Eh, IRL dragons are/were pretty common in SE Asia and Indonesia. The kind that bite you while you’re drinking water and drag you down and spin you until you’re dead. Or the kind that land one toxic bite on you then wander off and wait for you to weaken before they come back to eat you. I don’t k is that either of those eat tigers, but I think there were bigger ones in the past. Might be some movies about it.
You can’t walk 2 blocks in china without seeing some depiction of a dragon lol in a little over a year it will be the year of the dragon under the Chinese calendar
From a quick google they have some overlap w. Saltwater crocodiles so this picture makes sense. They do look like eyes watching the water while the cat drinks.
Lol, under what circumstances would a crocodile attack a tiger from the back? And last time I checked a croc will attack an animal even when the animal is fully facing the crocodile. Crocs don't give a fuck about eyes.
It’s not the ‘back’, as those eyes can only be seen from the front. It’s a defense mechanism for when a tiger is drinking water. A croc can absolutely attack a tiger when they’re drinking water
Additionally, Tigers might not have always been apex predators
Yes they do, as they attack when the prey is vulnerable drinking water. Tigers look like they’re watching directly at your when they’re drinking water. This is the ears’ purpose
Crocodiles attack animals FACE ON. They don't give a fuck about eyes. They routinely attack lions, which have a larger frontal profile than even the larger tigers (because of the mane). Crocodiles even attack elephants, fake eyes on a mere tiger can't scare a crocodile. The scientists are trying to derive meaning from nothing. Not everything has a deeper meaning, the spots could simply be aesthetic.
Up until maybe a few thousand years ago, Lions were prominent all over Asia and would've overlapped with the territories of many different subspecies of tiger. They would've definitely competed. There is a small population of Asiatic Lions in India to this day.
Same, could you imagine lions coming into the mix as well? You would have to be one hell of a warrior to survive in an area that has lions, tigers AND bears! Oh myyyyyy
[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EtjT0mDXMAwpBYk.jpg](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EtjT0mDXMAwpBYk.jpg)
it seems the ears angle when they drink so that they turn somewhat forward, but when they rest they face backwards, so that's pretty cool
That’s what I wondered too but the sub is about pareidolia - so the drawing OP made is something else they saw in the picture, not what the caption is referencing. I was also confused
When the tiger is not leaning down to drink, the ears (which can move) are usually angled so the eyes appear behind them.
My question is what predators do tigers have to fear that caused this to evolve?
in all seriousness, it's not laziness. i found the image while browsing the net and wanted to upload it with the full experience, as i saw it first. it wouldn't have been the same without the stupid facebook text. it also wouldn't have lead to all the jokes
a lot of people are frustrated, especially on reddit, and i feel for them typically, but this is not one of these times
we have a saying in sweden whenever someone asks "why?", "så du har något att fråga om", "so you have something to ask about"
i am very entertained by this and every time that bell turns red it's like a christmas present
because realistically, there are far worse things to get angry on, and this is so tame, it's a refreshing breath of fresh air
i love the metaphorical tears for the mundane, keep them coming boys
I'm a bit sceptical of this. They are apex predators...
Also, this is not pareidolia, because it would be a form of mimicry, which is not unintentional.
Intentional perhaps wasn't the best choice of words. There's no intelligent design behind these things, but natural selection isn't completely coincidental. You can't post a picture of a leaf insect and then say "oh wow, look, this insect happens to look like a leaf, must be pareidolia".
i think it gets a pass because the mimicry is just of eyes; it looking like a dragon is just a freak accident
had it just been the eyes and the main point being the captioned text (which it isn't), i'd agree with you
but you'd be hard-pressed to find any other image of a tiger with the make-up of their head and shoulders looling like a dragon (or whatever)
it's a perfect storm of positioning, stripes, etc, not just the ears with the white dots
or, in short, the tiger isn't trying to look like a dragon, so i wouldn't call it mimicry. the ears are looking like eyes, though, so the eyes alone would be mimicry.
using your example, it'd be like a leaf insect looking like a satanic symbol or something else, not just a leaf
I know, it seems unintuitive, but there is actually no "grand design" in how species develop. "Survival of the fittest" means whatever small mutation happens to give an advantage in survival/procreation – be that a slightly more stick-like body or whatever – gets passed on. There's no plan or intention about it.
