So for an unsuspecting deer, a hunting tiger would blend into the environment fairly seamlessly.įurther evidence that tiger markings are for camouflage is that stripes vary among the six tiger subspecies. Mammals that tigers hunt, like deer, are only able to process blue and green, making them obliviously colorblind to orange. Humans have what is called a trichromat eye, meaning our vision can process red, blue and green-based colors, giving us the ability to see tigers appearing as orange. You may be thinking, in a dark green jungle, wouldn’t bright orange and black stripes be super obvious? While this color combination makes a tiger relatively easy to spot for human eyes, recent research published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface used computer simulations and image processing techniques to see how detectable a species is in its natural environment to other native animals in the same habitat. These stripes help it to camouflage with filtered sunlight and the shadow of trees so that it can’t be easily spotted by its prey. When in the forest or the jungle, its black stripes and brown fur imitate dappled sunlight. They work in a way that biologists call “disruptive coloration,” breaking up a tiger’s bulky shape and large size so that this magnificent creature can blend in better with trees and tall grasses. Here’s where the tiger’s markings become very handy. But as a solitary cat (tigers are not pack animals and do not hunt in a group like lions do), the tiger relies on pure stealth for its hunting. Since tigers are apex predators at the tippy-top of the food chain, they don’t need to worry about hiding from animals that might eat them. We know nature doesn’t do much by accident or for no reason, so what are the stripes on tigers for? A Tiger’s Stripes Provide Camouflage Jaguars and leopards have their rosette spots, lions have their golden fur and male lions their mane, but tigers are unique as they strut around jungles and grasslands with their vertical-striped markings, which range from brown to black. The Yellow-and-black Argiope (pictured below, top left), one of the largest spiders in Kentucky, is a type of orb weaver.Tigers are one of the easiest of the big cats to identify because of their dramatic striped coats. Some orb weavers are very large, but, like most Kentucky spiders, the bites of orb weavers are harmless except to allergic individuals. Occasionally, they will wander into a home and build a web in a doorway or windowsill. Notes: Orb weavers are commonly found on porches and gardens in Kentucky, especially in late summer. Orb weavers are almost always encountered inside their webs. Some are solid tan or brown, while others are colorful with vivid patterns.įeatures: Orb weavers are distinguished by their webs: no other common Kentucky spiders make organized, circular, grid-like webs. silver dollar, with legs outstretched.Ĭolor: There are many species of orb-weaver spiders in Kentucky. Size: Orb weavers range in size from tiny (the size of a pencil eraser) to a little larger than a U.S. Read More: Eliminating Spiders Around Homes and Buildings (ENT-623), Kentucky Spiders: Wolf Spiders Wolf spiders are among the most common kinds of spiders in Kentucky. Like most Kentucky spiders, the bites of wolf spiders are harmless except to allergic individuals. Because they are brown in color, wolf spiders are often mistaken for brown recluses. Notes: Wolf spiders often wander into homes. silver dollar, with legs outstretchedĬolor: There are many species of wolf spiders in Kentucky, but most are dark or light brown, usually with contrasting spots or stripes.įeatures: Wolf spiders are fast-moving and they are typically seen running on the ground. Size: Wolf spiders range in size from tiny (the size of a pencil eraser) to about the size of a U.S. Read More: Eliminating Spiders Around Homes and Buildings (ENT-623), Kentucky Spiders: Grass Spiders Like most Kentucky spiders, though, the bites of grass spiders are harmless except to allergic individuals. Because they are brown and of a similar size, grass spiders are often mistaken for brown recluses. They also occasionally wander into homes. Notes: Grass spiders are very common in Kentucky lawns where they build large, funnel-shaped webs. Many other spiders have spinnerets, but they are very large and distinctive in grass spiders. quarter, with legs outstretched.Ĭolor: Brown with prominent longitudinal gray or tan stripes.įeatures: Prominent hind spinnerets: these are two, small, finger-like projections on the end of the grass spider's abdomen (used to spin the web).
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