In honor of my upcoming release, CatNap…
Thirteen Things About Tigers
1. Tigers are the largest of all the big cats.
2. Tigers are an endangered species with the number in the wild dwindling rapidly each year.
3. Tigers are solitary animals and range over huge territories.
4. A tiger will kill another if it invades its territory.
5. Tigers taste the air by using their Jacobson’s organ. This is a special scent center on the roof of the mouth. They wrinkle their nose and curl their lips upward, baring teeth to scent who or what is in their territory.
6. Tigers, like other felines, twitch their tails from side to side when they concentrate.
7. An angry tiger lashes his or her tail to and fro.
8. The tiger has a bright pink tongue with a very rough surface. The tongue is covered with spikes called papillae, which are used by all cats to strip meat off bones.
9. Tigers are one of the few big cats who enjoy swimming. They’re excellent swimmers.
10. Courting tigers make a lot of noise.
11. Female tigers mate every other year. The males remains close for a few days until he is sure she is pregnant before leaving the female on her own again.
12. Tiger cubs are capable of killing prey by the time they are a year old, but they stay with their mothers until they are two or three.
13. CatNap is out at Ellora’s Cave on 2 September. To read an excerpt go here.
Source: Big Cats by Rhonda Klevansky
What is your favorite big cat?
Don’t forget to enter my contest to guess how many books I will read during my holiday. Go here for details.
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August 27th, 2009 at 4:51 am · Link
I love the big cats. My favorite is the leopard. No joke. I told my mother as I kid I wanted to be one when I grew up. lol.
Happy TT.
-ChrisQ
August 27th, 2009 at 4:54 am · Link
Great info! I love tigers and that cover is “Purrrrfect”
Happy Thursday!
August 27th, 2009 at 5:01 am · Link
Oh, I adore tigers.
Speaking of mating, I think all that noise may have to do with the male’s barbs. *shudder*.
August 27th, 2009 at 6:50 am · Link
Cool facts about tigers! And what a great way to tie in your upcoming release!
August 27th, 2009 at 8:54 am · Link
Love tigers! Great TT! Congratulations on your new release!
*hugs*
Paige
My TT is at http://paigetylertheauthor.blogspot.com/
August 27th, 2009 at 10:09 am · Link
I have a Thomas Mangelsen print of a tiger in India that’s staring at me from the wall in the living room. I simply love it. And yes, if you don’t know Mangelsen’s work, Google him. Breath-taking.
August 27th, 2009 at 10:33 am · Link
Wow, there’s a lot I didn’t know about tigers. My favorite big cat is the panther. Congrats on the new release. Happy Thursday!
August 27th, 2009 at 11:03 am · Link
Great topic and book tie-in — who doesn’t like tigers?
August 27th, 2009 at 11:07 am · Link
I remember the first time I went to the tiger house at the zoo. The smell overwhelmed me. Not in a bad way, it just signaled ‘predator’ in a way that registered with very, very primitive parts of my brain.
And I’d probably say lion is my favorite big cat, simply because I enjoy watching their social interaction.
August 27th, 2009 at 11:16 am · Link
What a great list! Congrats on your new release!
My favourite big cat is the lion. In fact, some of my friends think I am one. :)
August 27th, 2009 at 6:11 pm · Link
My favorite big cat was my late 23 lb orange short haired tabby, Peach. 23 lbs of feline fun. Great post!
August 27th, 2009 at 6:54 pm · Link
I adore cats of all sorts.
I like smaller cats – fishing cats and snow leopards, bobcats and ocelots.
This ties to one of my favorite charities: http://www.bigcatrescue.org/adopt_a_cat.htm
Happy Thursday!
August 27th, 2009 at 7:06 pm · Link
Oh AWESOME!!!!! Great excerpt.
This release looks fantastic.
August 27th, 2009 at 10:38 pm · Link
My favorite big cat would have to be the panther, though I do like tigers too.
Happy TT.
Janice~
August 28th, 2009 at 7:50 am · Link
I didn’t realise just how big tigers were until we saw them last year at DreamWorld on the Gold Coast. Magnificent. We have a huge poster of a white tiger on the wall in our theatre room!
August 28th, 2009 at 2:58 pm · Link
I’m sitting here bouncing in my chair chanting, “I want it, I want it, I want it…” ARGH! Is it September yet?
August 29th, 2009 at 5:51 pm · Link
My favourites are the Tigers. My Chinese astrological sign is the Tiger.
A place to visit for fantastic wildlife photos in India is at: walkthewilderness.blgospot.com where Thomas and his wife, Shipley, post the photos they take at various wildlife sanctuaries. They have superb shots of the Bengal Tiger, which is considered extinct in India (there are only about 2,400 in India).
I would love to do a review of this book, Shelley. Drop me an email.