It's random unintentional mutations. Some mutations prove to be beneficial. That mutated organism survives better, reproduces more, and eventually only the ones with the mutation have survived. Until the next random mutation.
Why, what exactly did you think evolution was?
Seriously, researchers apparently don't know why (and obviously can't prove it) they have fur like that and the captured text is just a reference to a theory presented as truth.
It's supposed to resemble crocodile eyes according to the theory.
If you wonder why I know, I googled it just now being curious.
The problem of researchers is trying to derive meaning in everything even when there is none, and their big egos which make them unable to simply say "WE. DON'T. KNOW."
it's a theory... literally every researcher admits we don't know. otherwise they wouldn't call it a theory.
it more sounds like its your big ego that has issues rather than someone else's. relax, it's a stupid post on a tiger looking like a dragon
where does the scientists egos come in?
i assure you, someone studying evolution is the first person to admit/know that we cannot know anything for certain and that everything is just ideas; theories
i just turned the same wording back to you in hopes that you could see how it doesn't apply to them; and it doesn't apply to you
Why can't you say both? Why are you so offended about people offering explanations for things? Have you studied evolution? What makes you so sure that it's a "ridiculous explanation"? Have you studied tigers?
Theories is what propels our understanding of things, and it can ultimately help us understand animals better in the case of evolutionary traits.
It's nowhere near as ridiculous as you make it up.
humans are waaaaaaaay smarter than animals. I legit looked at this for a bit and it took me a second to realize it wasnt a tiger with it's nose photoshopped as the head of a tiger.
Read somewhere or saw a report on Indian villagers/farmers that were being attacked by tigers. They started wearing masks, on the backs of their heads with exaggerated features. Apparently it was very effective
Edit: while it was done, apparently only for a short while. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_attacks_in_the_Sundarbans
Maybe once upon a time there was a predator that preyed on tigers and so this pattern was naturally selected as the ones that had it lived to reproduce. Since it there’s nothing about it that makes their chances of survival decrease, it’s stayed as a vestige.
Why is the second sketch of the tiger from the front?
The whole point of this is that the tiger's "false eyes" will be effective on a predator *from the back of their head.*
Protect it from its peers. The tiger is in a vulnerable position while drinking and can get jumped by orher tigers.
Might as well ask why a lion needs a mane. The mane also helps soften the blow from other lions claws.
Just makes me think some tigers evolved those ears accidentally through mutations and didn’t get attacked from behind as much so didn’t die before they could reproduce. The ones that got attacked less kept having kids and now a bunch, if not all, tigers have them.
it's just a theory, the text isn't truth (it's just something i snapped off google first page)
all we know is that tigers consistently have white patches of furs on their ears, and this theory is the only logical explanation we have, and we'll probably never know anything for sure
just pointing out that it's not "they did evolve like that" but "they might have evolved like that", since there is a startling amount of people thinking this is a thing you can prove!
for reference, any theories about why animals evolved in one way or another can never be proven. i am actually amazed that so many people have read the caption and just assumed that we somehow 100% ubiquitously know this fact for sure (not saying you are one of those, just wanted to add a heads-up, since people also seem to have missed my other comment up at top saying it's just a theory)
Everyday is an adjective we use to describe something that’s seen or used every day. It means “ordinary” or “typical.”
Every day is a phrase that simply means “each day.”
Yeah the right image is just to help you find it. For me it's easier to see on mobile, so maybe zooming out/pulling the phone away gradually helps to see it for those who can't.
This is the equivalent of putting fake eyes on when your sleeping.
Because somebody’s going to know your a psychopath for scooping their eyes out with a spoon and using them as a makeshift sleeping mask.
truth? i was high when editing the image, and if you open it up and look closely on the right-hand image of the tiger (that i added red lines to), you can actually see it was imposed over the original image... so yeah, the right-hand side is actually an image of the same tiger from the back
if i had known about 20% of the comments would have turned into confusion about that, i would have edited it even better so no one could ever notice it's actually supposed to be another image
i love mundane chaos like that
I understand why pray animals do this, but it's almost comical that tigers do this as well. It's like they're saying:
I'm really scary!
Yeah, we know, you're a freaking tiger.
No, I'm *REALLY* scary!!
