Why do tigers have stripes?
Tigers have stripes for camouflage. The vertical stripes break up the tiger's outline in tall grass and forests, helping it sneak up on prey.
Many prey animals, such as deer, are thought to have limited color vision, so a tiger's orange fur may look greenish or similar to the surrounding vegetation to them. The dark stripes mimic the shadows of grass and trees, making the tiger's shape hard to see until it is close enough to pounce.
Every tiger's stripe pattern is unique, like a human fingerprint. Researchers use camera traps to photograph tigers in the wild and identify individuals by their stripes. This helps them count populations and track movements.
Other big cat patterns
Leopards and jaguars have spots called rosettes, which suit the dappled light of forests. Lions have plain, sandy coats that blend into dry grasslands. Snow leopards have pale, spotted fur that matches rocky, snowy mountain slopes. Each pattern suits the cat's habitat.
Did You Know?
White tigers are Bengal tigers with a rare gene that reduces orange pigment. They still have dark stripes.