Chapter Three
The creature club kept on looking for a tiger. Look, tiger tracks, said Rick. I wonder where he or she is headed? Hunting, or to a cave? Let's follow, and find out, answered Jack. So they followed, sometimes seeing a herd of blackbuck, sambar deer or chitals (all types of wild deer), and once seeing a caracal (medium sized wild cat, about 45 cm tall at the shoulder, known for being able to jump over twelve feet high, and the highest cat jumper in the world). You know, it's getting pretty dark, Hal suddenly said. oh, that's just the shade, Jack said. It's really about one pm. Lets stop for lunch, Susan said about fifteen minuets later. They decided to eat next to a herd of chitals. Suddenly, they saw a large black cat with orange stripes leap out from behind a shady patch of grass grass and kill a chital with one bite. Rick, Jack and Hal were surprised. What kind of cat is that? Susan asked. It's a rare black tiger! Rick, Hal and Jack said at the same time. Black tiger? I thought that there were only orange tigers with black stripes. Susan said. This cat is the opposite! Orange tigers with black stripes are the most common, explained Jack. But some rare tigers lack pigment, which makes them white with black stripes, some are light golden with cinnamon colored stripes, some are albinos which make them completely white with no stripes, or even rarer, if they have something called pseudo-melanistic, their stripes are bigger and closer together than other tigers, so it looks like they are black with orange stripes, not orange with black stripes. Suddenly Rick spoke. Sorry for interrupting, but the tigers getting away! Follow that tiger!
WOW!!! I just learned so much about tigers and other animals. I never knew what a chital was. Would you say that the deer we have here in Virginia are chitals?
ReplyDeleteKeep writing! Love, Grandma
No, chitals live in India and have smaller antlers.
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