Discover some interesting and unusual facts about tigers, chances are you probably don’t know any of these.
1. Tigers Have Eyes With Round Pupils
Domestic cats have eye pupils with slits but the tiger has round round pupils. This is because tigers hunt primarily in the morning and evening whereas domestic cats prefer to hunt at night.
2. Tiger’s Urine Smells Like Buttered Popcorn
Tigers mark their territory with urine to warn off other tigers but funnily enough it actually smells of buttered popcorn.
3. Tigers Rarely Roar
Tigers only roar to communicate with other tigers far away. When threatened they hiss and fuff similar to a house cat.
4. Tigers Are Generous
Unlike lions and other cats the male tiger will generously let the female and cubs eat first.
5. Tiger Stripes Are Unique Like Human Fingerprints
Each tiger has their own unique pattern of stripes.
6. Tigers Have The Chinese Symbol Of A King
The markings that appear on a tiger’s forehead are the same as the Chinese character for king.
7. A Tiger’s Stripes Are Also On Their Skin
If you shaved all the fur off a tiger you will still be able to see it’s stripes on the cat’s skin.
8. Tigers Love To Swim
Most cats hate water but tigers love it. They play in it as cubs, bath in it as adults and have even been seen hunting int water.
9. Tigers Are The Largest Of All Cats
The Siberian tiger is the largest cat in the world. It can grow up to 3.5m long and weigh 320 kg (700 lb).
10. Tigers Are Born Blind
For the first week of a tiger cub’s life it is completely blind. Only half ever make it to adulthood.
11. Tigers Hunt By Ambush
A tiger prefers to attack by surprise, if the tiger knows he or she has been spotted it is very unlikely it will attack. In some places in India the locals wear masks with a head facing behind to prevent tiger attacks.
12. Tigers Cannot Purr
Tigers are unable to pur so instead they show their happiness by squinting or closing their eyes.
13. Tigers Can Sprint At Over 60km/h
A tiger can run at 60 km/h but this is only possible for short distances.
14. Tigers Can Mimic The Call Of A Prey
Tigers have been seen imitating the sound of a prey to attract another in for a kill. They do this with bears and quite often have success.
15. Tigers Have Antiseptic Saliva
When a tiger licks his wounds the saliva doesn’t just clean but also disinfects the area too..
16. Three Subspecies Of Tiger Have Gone Extinct
In the last 80 years three subspecies of tiger have gone instinct. The Bali tiger was hunted to extinction in Bali as the locals believed it to be evil. The Javan tiger was also hunted but numbers dropped more due coffee and rubber plantations taking over it’s habitat. The Caspian tiger went extinct because of excessive hunting of both it and its prey.
17. Tigers Live For About 25 Years
Whether in captivity or in the wild, the tiger will live to around 25 years of age.
18. Only 3,500 Tigers Are Left In The Wild
There is a greater number of tigers in captivity in America than there are roaming the wild.
19. A Group Of Tigers Is Called An Ambush
They can also be called a streak.
20. Tigers Can Mate With Other Big Cats
A tiger and lion that mated in captivity have produced a new type of big cat called a Liger. These ligers can grow even bigger than a tiger.
More Tiger Stories You May Like:
– Amazing Pictures From the National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest
– Visitors To Busch Gardens Zoo Play Tug Of War With Tiger
– 25 Spectacular Pictures Of Siberian Tigers In Their Natural Habitat
– Meet The Pet Tigers At Tiger Temple