Golden Tabby Tigers

So you thought tigers just came in orange & black, or white & black?  There are actually rare tiger colors that are not as well-known.

The golden tabby, above, has dark orange stripes instead of black.

The black tiger has wider stripes and more black on its head and back.

And the blue tiger? A blue tiger cub was born at a zoo in Oklahoma, but died while young. There have been reports and descriptions of blue (Maltese) tigers in the wild, but not one has been captured!

What do you think?  Pretty amazing colorations!

The tiger is beautiful, but certain types are very rare and will soon be gone from the earth.

Want to help? Visit the Save the Tiger Fund to see how.

Golden Tabby Tigers

So you thought tigers just came in orange & black, or white & black?  There are actually rare tiger colors that are not as well-known.

The golden tabby, above, has dark orange stripes instead of black.

The black tiger has wider stripes and more black on its head and back.

And the blue tiger? A blue tiger cub was born at a zoo in Oklahoma, but died while young. There have been reports and descriptions of blue (Maltese) tigers in the wild, but not one has been captured!

What do you think?  Pretty amazing colorations!

The tiger is beautiful, but certain types are very rare and will soon be gone from the earth.

Want to help? Visit the Save the Tiger Fund to see how.

Tiger, tiger, burning white...

The legendary white tiger.  The tiger of choice for Indian royalty. A rare cat stalking through the jungle...well, not so rare anymore.  There are several hundred around the world and their numbers are growing.  Why?  Zoos and animal attractions know they are a big hit with the public and so pursue selective breeding to create white tigers.

But white tigers are not albinos.  Even the whitest of the tigers, stripeless tigers, have a faint pattern of stripes. And did you know that their white fur changes with temperature? The color gets creamier when the air is cold!

Tiger, tiger, burning white...

The legendary white tiger.  The tiger of choice for Indian royalty. A rare cat stalking through the jungle...well, not so rare anymore.  There are several hundred around the world and their numbers are growing.  Why?  Zoos and animal attractions know they are a big hit with the public and so pursue selective breeding to create white tigers.

But white tigers are not albinos.  Even the whitest of the tigers, stripeless tigers, have a faint pattern of stripes. And did you know that their white fur changes with temperature? The color gets creamier when the air is cold!

If you blink, they'll be gone...

The largest cat in the world is the tiger!

There are six existing subspecies and three that are extinct. The remaining tigers are all in grave danger of extinction as well. Some predict that in ten years, all tigers will be extinct in the wild.

A tiger is easy to identify. Is it huge and striped?  It's a tiger!

Here are the nine types of tigers. They all look pretty similar, but my next two posts will show you various colorations, some that I bet you never knew existed!

If you blink, they'll be gone...

The largest cat in the world is the tiger!

There are six existing subspecies and three that are extinct. The remaining tigers are all in grave danger of extinction as well. Some predict that in ten years, all tigers will be extinct in the wild.

A tiger is easy to identify. Is it huge and striped?  It's a tiger!

Here are the nine types of tigers. They all look pretty similar, but my next two posts will show you various colorations, some that I bet you never knew existed!

Sneak Cat and Catawampus

his big cat has over 40 names in English; names like Mountain Screamer and Deer Tiger, Swamp Lion and Indian Devil*.

But we are more familiar with the names Cougar, Puma, and Mountain Lion.

Cougars are the fourth largest cat in the world, but are not considered a true big cat because they cannot roar. They do hiss, growl and purr, and are well-known for their screams*.

IK1**: Adult coloring is plain (silvery to tawny to red)

IK2: Lighter contrasting fur from underbelly up to chin

IK3: black coloring around whiskers

Check out the links below for some fun information about cougars!

*cougar names,  cougar scream

**Identification Key (More about identification keys here.)