Sunday, November 13, 2005
Statistics Sundays Begins (what - again? Are you Batty?) *lol*
Due to a retinal adaptation that reflects light back to the retina, the night vision of tigers is six times better than that of humans. WOW... so that would be why I like tigers so much - and always have, as a little boy even! I had not adopted Edith Wharton's quote as my motto yet - but I would eventually! "To Reflect The Light" as a mirror - as surely as the moon reflects the sun too... and tigers can easily hunt by moonlight with the superior eyesight that they have! Amazing isn't it - when it all comes together and fits together like this! Luminous connections at their very BEST...! Ok, now... next!
If tigers, as a group, are known as an "ambush"... and lions are a "pride"... what are tigers waiting for to ambush one by one those vain, proud-for-no-good-reason lazy fat cats that are only .allegedly. royalty anyway...?!? (If I was a beast -now, not THE Beast; I loathe 666, I cannot cast myself as him!- I certainly would not recognize the lion and lioness as king and queen of the beasts... ha, never! So... if I was a beast, I would NEVER "elect into office" a lying Lion... unlike what most people do, apparently! Much less CROWN him! I would vote Tiger... or even Rhino! That is actually a nod to an old spoof political party up in Québec, Canada called... le Parti Rhinocéros! But that is another story entirely - evidently!). Next!
Tigers, lions, leopards, panthers, jaguars, and cougars cannot purr when inhaling because of their cartilagenous hyoid bone (attached to the vocal cord). This is the feature that allows these cats to roar. And, while we're talking anatomical details -all about a cat's tongue now... Ever heard the expression cat got your tongue? Of course you have... The expression no one has ever heard of is the opposite - if we got the cat's tongue! Although it is tempting to tie a cat's tongue once in a while - it is not advisable, no. No animal cruelty please (even though animals reserve the right to be cruel amongst themselves). My cat meows too much though, admittedly - he is a member of Meowers Anonymous - but that is another story as well! Back to the core subject here... The human tongue is really next to nothing compared to the cat's! For a cat's tongue is covered with *hooks* which act as combs in grooming the fur and as small cups when the cats drink. In larger cats, the hooks are bigger and are also used to scrape meat off the bones of prey! Yikes! The cats must never *literally* get *near* our tongues - or any other vital parts of *our* anatomy! Yuck... enough of that brand of gore now... Next!
India has the most tigers in the world. Pakistan, take heed of that!
According to the World Wildlife Fund and the Center for a New American Dream, over 535 million trees and more than 12 billion gallons of oil are used to produce the nearly 31.5 million tons of paper that Americans use every year. And more than 90% of our printing and writing paper comes from trees, not recycled paper. We could be doing a lot better at saving our trees! Read about these myths and facts about recycled paper, so that you will be informed and can make better decisions when you next purchase paper for your home or office.
Quick Facts on Paper now:
Americans use approximately 31.5 million tons of printing and writing paper each year. To produce that paper, over 535 million trees and more than 12 billion gallons of oil are used.
In the United States, more than 90 percent of the printing and writing paper comes from virgin tree fiber (fiber that comes from trees, not recycled paper).
Nearly half the trees cut in North America are used for papermaking.
U.S. pulp mills consume 12,430 square miles of forests around the world each year, roughly an area the size of Maryland.
Nearly 80% of the world's original old growth forests (the world's older forests, characterized by large, old trees, including dead snags and fallen trees that provide wildlife habitat) have already been logged or severely degraded, and in the United States we have lost 95% or our old growth forests.
Waste of paper is once again upon us, with the holiday season fast approaching - a mere 41 days away now - take preventive action this year - now - here.
If tigers, as a group, are known as an "ambush"... and lions are a "pride"... what are tigers waiting for to ambush one by one those vain, proud-for-no-good-reason lazy fat cats that are only .allegedly. royalty anyway...?!? (If I was a beast -now, not THE Beast; I loathe 666, I cannot cast myself as him!- I certainly would not recognize the lion and lioness as king and queen of the beasts... ha, never! So... if I was a beast, I would NEVER "elect into office" a lying Lion... unlike what most people do, apparently! Much less CROWN him! I would vote Tiger... or even Rhino! That is actually a nod to an old spoof political party up in Québec, Canada called... le Parti Rhinocéros! But that is another story entirely - evidently!). Next!