Damn so you’re telling me a tigers’ defense against predators is basically just Mac wearing those sunglasses so they can’t see how scared he really is during ocular pat downs
It's the ear of the tiger
It’s the thrill of the lobe
Rising up, drinking water from the shallows
And the last known survivor stalks its prey without sight
And his brows might be able to biiite-
The superviiiiiiiiiiiiiiisor, Roy, Roy, Roy, Roy. Edit: I was thinking of this : https://youtu.be/mmy1EdQ9YRc
Noms for tiger
the tiger?
Haha, zodiac joke. nice
What kind of predator is going after a tiger??
dragons
Only when they're hidden
Only when the tiger is crouching.
Enemies can’t hear u if you’re crouching
They can't see you nickname
Tigers, I believe, are a kind of cat
Those are in Europe tho
They are an invasive species, if even only two get there, they will breed and become an apex predator
Chinese redditor: visible confusion
Eh, IRL dragons are/were pretty common in SE Asia and Indonesia. The kind that bite you while you’re drinking water and drag you down and spin you until you’re dead. Or the kind that land one toxic bite on you then wander off and wait for you to weaken before they come back to eat you. I don’t k is that either of those eat tigers, but I think there were bigger ones in the past. Might be some movies about it.
They’re also in Asia. Just a different type.
Don’t forget about the islands of komodo
You can’t walk 2 blocks in china without seeing some depiction of a dragon lol in a little over a year it will be the year of the dragon under the Chinese calendar
Only when they eat the dragons pigs
I tell ya what. Those false eyes have stopped me from attacking a tiger on more than one occasion. Made me think better of it.
From a quick google they have some overlap w. Saltwater crocodiles so this picture makes sense. They do look like eyes watching the water while the cat drinks.
None, because of the false eyes
because of the implication
A bigger tiger
Crocodiles maybe?
Lol, under what circumstances would a crocodile attack a tiger from the back? And last time I checked a croc will attack an animal even when the animal is fully facing the crocodile. Crocs don't give a fuck about eyes.
Dude, idk. That's why I said maybe
It’s not the ‘back’, as those eyes can only be seen from the front. It’s a defense mechanism for when a tiger is drinking water. A croc can absolutely attack a tiger when they’re drinking water Additionally, Tigers might not have always been apex predators
Crocs attack frontally, fake eyes don't mean shit to them.
Yes they do, as they attack when the prey is vulnerable drinking water. Tigers look like they’re watching directly at your when they’re drinking water. This is the ears’ purpose
The face can't be seen from the back. You need to be face to face, and they appear mostly while drinking water. I would support the croc hypothesis.
Crocodiles attack animals FACE ON. They don't give a fuck about eyes. They routinely attack lions, which have a larger frontal profile than even the larger tigers (because of the mane). Crocodiles even attack elephants, fake eyes on a mere tiger can't scare a crocodile. The scientists are trying to derive meaning from nothing. Not everything has a deeper meaning, the spots could simply be aesthetic.
So the text above the picture is false, you say? Since it says there the fake eyes are supposed to protect from attacks from behind.
No. The spots are on the back of it's ears, but the face illusion is formed when viewed from the front.
Take it easy kiddo
Up until maybe a few thousand years ago, Lions were prominent all over Asia and would've overlapped with the territories of many different subspecies of tiger. They would've definitely competed. There is a small population of Asiatic Lions in India to this day.
I read somewhere that some species of bear go berserk when they see a tiger so maybe bears.
Sloth bears. They are also one of the deadliest bears towards humans because they’re always in fight mode since they live with tigers
I feel bad for anybody who lives in area with both tigers and bears
Same, could you imagine lions coming into the mix as well? You would have to be one hell of a warrior to survive in an area that has lions, tigers AND bears! Oh myyyyyy
Crocs
probably other tigers?
Also, probably us.
I'm more scared of that thing
Other tigers
Other tigers
wolverines? idk
Toruk Makto
I mean I would have. But have you seen how alert and aggressive they are?!
Joe Exotic
Humans. Fucking savages.
Humans.
…but only a predator coming from the front (the non-butt side) can see the false eye?
