Sweet, playful, and loving, it is an outgoing and friendly dog with everyone it meets, and it is only naturally aggressive toward other dogs. The Tiger Stripe Pit Bull is mainly bred as a companion dog. Though animal pit fighting is now illegal in most countries, the American Pit Bull Terrier remains one of the most widely legislated-against dog breeds in the world. Unfortunately, the American Pit Bull Terrier got its name and bad reputation from when they were used as pit fighters. Today they are bred as work dogs and companions. The breed was beloved by farmers for their fearless handling of large animals, but sweet and easygoing nature in the home. When brought to the United States, the American Pit Bull Terrier was developed as a companion, guard dog, and livestock driver. The history of the Tiger Stripe Pit Bull began in England, in the 19 th century when people started crossing Bulldogs and terriers. Looking for a dog who has a bark worse than their bite? Look no further than the Tiger Stripe Pit Bull! Though physically imposing due to their striking stripes and muscular build, this breed is well known to be some of the sweetest goofballs in the canine world. Provided Tira can make it to adulthood, he should be able to fit right in.Striped or brindle pattern, any color combinations except solid whiteĪctive families or individuals, experienced owners, suburban and rural homes or city homes with a fenced-in yard, those looking for a dog that gets along well with childrenĬonfident, strong, loyal, stoic, fun-loving, friendly towards people and kids Field studies in South Africa found two cases of zebras with atypical colouring that were able to form normal relationships with other herd members. Field experiments show that horse flies are less likely to land on striped surfaces, which puts darker animals like Tira at increased risk of contracting trypanosomiasis, African horse sickness and equine influenza, all of which are spread by biting flies.Īlthough Tira's sensational polka dots make him stand out in the herd, it's unlikely that his strange colouring will result in rejection from other zebras. In fact, Caro's research indicates that zebra stripes could have evolved to aid in repelling disease-carrying flies. This does not necessarily mean that stripes are effective at deterring predators, he adds. "Some predators choose members of herds that stand out because it may signal that they are not so good at fleeing," he explained to us via email. Unusual colouration is likely to put the animals at greater risk of falling victim to predators, according to University of California biologist Dr Tim Caro. In 2014, a black zebra was photographed in Botswana's Okavango Delta, while a ' blonde' individual showed up in the Serengeti earlier this year. Zebras with unusual colour patterns are rare, but not unheard of. Under their striped coats, zebras have uniformly black skin as a result of melanocytes being evenly distributed across their bodies. According to Barsh, pseudomelanistic zebras like Tira have all of their melanocytes in place, but the melanin produced does not result in stripes, for unexplained reasons.
Spotted zebra looking animal skin#
In humans, melanin acts as a natural sunscreen, darkening the skin to help protect it from harmful UV rays."There are a variety of mutations that can disturb the process of melanin synthesis, and in all of those disorders, the melanocytes are believed to be normally distributed, but the melanin they make is abnormal,” Greg Barsh, a geneticist at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, explained to National Geographic. Skin and hair colour in mammals comes from a pigment protein called melanin which is produced by specialised cells called melanocytes. While Tira may look like he's been crossed with an okapi, he actually owes his unique colouration to a rare genetic condition called pseudomelanism. Word of the spotty zebra – given the name "Tira" by the guide who first found him – quickly got around and photographers and tourists in the area rushed to catch a glimpse of the unusual animal. “At first glance he looked like a different species altogether," photographer Frank Liu told National Geographic.
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