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A tiger's skin also has stripes

A tiger’s skin also has stripes

 

Recommended for Preparatory Grades

When you think of a tiger’s fur, what do you see in your mind? Orange/brown with black stripes right?

Well, it turns out that it is not only their fur that has stripes; even their skin does!

Tigers are the only big cats within the big cat family to have stripes on their fur. No other big cat has stripes. Other big cats have different patterns (designs) on their fur. For example, leopards have rosettes, while cheetahs have spots.

However, the snow leopard is also similar to the tiger. It has rosette marks on its skin just like it has on its fur.

Unique stripes

No two tigers have the same stripes pattern. Like human fingerprints, their stripe patterns are unique to every individual. The colour of the stripes can be brown to black and don’t seem to be symmetrical (matching) on either side of the tiger. Underneath the fur, the darkness of the skin colour also depends on the darkness of the fur.

There are over a hundred stripes on every tiger. However, the number of stripes that tigers have, can vary. For example, the stripes on a Sumatran tiger are more closely packed than other tigers.

How do the stripes help the tiger?

Not only do the tiger’s stripes look nice but they also help with camouflage.

The earthy colour of the undercoat can mix in with the natural reeds, trees, and grasses around them. And the black stripes help the animal to remain hidden within the shades of the trees.

What is camouflage?

Camouflage is the way in which an animal’s colour or shape matches its surroundings and makes it difficult to be spotted.

 

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