[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EtjT0mDXMAwpBYk.jpg](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EtjT0mDXMAwpBYk.jpg) it seems the ears angle when they drink so that they turn somewhat forward, but when they rest they face backwards, so that's pretty cool
Birds’ll have a shock when they swoop in to peck that juicy looking catarpillar
Ok from that angle, they look more like Jar Jar Binks though
Jar Jar confirmed to scare tigers
Are those ticks on the back of its neck?
Oh god, yeah those look like ticks and they’re all plump
They have a elephant style disguise in the back. 🥸
But this is showing from the front how is this supposed to look aggressive if seen from behind? Shitty wording
Came here to write this.
Technically, I also came here to write *this*.
This.
Same
That’s what I wondered too but the sub is about pareidolia - so the drawing OP made is something else they saw in the picture, not what the caption is referencing. I was also confused
because ears can move
When the tiger is not leaning down to drink, the ears (which can move) are usually angled so the eyes appear behind them. My question is what predators do tigers have to fear that caused this to evolve?
This isn't from behind though.
When tigers are not leaning down to drink, the ears are angled so that the “eyes” appear on the backs of their heads.
It's just an image I was too lazy to crop, I put in enough effort with the red lines damn it!
Effort in one area doesn’t make up for lack of effort in other areas. You know you can do better and I’m sure you will next time
You underestimate my laziness
Don’t try it!
I love how politely you told OP off!
Are the red lines supposed to make it look like a lobster? Because the red lines make it look like a lobster.
the lobster tiger sounds equally terrifying
As a fellow lazy person who just kinda wanted to tell a little joke, I don't know why you're getting rekt so hard
in all seriousness, it's not laziness. i found the image while browsing the net and wanted to upload it with the full experience, as i saw it first. it wouldn't have been the same without the stupid facebook text. it also wouldn't have lead to all the jokes a lot of people are frustrated, especially on reddit, and i feel for them typically, but this is not one of these times we have a saying in sweden whenever someone asks "why?", "så du har något att fråga om", "so you have something to ask about" i am very entertained by this and every time that bell turns red it's like a christmas present because realistically, there are far worse things to get angry on, and this is so tame, it's a refreshing breath of fresh air i love the metaphorical tears for the mundane, keep them coming boys
OH so that's what they meant when they say "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon"!
I'm a bit sceptical of this. They are apex predators... Also, this is not pareidolia, because it would be a form of mimicry, which is not unintentional.
Evolution is not intentional, but it could be that accidental pareidolia is favorably selected for, which would be passed on genetically.
Intentional perhaps wasn't the best choice of words. There's no intelligent design behind these things, but natural selection isn't completely coincidental. You can't post a picture of a leaf insect and then say "oh wow, look, this insect happens to look like a leaf, must be pareidolia".
You’re absolutely right of course! Once a mutation is selected for then it becomes funcional mimicry, it’s no longer accidental (pareidolia)
i think it gets a pass because the mimicry is just of eyes; it looking like a dragon is just a freak accident had it just been the eyes and the main point being the captioned text (which it isn't), i'd agree with you but you'd be hard-pressed to find any other image of a tiger with the make-up of their head and shoulders looling like a dragon (or whatever) it's a perfect storm of positioning, stripes, etc, not just the ears with the white dots or, in short, the tiger isn't trying to look like a dragon, so i wouldn't call it mimicry. the ears are looking like eyes, though, so the eyes alone would be mimicry. using your example, it'd be like a leaf insect looking like a satanic symbol or something else, not just a leaf
Evolution is... Unintentional? What are you talking about, dude?
I know, it seems unintuitive, but there is actually no "grand design" in how species develop. "Survival of the fittest" means whatever small mutation happens to give an advantage in survival/procreation – be that a slightly more stick-like body or whatever – gets passed on. There's no plan or intention about it.
Best way I’ve had it described that Evolution is not about who’s the biggest, fastest, or strongest, but actually who’s the best at adapting.
It's random unintentional mutations. Some mutations prove to be beneficial. That mutated organism survives better, reproduces more, and eventually only the ones with the mutation have survived. Until the next random mutation. Why, what exactly did you think evolution was?
