Tigers are one of the world’s biggest living cats, but they must also protect themselves in the face of danger. The wild is no playground. In the wild, every day is a struggle.
Tigers might need to defend themselves and their territory from other tigers or carnivores. How do tigers protect themselves in the wild? Usually, they use their strength, teeth, and claws. However, nature has provided them with special adaptations for survival purposes.
A list of 5 tiger predators
Tigers have no natural predators. Most of their fights are among themselves over females or territory. These big cats are highly territorial and would even attack their predecessors if necessary to protect or win over an alluring piece of territory. In the process, they use their claws, jaws, and immense power.
Nevertheless, tigers need to be alert in the wild since they roam alone, or other predators might take the chance. Though humans are the biggest threat to tigers, here is a list of 5 animals that are seen to attack tigers in the wild,
- Hyenas
- Dholes
- Bears
- Crocodiles
- Elephants
Among these 5 attackers, hyenas and dholes would attack a tiger in packs. This can result in severe damage to the big cat and even cause its death.
Bears and elephants are more like defenders than attackers. The reason why we think this is that bears and elephants don’t like to bother a tiger. However, if a tiger is seen roaming in their territory with an opportunistic hunter’s eyes, they can sense that. Then they’d get smarter and try to scare the tiger away. Among all the animals that show the courage to attack a tiger, the elephant’s blow is the most fatal. One good blow to the stomach can leave the tiger with broken ribs and a broken physique that can result in it not being able to hunt and eventually falling into the grasp of death.
Crocodiles are the most feared ones by tigers. This is because the reptile would sneak up on the big cat while it is drinking. Thus grabbing it awkwardly the crocodile would pull it into the water to suffocate the tiger to its death. Tigers can kill crocodiles with their brute strength. Surprisingly, crocodiles sometimes run into the water for their lives.
5 adaptations of tigers that make them stand out in the animal kingdom
Nature has provided everyone with just what they need. A tiger has a lot of special abilities, such as camouflage, paws, strong jaw, incredible agility, aggressiveness, smartness, adaptability, climbing trees, swimming, etc. In spite of such awesome abilities, they have 5 absolute mind-bending adaptations that make them stand out.
1. Camouflage
We all know about the world-famous orange and black stripes of tigers. These stripes are lifesavers for them. Tigers can blend in with their surroundings thanks to these adaptations.
The stripes may seem vivid in our eyes, however, these are the adaptations that allow tigers to keep a low profile in the wild.
The majestic stripes produce patterns that are reminiscent of sunshine shining through dense forests. Due to this, it is challenging to see tigers in the wild, for both predators and prey.
2. Senses
Vision
Tigers have a very keen set of senses. First of all, tigers have binocular vision which gives them a clear 3-dimensional picture of their surroundings. This kind of vision helps them to accurately measure distances and depths.
Tigers have excellent night vision. This is because of the fact that they have more rods in their eyes than cones. Rods are cells that are accountable for developing the sense of the sharpness of shapes.
The big cats also have very good peripheral vision. This sort of vision allows them to hunt prey that is running across a plain.
Hearing
Hearing is the sense that a tiger uses for hunting prey. Tigers’ most acute sense is hearing. They have radar-dish-like ears that can pick up sounds from every direction. Their sense of hearing is so acute that they can even detect high-frequency sounds made by prey in the dense jungle.
Smell
Tigers’ sense of smell isn’t as acute as their other perception. They use their perception of smell principally for detecting territory and mating status.
3. False eyes
Tigers, like many other species of cats, use fake eyes on their ears as a means of mimicry. This impression of false eyes is so obvious yet so ambiguous that you might have never noticed it.
Have you ever noticed distinctive circular white spots located on the back side of tigers’ ears? You must have noticed them. However, did you ever think that these white markings are a common adaptation of the tigers? Such adaptations are found in different species of cats, butterflies, peacocks, etc.
False eyes have several uses. Tigers might bend their ears to show the white spots as a warning sign to the attackers in front of them.
Moreover, these markings help the tiger to keep other predators away. False eyes help tigers to appear more alert to an attacker coming from behind. Moreover, tigers’ ears are usually pinned back as they drink, giving the impression that their eyes are wider than they are.
4. Physique
Tigers are the biggest cats in the world. Their huge muscular physique helps them to bite and drag bigger prey than themselves. Their muscularly large legs allow them to jump up to 33 feet. They also have soft pads on their feet that allow them to move silently while stalking prey.
Moreover, tigers, in comparison to other big cats, have the longest canines, measuring between 6.4 and 7.6 centimeters (2.5 and 3.0 in) in length. The tiger’s canines are equipped with numerous pressure-sensing neurons, allowing it to pinpoint the exact spot where the neck of its prey must be severed. All in all, their bodies are gracefully sinuous.
5. Swimming and climbing
Water is not a problem for tigers. They are natural swimmers. Tigers are one of the exceptions in the big cat family that enjoy being in the water. They are incredibly powerful swimmers.
In the wild, they are seen to swim across big rivers as big as 29 kilometers without any hesitation. Tigers’ feet have webbed fingers. Therefore, when they open up their paws, they can actually paddle with immense force.
As a result, they can cross big rivers that are flowing with tremendous currents. Tigers have huge territories and like to patrol the places. For this reason, they sometimes need to cross rivers. Moreover, they might need to jump in the water to catch prey. Hence, if you are being hunted by a tiger, jumping into a river or climbing a tree is not a good option.
Tigers can easily climb trees, but they do it infrequently unless they are cubs. Their sharp claws provide a strong grip on the tree trunk, allowing them to ascend with ease. Nature has provided tigers with many abilities, however, they are far from the best climbers. Yet they are great climbers.
Even though adult tigers can be somewhat awkward when climbing trees, this is due to their weight and not their ability to climb trees.
Tigers even sometimes chase monkeys and climb up trees to catch one. Sometimes the chase would result in a disastrous failure if the tiger falls down from the tree.
Conclusion
Tigers are the biggest predators. They have many abilities that help them to survive in the wild. Many abilities are well-known to the public. However, they also possess many hidden abilities. These adaptations have made tigers so ferocious.
