Tiger Anatomy

The tiger has a body design that allows it to move along gracefully. They are also extremely fast when it comes to hunting their prey and getting themselves out of the way of danger. A full grown tiger can be up to 13 feet in length and weight as much as 650 pounds. They have a very muscular build too which helps them to take down prey that is many types heavier than they are. The females are generally smaller than the males for all of the different species of tigers.

One of the most distinct characteristics of the tiger are the stripes found on the body. The coat is an orangish color with stripes of black and white found on it. If you study the stripes of tigers you will quickly realize that each one has its own distinct pattern. This is how researchers are able to identify them during observation in a natural habitat setting. Their coat is similar to the way our own fingerprints makes each one of use unique.

The way in which their stripes are offered though serves a purpose that is well beyond basic identification. It is the way in which they are able to successfully hide in the wild from predators. It is also one of the most useful tools that they naturally have for sneaking up on their own prey.

Not all tigers are orange in color which is also interesting to learn about. For example the white tigers that feature black stripes and blue eyes certainly do get the attention of people. This is due to a mutation in the coloring and it rarely occurs in the wild. However, due to the popularity of them they are intentionally bred in zoos all over the world.

In addition, very powerful jaws with razor sharp teeth are found in the mouths of these big cats. There are about 30 teeth found in the mouth of a tiger. As a tiger gets older these teeth can wear out though. That is when a tiger will have a hard time living in the wild and may even starve to death.

The claws of a tiger are extremely sharp. They have five claws on each foot and the first one never touches the ground. They can often be seen in the wild scratching their claws against trees. They have a sheath that covers their claws so that they don’t get exposed and worn out when they don’t need to use them.

Both the legs and the shoulder regions of tigers are extremely muscular and powerful. This gives them the ability to control various types of prey instantly. They also have paws that are very wide which helps them to climb and to grasp things. The paws of the males are generally much larger than those of the females.

The backbone of a tiger is very flexible. This is what allows it to have such a wide range of motion. This is always what allows it to leap more than 30 feet at a time when it needs to. The hind legs are also longer then the front ones which also help with the ability to jump so well.

One significant advantage that the tiger has is their eyesight. They can see just as well as humans during the day. However, at night their abilities are 6 times what we can see. This definitely makes it much easier for them to sneak up on their prey. The design of their eyes is why they can see so much better at night. They have larger pupils as well as lenses.