I am going to assume this is a litter, all from the same sire/dam line, and all raised in an identical environment. From left to right, 1,2,3's attitudes appear very scared/unsure of what is occuring. 4 appears to have less substance/bulk to his body, referencing his front legs suggesting health/nutrition issues. His attitude? He doesn't have a clue if he is in the jungles of Rewa or on the moon. Number 5 could care less, or he is so traumatized he just want wishes he were dead. Are 1,2,3 each interpreting the same way or is one of them and given the close proximity are the other 2 sensing his apprehension? This is how you analize in dealing with a large group of animals in a training situation. Who sit's by whom, who lays by whom etc. etc.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Certain bloodlines or enviornment and how it is individually interpreted in establishing a behavioral pattern
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Wade G. Burck
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9 comments:
Wade, what an eye you have! Most people would just see five tiger cubs. Again this is the litter of five cubs born August 24, 1983, to Bhim and Sumita, and therefore Tony's grandchildren. Two of them are Kanpur (snow white female) and Lucknow (white striped male) who went to Miami. You just featured them earlier today. The other two snow whites, Snow Queen (female) and Shirotan (male), went to two different places in Japan. The other striped brother went to Thailand. It would be interesting to know who was who in the picture.
Mary Ann
Mary Ann,
I was going to ask readers to guess at what zoo this was, but I assumed you would be the only one to recognize half of a shoulder patch. You are going to have to decide who's "crotch" is who's, because I can't help you there. LOL The picture by the way was in the February 1986 RANGER RICK--Special Cat Issue. Don't laugh. Yes, I read RANGER RICK if there is something of interest.
Wade
Interesting group/litter shot. Particularly wonder about #3. Ears back, probably the most defensive of the group. #1, #2, #3 are all alert...which to me speaks volumes. #4 in addition to being smaller is so completely unfocused, I'd be concerned he/she may be damaged. #5 could be smart enough to have read the situation and to feel at ease, but it also looks like it might be focused on something on the floor. Since this is a posed picture it's harder to pin down a social ranking. Tempting to call #1 "Alpha" but without seeing them interact as a group it would probably be a bullshit observation.
Ben
Interesting group/litter shot. Particularly wonder about #3. Ears back, probably the most defensive of the group. #1, #2, #3 are all alert...which to me speaks volumes. #4 in addition to being smaller is so completely unfocused, I'd be concerned he/she may be damaged. #5 could be smart enough to have read the situation and to feel at ease, but it also looks like it might be focused on something on the floor. Since this is a posed picture it's harder to pin down a social ranking. Tempting to call #1 "Alpha" but without seeing them interact as a group it would probably be a bullshit observation.
Ben
Ben,
I don't read alert as much as apprehension, in the first there. Tigers being more "genetically hardwired" to a more solitary existance, don't tend to "alpha" as much as the more traditional pack, pride or herd animals. Raised as a compatible group they are more inclined to a "democratic" society. Less fighting in an act situation as opposed to living alone which is helpful. But a large group of differing ages will also grow up to attack as a group/pride, harder and faster then any pride of lions thought possible. That down side is why the raising of tigers together is a recent(15 years) accepted practice.
I interpret 1 lunging, and then fleeing in the opposite direction, through the wall and anything else in it's way. I see 2 just freezing, or falling to his side, and going into a "zone." I see 3 being gone, a second before 1 and 2 even make their move. 5's eyes are closed so I don't think he is looking at anything. I suggest sleeping, or in a similar, but different zone then 2.
Wade
Not sure about the "democracy." It makes sense in that indeed tigers live solitary lives. However caring for a Siberian group for several years, there was definitely a pecking order to their "play." I imagine real social order in wild tigers is tied to territoriality a bit like it is in male ursids. I've seen sibling tigers attack as a group -- pretty impressive. I'd probably describe that as a litter behavior -- something learned in juvenile play and retained only because the litter grouping remains cohesive. Does a grouping of adults from different litters exhibit the same coordination?
Ben,
Democratic may be a poor choice of word, might "communal with out a leader" be more appropriate? The Siberian group you mention, was it a litter raised together, or was it individuals from different environments brought together at an immature point in their lives. The litter raised tend to become size dominant with their siblings. ie a larger male and smaller female siblings, a larger female and smaller female siblings, 2 males one larger then the other, etc. The group brought together may have individuals who developed a personality given their prior environment. ie scared of what's coming will cause them to react defensively, etc. Being raised alone or hand raised with no reprimand developing "pushiness" etc. These environmentally developed behaviors being misinterpreted as Alpha dominance.
Litter behavior is a very appropriate term for the adapted behavior of ganging, that group raised tigers will develop. Will they develop the same behavior from different litters? Absolutely, given they have as much time to develop together as a group litter as they did in individual litters, and are all within 1 to 2 years of each other. Vastly differing ages such as 2 and 7 may cause the size dominance imbalance.
Wade
Ben,
1 would be the "muscle/Ace" trick tiger, 5 would be the roll over, and let me pat you as you return to your seat tiger, 4 would be the let me hug and kiss on you so the people think you love me tiger, and 2 and 3 I would hope for the best, and try to get what ever I could, with out upsetting anybody else. LOL
Wade
Wade. Great breakdown. Gotta love those cats whose greatest accomplishment is the ability to sit still and look impressive and tolerate touch even if they haven't the where with all for much else.
Ben
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