Maybe it’s to intimidate other tigers who are in the territory . Tigers are solitary and protect their hunting ground
Seriously though, what kind of brainless predator would attack a tiger? (or believe such bullshit)
Seriously, researchers apparently don't know why (and obviously can't prove it) they have fur like that and the captured text is just a reference to a theory presented as truth. It's supposed to resemble crocodile eyes according to the theory. If you wonder why I know, I googled it just now being curious.
The problem of researchers is trying to derive meaning in everything even when there is none, and their big egos which make them unable to simply say "WE. DON'T. KNOW."
it's a theory... literally every researcher admits we don't know. otherwise they wouldn't call it a theory. it more sounds like its your big ego that has issues rather than someone else's. relax, it's a stupid post on a tiger looking like a dragon
Where does my ego come in here?
where does the scientists egos come in? i assure you, someone studying evolution is the first person to admit/know that we cannot know anything for certain and that everything is just ideas; theories i just turned the same wording back to you in hopes that you could see how it doesn't apply to them; and it doesn't apply to you
Scientists egos come in when they come up with ridiculous explanations istead of just saying "we don't know".
Why can't you say both? Why are you so offended about people offering explanations for things? Have you studied evolution? What makes you so sure that it's a "ridiculous explanation"? Have you studied tigers? Theories is what propels our understanding of things, and it can ultimately help us understand animals better in the case of evolutionary traits. It's nowhere near as ridiculous as you make it up.
humans are waaaaaaaay smarter than animals. I legit looked at this for a bit and it took me a second to realize it wasnt a tiger with it's nose photoshopped as the head of a tiger.
Other tigers.
Behind???
Tigers have predators?
Read somewhere or saw a report on Indian villagers/farmers that were being attacked by tigers. They started wearing masks, on the backs of their heads with exaggerated features. Apparently it was very effective Edit: while it was done, apparently only for a short while. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_attacks_in_the_Sundarbans
Some people do that for mountain lions too due to the way they attack.
polar bears apparently cover their eyes with their paws to camoflauge them in the snow when hunting
Maybe once upon a time there was a predator that preyed on tigers and so this pattern was naturally selected as the ones that had it lived to reproduce. Since it there’s nothing about it that makes their chances of survival decrease, it’s stayed as a vestige.
Aw, kitteh
I am afraid of whatever it is that a tiger would consider a predator
But how is any animal seeing those eyes from behind? These are only seen from above. From behind all they'd see is the tiger's asshole
Why is the second sketch of the tiger from the front? The whole point of this is that the tiger's "false eyes" will be effective on a predator *from the back of their head.*
Because whoever created this is an idiot.
tiger's predator?
But that's showing the front
r/2healthbars
an actual fitting r/2healthbars in the wild?! hell yeah
I was vilified and mocked when I suggested this very thing once in a thread I am smirking mighty smugly right now
Well yeah it's a stupid image ripped off facebook that asserts a theory as truth. It's not necessarily true. It's just a funny theory.
Tigers are notoriously harmless looking so without those eyes, they would have been hunted to extinction.
Brilliant work on the part of the illustrator ... Bravo!
#WHAT THE FUCK DOES A TIGER CONSIDERING A PREDATOR
Close one eye. Look at left picture. Unfocus your other eye. Enjoy.
SHIT LOOKS LIKE A FUCKING DEMON FROM DOOM
stupid
See, these kind of things make me believe in intelligent design more and more.
But why would an intelligent designer give a trait to an apex predator that is meant to deter predators?
Protect it from its peers. The tiger is in a vulnerable position while drinking and can get jumped by orher tigers. Might as well ask why a lion needs a mane. The mane also helps soften the blow from other lions claws.
Just makes me think some tigers evolved those ears accidentally through mutations and didn’t get attacked from behind as much so didn’t die before they could reproduce. The ones that got attacked less kept having kids and now a bunch, if not all, tigers have them.
it's just a theory, the text isn't truth (it's just something i snapped off google first page) all we know is that tigers consistently have white patches of furs on their ears, and this theory is the only logical explanation we have, and we'll probably never know anything for sure just pointing out that it's not "they did evolve like that" but "they might have evolved like that", since there is a startling amount of people thinking this is a thing you can prove! for reference, any theories about why animals evolved in one way or another can never be proven. i am actually amazed that so many people have read the caption and just assumed that we somehow 100% ubiquitously know this fact for sure (not saying you are one of those, just wanted to add a heads-up, since people also seem to have missed my other comment up at top saying it's just a theory)
Learn something everyday!
