause their prey to lose balance.
10. Tigers are the largest members of the cat family and are well known for their power and strength. Tigers are capable of being 6.5 feet to 12.8 feet long and 143 pounds to 675 pounds heavy. In comparison to lions, which can grow up to 8.2 feet long and 280 pounds, tigers are much larger.
Tigers are very fascinating creatures, although this top 10 interesting facts about tigers covers only a few of the many captivating information about these pristine hunters. There are much deeper facts about tigers that the world is unaware of. Furthermore, tigers are classified as endangered species. Before, there were ten subspecies of tigers. Nowadays, only six subspecies remain. Particularly, the South China Tiger became one of the top ten endangered species of the world. Ergo, zoologists are making an effort in preserving and safely studying the nature of these predators to further better the living environment in order to reduce the threat to the species. Therefore, knowing about tigers is an approach to motivate common people to be concerned with the environment. Therefore, in conclusion to the top 10 interesting facts about tigers, it is vital to the environment to be aware of the potential threats to other species. Otherwise, magnificent creatures such as the tiger will become extinct.
