Tiger stripes

[pankaaj]

What is the function of tiger stripes? (i.e. those black bands on tiger skin)
One function can be temperarture regulation due to different responses of yellow and black colours to sunrays and another function might be for camoflauge during hunting...
Does camoflauge a real function of these bands?

[MrMistery]

I don't think it is temperature regulation - the tiger is after all a mammal. Camouflage is a much better guess.

[Darby]

And orange stripes are camouflage if your primary prey are color blind...

[MichaelXY]

The black stripes might be a mimic of the less threatening zebra.

[pankaaj]

The black stripes might be a mimic of the less threatening zebra.

Siberian tigers are ancestors of all other tiger species. They have these stripes, black and yellow. Does it function to camoflauge in siberia? Siberia has that yellow grass to hide in?
In zebras and elephants , body parts such as black and white stripes of Zebra and Ear lobes of elephant serve as a temperature regulatory organs; although they are mammals! mammals have temperature regulatory systems.
Now tell me what can be the function?

[MichaelXY]

Don't stripes help blending with shadows? Or maybe it was because tigers look funny in plaid