Tigers, lions, leopards, panthers, jaguars, and cougars cannot purr when inhaling because of their cartilagenous hyoid bone (attached to the vocal cord). This is the feature that allows these cats to roar. And, while we're talking anatomical details -all about a cat's tongue now... Ever heard the expression cat got your tongue? Of course you have... The expression no one has ever heard of is the opposite - if we got the cat's tongue! Although it is tempting to tie a cat's tongue once in a while - it is not advisable, no. No animal cruelty please (even though animals reserve the right to be cruel amongst themselves). My cat meows too much though, admittedly - he is a member of Meowers Anonymous - but that is another story as well! Back to the core subject here... The human tongue is really next to nothing compared to the cat's! For a cat's tongue is covered with *hooks* which act as combs in grooming the fur and as small cups when the cats drink. In larger cats, the hooks are bigger and are also used to scrape meat off the bones of prey! Yikes! The cats must never *literally* get *near* our tongues - or any other vital parts of *our* anatomy! Yuck... enough of that brand of gore now... Next!
India has the most tigers in the world. Pakistan, take heed of that!
According to the World Wildlife Fund and the Center for a New American Dream, over 535 million trees and more than 12 billion gallons of oil are used to produce the nearly 31.5 million tons of paper that Americans use every year. And more than 90% of our printing and writing paper comes from trees, not recycled paper. We could be doing a lot better at saving our trees! Read about these myths and facts about recycled paper, so that you will be informed and can make better decisions when you next purchase paper for your home or office.
Quick Facts on Paper now:
Americans use approximately 31.5 million tons of printing and writing paper each year. To produce that paper, over 535 million trees and more than 12 billion gallons of oil are used.
In the United States, more than 90 percent of the printing and writing paper comes from virgin tree fiber (fiber that comes from trees, not recycled paper).
Nearly half the trees cut in North America are used for papermaking.
U.S. pulp mills consume 12,430 square miles of forests around the world each year, roughly an area the size of Maryland.
Nearly 80% of the world's original old growth forests (the world's older forests, characterized by large, old trees, including dead snags and fallen trees that provide wildlife habitat) have already been logged or severely degraded, and in the United States we have lost 95% or our old growth forests.
Waste of paper is once again upon us, with the holiday season fast approaching - a mere 41 days away now - take preventive action this year - now - here.
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*LOL* My number one source of CAT FACTS information can get sarcastic all on its own...
Today's Big Cat Fact:
Sand Cats are tough little felines that can be found in parts of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. These cats make a barking or "yodeling" noise that is sometimes mistaken for a dog bark. How embarrassing for a cat.
I don't have much to add to that!
No need to add anything!
Extra points for the trivia question...
Today's Big Cat Trivia:
How are the bodies of forest-dwelling cats, such as the jaguar and the clouded leopard, different from the bodies of savanna dwelling cats, like the cheetah and the serval?
Forest dwelling cats have short, stocky limbs that are better for climbing trees and ambushing prey. Cats that live on the savanna have long limbs that are good for speed, particularly when chasing prey.
Today's Big Cat Fact:
Sand Cats are tough little felines that can be found in parts of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. These cats make a barking or "yodeling" noise that is sometimes mistaken for a dog bark. How embarrassing for a cat.
I don't have much to add to that!
No need to add anything!
Extra points for the trivia question...
Today's Big Cat Trivia:
How are the bodies of forest-dwelling cats, such as the jaguar and the clouded leopard, different from the bodies of savanna dwelling cats, like the cheetah and the serval?
Forest dwelling cats have short, stocky limbs that are better for climbing trees and ambushing prey. Cats that live on the savanna have long limbs that are good for speed, particularly when chasing prey.
Very interesting post , if I may say so. I was referred by Countess. I shall place your blog on my read list.
