Can tigers and lions dive for their food, or would they drown. Would diving under water always save an animal from being eaten by a lion or tiger. Can a determined lion or tiger pursue them under water, or will their nose and mouth structure ensure they drowned.
Dunno about lions, but tigers are quite good swimmers and (unlike domestic cats) don’t mind it at all.
http://images.google.co.uk/images?svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&q=tiger+swim
I’m not sure if they actually hunt in water, or could attack a submerged target, but given the above, I wouldn’t bet my life on it.
Tigers, as has been noted, don’t mind water at all. And Animal Planet had a show not too long ago about a group of lions whose home territory is a swampy region, maybe a river delta, in Africal. The pretty much live and hunt in water.
I am aware that they can swim. I’m looking for the abilty to dive under and not drown.
What makes you think they shouldn’t be able to do this?
Some nose and mouth configurations don’t lend themselve to keeping out water when submerged. A few seconds under doesn’t count either, because they could expel water that enters over a couple seconds. I want to know if they physicaly could swim down for half a minute or so and not drown from their lungs filling with water. Humans can hold their breath, but can a lion or tiger do the same?
A friend has a nice picture, taken from below through a glass window, of a tiger diving to retrieve a toy. So, yes - they can dive.
Lions are less aquatic, but I’ve seen them swim and I can’t imagine why they wouldn’t be able to dive as well. I just doubt it comes up much.
- Tamerlane
Thanks Tamerlane.
Sure about that? Sure it wasn’t a quick shallow dunk? I remember reading once that land-based mammals can’t really control their breathing, the one exception being humans (we need excellent breath control to make language possible). Think about this: why would land-based mammals need to control their breath? I remember hearing at a zoo an explanation as to why the monkees didn’t escape; the tour guide pointed out the moat surrounding them and explained, " they’re petrified of the water and they don’t know how to swim." If I couldn’t hold my breath, I’d be petrified of the water, too.
Tamarlane’s has testified that there are pictures of tigers diving for stuff. Lions and tigers nose and mouth configurations are outwardly simillar so probably lions can too. Dogs can dive to the bottom of swimming pools to retrieve and their nose and mouth configuration is outwardly like that of lions and tigers. Bears submerge to catch salmon and they also have that nose and mouth configuration. And beavers can certainly dive. As can otters. And muskrats. Etc.
All mammals possess the mammalian diving reflex, an adaptation that allows them to maximize the time they can spend under water without breathing.
This thread establishes that virtually all mammals, including monkeys, are capable of swimming. The only exception seems to be the Great Apes (Gorillas, Chimps, and Orangs.)
David Simmons:
I already said Thanks Tamerlane, because she answered the question. Why do you wish to argue in every thread with most posters? She answered the question exactly as asked for, you didn’t. Live with it.
I was reading a book where somebody dived to get away frow a tiger and I tought it may be bullshit. I’ve read it being done for lions in another book by the same author.
Colibri yours was helpful also, but I already believed Tamerlane. No harm in adding some actual proof thanks.