The answer to ‘why do tigers have stripes’ is as plain as the nose on your face…or the stripes on a tiger! Read our article for lots of tiger pictures, fun facts, and a poem about tigers too!
Solved: Why Do Tigers Have Stripes
A tiger’s stripes are the most distinctive feature about them, and it leads us to wonder: why do tigers have stripes? What biological advantage does it give them, or is it just for show? It turns out that tigers camouflage themselves with their fabulous orange and black stripes. Their unusual colors mask the tigers’ shape and size so they can blend in with the grass or trees. This confuses their prey, and, in most cases, the tiger can’t be seen until it’s too late. Whether a tiger lives in the lush grasslands or the wild forests or jungles, their stripes match their environment. These apex predators use the dim light of dawn or dusk – and those lovely stripes – to conceal themselves during their hunt.
What About A Tiger’s Skin? Is it Striped?
Now that we’ve answered the burning question of why a tiger has stripes, let’s explore a related conundrum. We know that a tiger’s fur is striped, but do tigers have striped skin? If you shaved off the fur of a tiger (good luck with that), you would indeed find the same markings on their skin as their fur. The reason is likely that the embedded hair follicles on a tiger’s skin can be easily seen. Interestingly, each tiger’s unique markings are like fingerprints for people, making it easier for conservationists to track them. Be careful tigers, we are watching you!
Fun Facts About Tigers
So, what other fun facts do we know about these incredible cats? Here are 7 things you may not know about tigers:
- Their preferred prey, the deer, can’t see the full spectrum of colors. Unlike people, who can process red, green, and blue (which means we can see orange), a deer cannot and therefore what looks orange to us may look green to the deer.
- These nocturnal cats have awesome vision, six times better than ours, and with a three foot tail that helps them balance as they turn, these apex predators are formidable. Unlike lions, they are solitary hunters and prefer to hunt alone during the night.
- It’s a common fact that most cats don’t like water, but tigers are different. In addition to playing and relaxing in the water, they can also swim great distances to hunt.
- Tigers have two to three blind cubs each time they birth, with the females providing for them until the cubs reach two years old.
- A tiger is the largest cat species, and it has a roar to match. The sound can be heard from two miles away.
- According to the Smithsonian, it’s believed that if a tiger and a lion fight, the tiger will win. However, if a pride of lions attacked a lone tiger, they are more likely to win.
- Tigers have white spots on the back of their ears. It’s believed this is to act as eyes to scare off any potential strikes from behind, or as a guide for the cubs to trail their moms.
Why Do Tigers Have Stripes? Conclusion And Fun Poem
With so many interesting facts about these enormous wild cats, the most intriguing is certainly their stripes. Their gorgeous, yet curious coloration is what makes these magnificent cats such a spectacle. But do tigers agree with the science of their stripes? Please enjoy this fun kids poem about tigers that offers the real, tiger-approved reason that a tiger has stripes.
Tiger Rumble Why does the tiger have his stripes? Why does he move through moonlit nights To the jungle center deep Where other tigers there do creep And call each other tiger names And play their secret tiger games And show off their tiger claws And arm wrestle, except with paws Until the leaves are touched with sun (The tigers' rumble then is done) Why does the tiger have his stripes? Cause tiger does as tiger likes Copyright Herding Kittens
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More poetry from Herding Kittens here If you love cats with long whiskers, see our post here