With respect
Thomas <><
With respect
Thomas <><
Ah, dear Mr. Thomas!
Glad to see you here!
I must say that I love your monicker there - "concerned in texas" - it displays your sharp mind and sense of humor! Exactly what The Luminous Blog is all about! At least - I try! *lol*
Blessings!
Glad to see you here!
I must say that I love your monicker there - "concerned in texas" - it displays your sharp mind and sense of humor! Exactly what The Luminous Blog is all about! At least - I try! *lol*
Blessings!
Luce,
you sure did find a LOT of Great facts on Big Cats!! I agree that Tigers are the best!
Here are some Big Cat Facts of my own! Odd facts they are though. lol
This below is just what I remember, not facts that I just looked up! lol So if I am wrong just shoot me. lol I don't have a luminously perfect memory!
This rarely happens, and I have only heard of it and seen them in captivity. They are called Tigons and Ligers. They are crossbreeds of Tigers and Lions & Lions and Tigers. I believe a Tigon is when the Father is a Tiger and the Mother a Lioness. I believe a Liger is when the is the Father is a Lion and the Tigeress is the Mother. I am not certian about, if it is the father or mother that comes first in the name of the crossed offspring.
The offspring of the crossbreedings are supposed to be infertal. Kind of like a Mule is infertal, the cross between a horse and a donkey.
Ligers have the body and coloring of a Lion, except they have lighter colored stripes.
Tigons have the body of a Tiger for the most part, and the stripes, but the males have a lot thicker mane than most Tigers have. Their orange coloring isn't so bright either. They might not have as many stripes either, but still a lot more than a Liger does.
I have only seen one Tigon, so my memory of them is a lot less than what it is with the Liger.
Anyway, I didn't know if you had ever heard of a Tigon or a Liger.
I have seen more pictures of a Liger than I have of a Tigon. Maybe a Lioness is a lot more picky about her mate than a Tigeress is.
I don't think that Lions and Tigers or Tigers and Lions would breed in the wild. This has happened when Lions and Tigers of the opposite sex have been kept together in captivity, and not nutered or spayed.
God Bless You (\ô/) Luce!
((HUGE HUGS))
Countess
PS. I now am curious about the REAL facts about Tigons and Ligers. I'm going to do some research and I'll be back to post it! hehehe I'm curious like a cat! Meow! Roar! Purrr! LOL
you sure did find a LOT of Great facts on Big Cats!! I agree that Tigers are the best!
Here are some Big Cat Facts of my own! Odd facts they are though. lol
This below is just what I remember, not facts that I just looked up! lol So if I am wrong just shoot me. lol I don't have a luminously perfect memory!
This rarely happens, and I have only heard of it and seen them in captivity. They are called Tigons and Ligers. They are crossbreeds of Tigers and Lions & Lions and Tigers. I believe a Tigon is when the Father is a Tiger and the Mother a Lioness. I believe a Liger is when the is the Father is a Lion and the Tigeress is the Mother. I am not certian about, if it is the father or mother that comes first in the name of the crossed offspring.
The offspring of the crossbreedings are supposed to be infertal. Kind of like a Mule is infertal, the cross between a horse and a donkey.
Ligers have the body and coloring of a Lion, except they have lighter colored stripes.
Tigons have the body of a Tiger for the most part, and the stripes, but the males have a lot thicker mane than most Tigers have. Their orange coloring isn't so bright either. They might not have as many stripes either, but still a lot more than a Liger does.
I have only seen one Tigon, so my memory of them is a lot less than what it is with the Liger.
Anyway, I didn't know if you had ever heard of a Tigon or a Liger.
I have seen more pictures of a Liger than I have of a Tigon. Maybe a Lioness is a lot more picky about her mate than a Tigeress is.
I don't think that Lions and Tigers or Tigers and Lions would breed in the wild. This has happened when Lions and Tigers of the opposite sex have been kept together in captivity, and not nutered or spayed.
God Bless You (\ô/) Luce!
