# Tigers & Trees (DD-624)

> Tigers (Panthera tigris) rear up against tree trunks and rake the bark with their front claws. Old accounts describe scratch marks more than 3 m (about 11 ft) up a trunk, and one soft-barked tree in an Indian zoo was scratched so often that it died. Scratching helps keep the claws in shape: observers watching a captive tigress found a shed outer layer of claw left in a scratch mark. The gouges are also thought to work as signals to other tigers. Tigers have scent glands between their toes, but tiger-pheromone researchers say little is known about what those secretions communicate. A tiger's best-documented scent mark is marking fluid sprayed onto trees and bushes. Studies of wild tigers in Nepal's Chitwan, along with captive work in India, suggest this spray carries information about territory and breeding. Tigers also leave scrapes on the ground and droppings as marks. Researchers think marking helps tigers keep track of one another and avoid unwanted encounters. The footage shows a tiger scratching a pine trunk in snow.

- Department: Nature
- First published: 2025-07-27
- Last updated: 2025-07-27
- Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/tigers-and-trees/
- Author: Marcus Easterling (DetailEnjoyer), The Detail Department

## Quick facts

- **DD-624-F01**: Tigers can leave claw marks more than 3 m up a tree. _(Write-up · Exhibit A (High marks))_
- **DD-624-F02**: Sprayed marking fluid is a tiger's best-documented scent mark. _(Write-up · Exhibit E (The main scent mark))_

## Write-up

Claw marks as calling cards. Tigers scratch bark, but scent spray carries most of the message.

1. **High marks**: Tigers stand up against trunks to scratch, and old accounts describe marks more than 3 m up.
2. **Claw care**: Scratching sheds worn outer layers of claw. One was found left behind in a captive tigress's scratch mark.
3. **A visible sign**: The gouges are thought to signal a tiger's presence to others, a behavior also studied in Kanha National Park.
4. **Paw glands**: Tigers have scent glands between their toes, but what their secretions say is not yet known.
5. **The main scent mark**: Sprayed marking fluid is the best-documented tiger scent mark, along with scrapes and droppings.

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## Reel vs. record

- **Note**: 'Sharpen': scratching mainly pulls off worn outer claw layers to expose fresh ones. It conditions the claws more than it sharpens them.
- **Note**: 'Scent glands in their paws deposit unique chemical markers': tigers do have glands between their toes, but researchers say little is known about what those secretions signal. 'Unique markers' from the paws is not established.
- **Missing**: a tiger's best-documented scent mark is marking fluid sprayed onto trees and bushes. Tigers also mark with ground scrapes and droppings.
- **Note**: 'Territorial dominance': marks are thought to advertise presence, territory and breeding status to other tigers. 'Dominance' and 'strength' go further than the studies I found.
- **Note**: 'Reduce physical confrontations': helping tigers avoid each other is a commonly proposed function of marking. It hasn't been measured for claw marks specifically.

## Video: Tigers & Trees: Claw Marks as Calling Cards

- Duration: 25.5 s · Published: 2025-07-27
- File: https://detailenjoyer.com/assets/videos/DMorXG0M4tb.mp4

### Transcript

DID YOU KNOW Tigers use trees as scratching posts not only to sharpen and maintain their claws, but also to communicate territorial dominance through scent and visual markings. As they rake their claws down the bark, they leave deep gouges that signal strength and presence to rival tigers, while specialized scent glands in their paws deposit unique chemical markers. This dual-purpose behavior helps establish territory boundaries, reduce physical confrontations, and maintain claw health for hunting. NOW YOU KNOW!

## Questions & answers

**Q: How high up a trunk have tiger claw marks been reported?**  
A: Old accounts describe marks about 11 ft up. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (High marks) · Brahmachary & Poddar-Sarkar: Pheromones of Tiger and Other Big Cats, in Neurobiology of Chemical Communication (NCBI Bookshelf); Kotwal & Mishra (1995): Claw marking on trees by tiger Panthera tigris in Kanha National Park)_

**Q: What does scratching help tigers shed?**  
A: An outer claw layer was found in a scratch mark. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (Claw care) · Brahmachary & Poddar-Sarkar: Pheromones of Tiger and Other Big Cats, in Neurobiology of Chemical Communication (NCBI Bookshelf))_

**Q: Where are a tiger's interdigital glands?**  
A: Interdigital means between the digits. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (Paw glands) · Brahmachary & Poddar-Sarkar: Pheromones of Tiger and Other Big Cats, in Neurobiology of Chemical Communication (NCBI Bookshelf); Brahmachary & Poddar-Sarkar (2015): Fifty years of tiger pheromone research, Current Science 108(12))_

**Q: Which tiger scent mark is best documented?**  
A: Marking fluid sprayed onto trees and bushes. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit E (The main scent mark) · Brahmachary & Poddar-Sarkar: Pheromones of Tiger and Other Big Cats, in Neurobiology of Chemical Communication (NCBI Bookshelf); Smith, McDougal & Miquelle (1989): Scent marking in free-ranging tigers, Panthera tigris, Animal Behaviour; Brahmachary & Poddar-Sarkar (2015): Fifty years of tiger pheromone research, Current Science 108(12))_

**Q: Which is NOT a tiger marking behavior?**  
A: Tigers scratch, scrape and spray; they don't stack stones. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit E (The main scent mark) · Brahmachary & Poddar-Sarkar: Pheromones of Tiger and Other Big Cats, in Neurobiology of Chemical Communication (NCBI Bookshelf); Smith, McDougal & Miquelle (1989): Scent marking in free-ranging tigers, Panthera tigris, Animal Behaviour; Brahmachary & Poddar-Sarkar (2015): Fifty years of tiger pheromone research, Current Science 108(12))_

## Sources

- [Brahmachary & Poddar-Sarkar: Pheromones of Tiger and Other Big Cats, in Neurobiology of Chemical Communication (NCBI Bookshelf)](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK200978/)
- [Smith, McDougal & Miquelle (1989): Scent marking in free-ranging tigers, Panthera tigris, Animal Behaviour](https://doi.org/10.1016/0003-3472(89)90001-8)
- [Brahmachary & Poddar-Sarkar (2015): Fifty years of tiger pheromone research, Current Science 108(12)](https://currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/108/12/2178.pdf)
- [Kotwal & Mishra (1995): Claw marking on trees by tiger Panthera tigris in Kanha National Park](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13439242)

## Cite this case file

Easterling, Marcus. "Tigers & Trees." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-624, last updated Jul 27, 2025. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/tigers-and-trees/