Lesser-known facts about tigers

 

1. Tigers have antiseptic saliva – Their saliva contains antibacterial properties, helping prevent infections when they lick their wounds.
2. They can imitate other animal sounds – Tigers can mimic prey calls, such as deer, to lure them closer.
3. Their skin is striped too – If you shave a tiger, you'll see that its skin has the same striped pattern as its fur.
4. No two tigers have the same stripes – Each tiger’s stripe pattern is unique, just like human fingerprints.
5. They are excellent swimmers – Unlike most big cats, tigers enjoy water and can swim long distances, sometimes up to several kilometers.
6. A tiger’s roar can be heard up to 3 km (1.8 miles) away – Their powerful vocal cords allow them to communicate over long distances.
7. Tigers have night vision six times better than humans – This gives them an advantage when hunting in the dark.
8. They can take down prey larger than themselves – Tigers can kill animals like gaur (a massive wild cattle species) and even crocodiles.
9. Tigers are solitary but communicate through scent marking – They use urine and scratch marks on trees to establish territory and warn others.
10. A group of tigers is called a "streak" or an "ambush" – Though tigers are mostly solitary, when they do gather, this is what they are called.