((HUGE HUGS))
Countess
PS. I now am curious about the REAL facts about Tigons and Ligers. I'm going to do some research and I'll be back to post it! hehehe I'm curious like a cat! Meow! Roar! Purrr! LOL
Some of the things I said in the previous comment are not accurate according to what I found here. Sorry for the misinformation.
What are tigons?:
Tigons are the opposite of ligers and have a tiger father and lioness mother. They may also be referred to as tiglons or tions.
The breeding of ligers (lion father/tigress mother) has always been easily accomplished, both by accident and design. Tigons, on the other hand, are extremely difficult to breed and very rare. Until recently, there were no recorded living tigons; the very few that do exist are probably in private ownership
Fertility:
Infertility in hybrid cats is often claimed, but this is not always correct. It seems accurate to say the males are infertile; post mortems have confirmed this, but females may go on to produce offspring.
Appearance:
Like all hybrid cats the offspring of a tiger and lioness share the characteristics of both their parents. They:
Produce both lion and tiger sounds.
Have shadow spots and stripes in varying amounts. The spots are inherited from the lion parent.
Grow to enjoy water. Aster and Tangier are reported as occasionally "going for a paddle in their moat".
Though males may have traces of a mane, if this is present it is very modest. Aster has no traces of a mane at all.
The life span of many hybrid big cats is short and they seem prone to cancers and other illnesses. Confusion between the social lion personality and the solitary tiger personality is noted by handlers.
Ti-ligers and ti-tigons are 75% tiger so tend to so tend to have more of the characteristics and appearance of the tiger.
Size:
Ligers are prone to gigantism; they are the largest cats in the world and can be double the size of an average adult male Amur (Siberian) tiger.
It is commonly thought tigons are prone towards dwarfism and are much smaller than either of their parents. This does not always apply and they often have the body size of a lioness or Bengal tiger.
It is usually accurate to say tigons don't exceed the size of their parents. They also seem not to display the same tendency towards 'hybrid vigour' as regards faster growth.
The chart shown below lists the common names given to hybrid tigers and lions. Claims have been made of at least one tig-liger (tigon father/liger mother), but this site has yet to get confirmation of this and remains highly skeptical due to the extreme rarity of tigons, and also the fact that fertility in male hybrid cats is unconfirmed.
It seems more likely that the combination would arise from mating a tiger with a ligress, producing a ti-liger. Confusion readily arises regarding the breeding of hybrid cats and this explanation would provide a possible answer.
___________________________
Father Mother Offspring
---------------------------
Lion Tiger Liger
---------------------------
Tiger Lion Tigon
---------------------------
Lion Liger Li-liger
---------------------------
Lion Tigon Li-tigon
---------------------------
Tiger Liger Ti-liger
---------------------------
Tiger Tigon Ti-tigon
---------------------------
Here is some Info on Ligers.
Liger
Panthera Leo-Tigris
Natural habitat: Captively bred.
Adult weight: From approximately 400 kg to more than 700 kg.
Average length:
(nose to tailtip) Approximately 3.7 m (12 ft) standing on hind legs. (See Samson.)
Average height:
(at shoulder) No data registered.
Maximum speed: 80 Kmph (50 mph) has been recorded. (See Samson.)
Appearance:
Regarding pelage or Appearance, the liger tends to have an interesting blend of both of it's parent species. The coat tends to be a tawny, golden colour much like the leonine father's, yet it is most often striped with a 'candle flame' pattern in a rich orangish brown. Many ligers' facial markings are very tiger-like as well, often posessing a bit of black. The occurence of a leonine mane in males is apparently a bit rare, and many still seem to look like a lioness, lacking even a tiger's broad cheek ruff.
Breeding:
Ligers most commonly occur within an artificial environment, with the mating pair matched up by a human's efforts. In the wild, lions live predominantly in Africa, with a small population of Asiatic lions in India (Panthera leo persica), whereas tigers are solely Asian in distribution. This leaves India to be the only place where lions and tigers may share common or neighboring territories, yet it is still virtually unheard of that they would interbreed under the normal conditions in the wild.