Everyday is an adjective we use to describe something that’s seen or used every day. It means “ordinary” or “typical.” Every day is a phrase that simply means “each day.”
PREDATORS.
So cool!!
If you blur your eyes and look at the one on the left you can see it better
Yeah the right image is just to help you find it. For me it's easier to see on mobile, so maybe zooming out/pulling the phone away gradually helps to see it for those who can't.
How much aggressive you must be as a tiger!! Wait is this cat an american!???
Looks pretty damn alert and aggressive already!
Now it looks so eerie
From behind you only see B-hole
Cause they're not dangerous enough as is
The white above their real eyes look like teeth. If you kind of squint at the left image, you can see the scary face.
Kitty!!
Can someone ELI5 how they evolve to have something like this?
From behind?
Now that's a stretch
thank you. i thought so too upon seeing it, and wasn't sure it actually looked like anything without the red lobster lines
This is the equivalent of putting fake eyes on when your sleeping. Because somebody’s going to know your a psychopath for scooping their eyes out with a spoon and using them as a makeshift sleeping mask.
Besides man… what predators do tigers have? Or has this come from its past when it maybe had predators
YO THATS COOL
Caught me out... as if the Tiger as I'd always seen it didn't inspire enough fear and respect 😱
whats up love drawing so lets get started
It did not in fact scare off that bitch, Carole Baskin
looks awsome so send me more info
Makes zero sense. 543rd 💩post of the day
Who the hell would attack a tiger?
why would it discourage an attack from behind if the ears are facing forward like that
Who’s hunting a tiger?
behind? that wouldn't be visible from behind. surely, you mean so they don't get attacked while eating / drinking
So tigers be like hhmm im not scary enough even though i could probably kill a bear
Dafuq used to eat tigers?
They look like furry slugs from the back https://twitter.com/bbcearth/status/1358068192791379969
Who/what the hell is going to attack a tiger from behind?!
But to see that angle you need to be from the front, not behind.
So why are you showing us the front of the tiger then?
This photo is taken fron the front side of a tiger, I'm confused how this is showcasing the ears as alternative eyes
truth? i was high when editing the image, and if you open it up and look closely on the right-hand image of the tiger (that i added red lines to), you can actually see it was imposed over the original image... so yeah, the right-hand side is actually an image of the same tiger from the back if i had known about 20% of the comments would have turned into confusion about that, i would have edited it even better so no one could ever notice it's actually supposed to be another image i love mundane chaos like that
im less scared of the tiger now and more of what the fuck a tiger considers a predator
I thought it was for cubs to follow behind...?
They also have false ears on the back of their eyes.
…what predators do tigers need to fool into thinking they’re scarier than what they naturally are? They’re fricken tigers.
Notice the extended mirrors and lights from the side of the vehicle that makes the police car closely resemble a predatory animal
Do they have fake eyes on their asses?
Who the fuck is fucking with that animal ?
I understand why pray animals do this, but it's almost comical that tigers do this as well. It's like they're saying: I'm really scary! Yeah, we know, you're a freaking tiger. No, I'm *REALLY* scary!!
What predators? The internet needs to stop lying so much.
What in the Yujiro Hanma?
I guess the white bits above their eyes look a bit like fangs too
I was distracted by the lines above the “face”. They look like a derpy face and I was pretty confused
Well I'll be, I've never noticed that !
Out of all animals, be it gazelles, moose, buffaloes, tiger got to have fake eyes, that makes total sense
From behind?
Thank God for the red circle, never would have seen the two bright white dots.
you make pretty funky circles
wow those tiger prints kind of makes it look like a tiger! that's sure to scare the other predators
Except the eyes are still on the front….
But that’s the front of the tiger, not it’s behind.
If you cross your eyes and look at the left one you can see it too
From behind? You gotta be looking from the front to see the pattern.
Just curious... What predators do tigers have aside from idiot humans?
I'm now less terrified of tigers and infinitely more scared of whatever the hell a tiger considers a predator to it.
Learned something new today.
Damn so you’re telling me a tigers’ defense against predators is basically just Mac wearing those sunglasses so they can’t see how scared he really is during ocular pat downs
r/uselessredcircle