The Felidae family brings together the different types of felines on the planet and includes some of the most distinctive terrestrial predators that exist, since they have peculiar traits, such as agility, strength and ferocity, that position them at the top of the food webs of ecosystems. Thus, we find the tiger (Panthera tigris), one of the most imposing felids that exists, which stands out for its beauty and elegance.
Are you also fascinated by this incredible animal? If so, we invite you to continue reading this article on our site to find out curiosities of the tiger that will surprise you, don't miss them!
It is one of the largest cats in the world
Tigers are among the largest felines in existence, in fact being one of the largest land predators. There is a marked sexual dimorphism in relation to this trait, since males are larger and heavier than females. Thus, a male can have a length of around 3 meters or more and a weight of about 300 kg, while females measure about 2.4 meters and weigh about 130 kg or more.
In this other article we talk in detail about the size of tigers: "How much does a tiger weigh?".
It can be of different colors and each pattern is unique
The tiger's fur is undoubtedly beautiful and shows a very striking color combination. The characteristic color is intense orange with vertical black stripes that vary in thickness, in addition, on the face and from the neck to the ventral area there is a presence of white. However, due to mutations, color variants exist, so there may be golden tigers with fainter stripes, white with brown stripes and totally white However, in nature they are almost non-existent.
On the other hand, among the curious facts about tigers we also find that each individual has a completely unique pattern of stripes Thus So, if this leads you to wonder if the tiger's skin is striped, the answer is yes, these stripes not only show on the coat, but also on the your skin.
It is one of the strongest animals in the world
The tiger is an extremely powerful animal, it not only demonstrates its ferocity when it comes to hunting, guarding its territory or defending itself, but it is really strong. Its massive legs, retractable claws and teeth are your allies in hunting and defense feats. Thus, a tiger is capable of dragging an animal twice its weight, like the bovines it catches.
He has longer canine teeth
These cats have large teeth, in fact, the Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) has the longest canine teeth of all current cats, as they can measure between 7, 5 and 10 cm long In addition, they have a strong bite thanks to their bone and muscle arrangement.
You have good vision
Another of the curiosities of the tiger is its good vision, since this is not the case with all cats. The sense of sight is used to move around and hunt, preferably in the late afternoon and evening, when it is usually most active.
Interestingly, it is estimated that tigers rely more on their vision and hearing than on smell to locate their prey, unlike, for example, cats, whose vision is not as good. This data also applies to non-albino white tigers. Thus, among the curiosities of the white tiger we find that, despite being related to this color with worse vision, it can see much better than other felines.
You have experienced changes to your taxonomy
There is only one species of tiger, Panthera tigris, from which different subspecies arise. This is one of the species that has received the most attention in relation to its taxonomic information. In this sense, over time, there have been changes in the number of subspecies that are considered. In this way, various conclusions have been reached, for which from two, three, eight and even nine subspecies of tigers have been proposed.
Although with certain positions against it, in 2017 a group of experts from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) proposed only two subspecies: P. t. tigris and P. t. sondaica, in which the others are included. In this other article we talk about the Types of tigers that exist.
It eats up to 60 prey a year
Tigers are carnivorous animals that prefer to hunt live animals, although in times of scarcity they may eat carrion. Their main prey are hoofed animals, but they manage to expand their diet in various ways, so that they also feed on, among others, fish, snakes, crocodiles, birds and monkeys. To maintain themselves properly, and although they do not eat every day, these cats need to consume between 50 and 60 animals per year. But this is not the only curious fact about tigers, and that is that they need to eat prey weighing from 18 to 40 kg
Has different hunting strategies
Without a doubt, another of the greatest curiosities of tigers is the hunting techniques they use, which are peculiar and distinctive to the species. They do not normally pursue their prey over long distances, as they hunt by ambush because they are very silent, cautious, camouflage very well and manage to stay very close to the ground when necessary. Likewise, since they are solitary and territorial animals, they do not hunt in groups, but alone.
When the prey is smaller, they knock it down with their bodyand immediately bite her in the neck, breaking the animal's spinal cord. In the case of the larger , they prefer to bite into the throat to press the trachea and suffocate the animal, thus also minimizing any counterattack from its victim.
In the article How Tigers Hunt we talk more about these hunting strategies.
He is an excellent swimmer
We tend to believe that all felines reject water and avoid it at all costs, however, this does not happen with tigers. Therefore, one of the most curious facts about tigers is that they like water Thus, a river, for example, is not an obstacle at all if they want to move to a particular place. These felines are able to submerge without problem and can swim up to about 30 km
You can jump up to 10 meters
A tiger can make jumps of about 4-5 meters in length, however, although it is less common, it can also jump up to about 10 meters On the other hand, it is not common for tigers to climb, but they are capable of doing so. Especially if they are chasing prey, they manage to climb a tree with great dexterity.
You have various ways to communicate
Tigers can communicate in three ways: olfactory, visual and sound. They do the first by producing a musky substance that binds with urine and sprays it in different areas of their territory. The second is carried out by making marks on rocks and trees with their claws, in addition to the traces they leave behind. And the third, emitting sounds like roars to warn of its strength and size or moans that indicate submission.
Perceive odors in a very particular way
Tigers, as well as other animals such as domestic cats, make a expression with their faces known as “flehmen”, associated with when they perceive odors, in which these felines stick their tongues over their incisors, wrinkling their noses and displaying their upper canines. Everything indicates that this expression is made when they smell some mark of another tiger, urine, perceive a female in heat or a cub tiger.
Can live in different habitats
In the past, tigers were mainly present in areas with dry and cold climates, but now they are generally distributed in forests. However, they are capable of diversifying into different types of habitats, from places almost 4,000 meters high to those with temperatures up to -40ºCThe requirements for a tiger to thrive include some plant cover, water, and enough prey to feed on.
Lives about 10 years in the wild
A tiger typically lives in the wild for 8 to 10 years, while in captivity from 16 to 18 years, although we know that these data are variable. In the wild, mainly young tigers are exposed to various dangers, such as the attack of adult males that are even capable of devouring them.
Is in danger of extinction
Unfortunately, the tiger is one of the many species that has suffered the attacks of human beings, to the point of being extirpated in many of its distribution areas, for which it is considered endangered. extinction. The estimate for 2015 was only about 3,200 tigers, although in general the population trend is decreasing, in certain regions there were reports of population increase. Undoubtedly, these data should make us reflect and prioritize conservation plans for endangered species such as the tiger.
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