Size:
Theoretically, one could compare the liger to the great cats that are believed to have been the predecessors to the modern lion and tiger. The North American Cave Lion (Panthera atrox) and European Cave Lion in particular were reportedly at least 25% larger in body dimensions (height and length) than either of the existing modern species. Perhaps the liger offers a glimpse into the past along the evolutionary progress of the modern great cats.
Author's note: With a (untrue) species of cat such as the liger, where the individuals show so few consistencies, it is very difficult to draw up any definitive data aside from what little is supplied by private owners.
What is a liger?
To put it most simply, a liger is the offspring born of a mating between a male lion and female tigress. If it's the other way around, with a male tiger and female lioness, the offspring is what's known as a tigon, otherwise known as a tiglon or tion. The nomenclature depends on the mating pair, evidently, with the male's species being the first name in the offspring's integrated name.
How big is a liger?
I've seen resources reporting some individuals to be in the range of approximately 900 pounds (approx. 400 kg), with others ranging in excess of 1500 pounds (approx. 700 kg). Consider, if you will, the average weight of a lion at approximately 450 pounds (approx. 200 kg) and a tiger at up to 600 or so pounds (approx. 270 kg), then perhaps you'll say, "Whoa..." ;X)
Do ligers have manes?
The anthropomorphised ligers found in the furry fandom often bear a mane if they happen to be male, though it seems to be a less prominent trait in the real life big cats. Many photos that I've seen of ligers show them without a mane, though there are a few that are reportedly ligers and are bearing the thick, luxurious mane that their paternal heritage would provide.
Well that is what I found on Tigons and Ligers. :D
I hope it is as interesting to others as it is to me!
Have A Great Day!
God Bless You (\ô/) Luce!
((HUGE HUGS))
Countess
What are tigons?:
Tigons are the opposite of ligers and have a tiger father and lioness mother. They may also be referred to as tiglons or tions.
The breeding of ligers (lion father/tigress mother) has always been easily accomplished, both by accident and design. Tigons, on the other hand, are extremely difficult to breed and very rare. Until recently, there were no recorded living tigons; the very few that do exist are probably in private ownership
Fertility:
Infertility in hybrid cats is often claimed, but this is not always correct. It seems accurate to say the males are infertile; post mortems have confirmed this, but females may go on to produce offspring.
Appearance:
Like all hybrid cats the offspring of a tiger and lioness share the characteristics of both their parents. They:
Produce both lion and tiger sounds.
Have shadow spots and stripes in varying amounts. The spots are inherited from the lion parent.
Grow to enjoy water. Aster and Tangier are reported as occasionally "going for a paddle in their moat".
Though males may have traces of a mane, if this is present it is very modest. Aster has no traces of a mane at all.
The life span of many hybrid big cats is short and they seem prone to cancers and other illnesses. Confusion between the social lion personality and the solitary tiger personality is noted by handlers.
Ti-ligers and ti-tigons are 75% tiger so tend to so tend to have more of the characteristics and appearance of the tiger.
Size:
Ligers are prone to gigantism; they are the largest cats in the world and can be double the size of an average adult male Amur (Siberian) tiger.
It is commonly thought tigons are prone towards dwarfism and are much smaller than either of their parents. This does not always apply and they often have the body size of a lioness or Bengal tiger.
It is usually accurate to say tigons don't exceed the size of their parents. They also seem not to display the same tendency towards 'hybrid vigour' as regards faster growth.
The chart shown below lists the common names given to hybrid tigers and lions. Claims have been made of at least one tig-liger (tigon father/liger mother), but this site has yet to get confirmation of this and remains highly skeptical due to the extreme rarity of tigons, and also the fact that fertility in male hybrid cats is unconfirmed.
It seems more likely that the combination would arise from mating a tiger with a ligress, producing a ti-liger. Confusion readily arises regarding the breeding of hybrid cats and this explanation would provide a possible answer.
___________________________
Father Mother Offspring
---------------------------
Lion Tiger Liger
---------------------------
Tiger Lion Tigon
---------------------------
Lion Liger Li-liger
---------------------------
Lion Tigon Li-tigon
---------------------------
Tiger Liger Ti-liger
---------------------------
Tiger Tigon Ti-tigon
---------------------------
Here is some Info on Ligers.
