Uniqueness in Stripes - Lucia Berti

Name:
Lucia Berti

Country:
Italy

Web:
www.orangethetiger.com

Social networks:
https://www.instagram.com/orange_the_tiger/

Title:
Uniqueness in Stripes

Specie:
Panthera tigris altaic

Description:
At a first look, tigers can all look extremely similar to each other, but their stripes and markings are actually as unique as human fingerprints. How could we use stripe patterns to reliably recognise one individual from another? A methodology was developed during a behavioural study of captive Siberian Tigers (Panthera tigris altaica) kept in groups. The focus of the study was on personality, consistent individual differences in behaviour among conspecifics. Being able to recognize the individuals was a prerequisite for the observations. The tigers were photographed from different angles, then their stripes were mapped through manual drawings and memorized. To compare the same areas, the markings above the eyes, the sides of the head, and the patterns on the hindlegs were selected.

Category:
Scientific illustration

Technique:
Ink pen and brushmarkers, digitally adjusted

Year:
2018