Liger
Panthera Leo-Tigris
Natural habitat: Captively bred.
Adult weight: From approximately 400 kg to more than 700 kg.
Average length:
(nose to tailtip) Approximately 3.7 m (12 ft) standing on hind legs. (See Samson.)
Average height:
(at shoulder) No data registered.
Maximum speed: 80 Kmph (50 mph) has been recorded. (See Samson.)
Appearance:
Regarding pelage or Appearance, the liger tends to have an interesting blend of both of it's parent species. The coat tends to be a tawny, golden colour much like the leonine father's, yet it is most often striped with a 'candle flame' pattern in a rich orangish brown. Many ligers' facial markings are very tiger-like as well, often posessing a bit of black. The occurence of a leonine mane in males is apparently a bit rare, and many still seem to look like a lioness, lacking even a tiger's broad cheek ruff.
Breeding:
Ligers most commonly occur within an artificial environment, with the mating pair matched up by a human's efforts. In the wild, lions live predominantly in Africa, with a small population of Asiatic lions in India (Panthera leo persica), whereas tigers are solely Asian in distribution. This leaves India to be the only place where lions and tigers may share common or neighboring territories, yet it is still virtually unheard of that they would interbreed under the normal conditions in the wild.
Size:
Theoretically, one could compare the liger to the great cats that are believed to have been the predecessors to the modern lion and tiger. The North American Cave Lion (Panthera atrox) and European Cave Lion in particular were reportedly at least 25% larger in body dimensions (height and length) than either of the existing modern species. Perhaps the liger offers a glimpse into the past along the evolutionary progress of the modern great cats.
Author's note: With a (untrue) species of cat such as the liger, where the individuals show so few consistencies, it is very difficult to draw up any definitive data aside from what little is supplied by private owners.
What is a liger?
To put it most simply, a liger is the offspring born of a mating between a male lion and female tigress. If it's the other way around, with a male tiger and female lioness, the offspring is what's known as a tigon, otherwise known as a tiglon or tion. The nomenclature depends on the mating pair, evidently, with the male's species being the first name in the offspring's integrated name.
How big is a liger?
I've seen resources reporting some individuals to be in the range of approximately 900 pounds (approx. 400 kg), with others ranging in excess of 1500 pounds (approx. 700 kg). Consider, if you will, the average weight of a lion at approximately 450 pounds (approx. 200 kg) and a tiger at up to 600 or so pounds (approx. 270 kg), then perhaps you'll say, "Whoa..." ;X)
Do ligers have manes?
The anthropomorphised ligers found in the furry fandom often bear a mane if they happen to be male, though it seems to be a less prominent trait in the real life big cats. Many photos that I've seen of ligers show them without a mane, though there are a few that are reportedly ligers and are bearing the thick, luxurious mane that their paternal heritage would provide.
Well that is what I found on Tigons and Ligers. :D
I hope it is as interesting to others as it is to me!
Have A Great Day!
God Bless You (\ô/) Luce!
((HUGE HUGS))
Countess
Wow,
Tigers have Luminous eyes just like you do Luminous (\ô/) Luciano!
They can even see in the moonlight.
It would go double for tonight since it is a full moon! I wonder if the moon affects Tigers in other ways too. I know it affects people! No I don't mean that they will turn into a werewolf. lol
Maybe they are more restless, and hunt more effectivly, maybe even more agressive? Those are all just guesses. I am not in the mood to go research it right now. lol
God Bless You (\ô/) Luce!
((HUGE HUGS))
Countess
Post a Comment
Tigers have Luminous eyes just like you do Luminous (\ô/) Luciano!
They can even see in the moonlight.
It would go double for tonight since it is a full moon! I wonder if the moon affects Tigers in other ways too. I know it affects people! No I don't mean that they will turn into a werewolf. lol
Maybe they are more restless, and hunt more effectivly, maybe even more agressive? Those are all just guesses. I am not in the mood to go research it right now. lol
God Bless You (\ô/) Luce!
((HUGE HUGS))
Countess
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