Difference between revisions of "Pouch tiger"

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[[Syrio Forel]] described seeing rare live specimens kept in the animal menagerie of the [[Sealord]] of [[Braavos]], but where they are originally from is unknown - i.e. [[Sothoryos]], [[Ulthos]], the unexplored far east of [[Essos]], or some other as-yet undiscovered continent.  It's possible that even the Sealord or whoever he directly bought them from didn't know their place of origin or even proper name, if they were sold multiple times between several long-distance traders.   
 
[[Syrio Forel]] described seeing rare live specimens kept in the animal menagerie of the [[Sealord]] of [[Braavos]], but where they are originally from is unknown - i.e. [[Sothoryos]], [[Ulthos]], the unexplored far east of [[Essos]], or some other as-yet undiscovered continent.  It's possible that even the Sealord or whoever he directly bought them from didn't know their place of origin or even proper name, if they were sold multiple times between several long-distance traders.   
  
As a result, they probably aren't closely related to regular "[[Tiger (animal)
+
As a result, they probably aren't closely related to regular "[[Tiger (animal)|tigers]]" (which don't have pouches), but due to their loose resemblance this was the closest descriptive term Syrio could think of, given that he didn't know what their proper name is.<ref group="N">These animals are the only species of [[w:Marsupial|marsupial]] ever described so far in the entire novel series.  In real life, marsupials are found primarily in Australia, but also the common opossum family found in the Americas.  George R.R. Martin has stated that the medieval societies in Westeros and the Free Cities haven't fully explored [[The Known World]] so they haven't discovered their analogues of Australia and the Americas - and for that matter, he isn't sure if such direct analogues even exist.  The appearance of these animals in the text is therefore something of a mystery, hinting at as-yet unexplored continents.  The vague single mention of them seems to be describing the [[w:Thylacine|Thylacine]] - also known as the "Tasmanian tiger" but also "Tasmanian wolf", due to their superficial resemblance (as marsupials they were unrelated to felines or canines, but developed a similar body structure due to convergent evolution in their ecological niche as an apex land predator).  In real life, Thylacines went extinct in the early 20th century, the last dying in 1936.  It is also possible that what Syrio saw was actually a pre-historic species of large marsupial predator, such as the [[w:Marsupial lion|Marsupial lion]], given that other Pleistocene mega-fauna such as [[Mammoth]]s still exist in the world of Westeros.  A further possibility is that they simply don't directly correspond to any one real-life species, living or dead:  Martin also confirmed that the [[Shadowcat]] that lives in Westeros, while filling the ecological niche of cougars, explicitly has no real life equivalent, being bigger than a cougar but smaller than a tiger, black with white stripes.</ref>   
tigers]]" (which don't have pouches), but due to their loose resemblance this was the closest descriptive term Syrio could think of, given that he didn't know what their proper name is.<ref group="N">These animals are the only species of [[w:Marsupial|marsupial]] ever described so far in the entire novel series.  In real life, marsupials are found primarily in Australia, but also the common opossum family found in the Americas.  George R.R. Martin has stated that the medieval societies in Westeros and the Free Cities haven't fully explored [[The Known World]] so they haven't discovered their analogues of Australia and the Americas - and for that matter, he isn't sure if such direct analogues even exist.  The appearance of these animals in the text is therefore something of a mystery, hinting at as-yet unexplored continents.  The vague single mention of them seems to be describing the [[w:Thylacine|Thylacine]] - also known as the "Tasmanian tiger" but also "Tasmanian wolf", due to their superficial resemblance (as marsupials they were unrelated to felines or canines, but developed a similar body structure due to convergent evolution in their ecological niche as an apex land predator).  In real life, Thylacines went extinct in the early 20th century, the last dying in 1936.  It is also possible that what Syrio saw was actually a pre-historic species of large marsupial predator, such as the [[w:Marsupial lion
 
Marsupial lion]], given that other Pleistocene mega-fauna such as [[Mammoth]]s still exist in the world of Westeros.  A further possibility is that they simply don't directly correspond to any one real-life species, living or dead:  Martin also confirmed that the [[Shadowcat]] that lives in Westeros, while filling the ecological niche of cougars, explicitly has no real life equivalent, being bigger than a cougar but smaller than a tiger, black with white stripes.</ref>   
 
  
 
==Recent Events==
 
==Recent Events==

Revision as of 18:36, 21 January 2018

"Tigers that carry their cubs in a pouch" are an exotic animal species from an unknown land, far from Westeros or the Free Cities.[1][N 1]

Syrio Forel described seeing rare live specimens kept in the animal menagerie of the Sealord of Braavos, but where they are originally from is unknown - i.e. Sothoryos, Ulthos, the unexplored far east of Essos, or some other as-yet undiscovered continent. It's possible that even the Sealord or whoever he directly bought them from didn't know their place of origin or even proper name, if they were sold multiple times between several long-distance traders.

As a result, they probably aren't closely related to regular "tigers" (which don't have pouches), but due to their loose resemblance this was the closest descriptive term Syrio could think of, given that he didn't know what their proper name is.[N 2]

Recent Events

A Game of Thrones

Syrio Forel describes seeing rare live specimens kept in the exotic animal menagerie of the Sealord of Braavos.[1]

Quotes

Hear me. The ships of Braavos sail as far as the winds blow, to lands strange and wonderful, and when they return, their captains fetch queer animals to the Sealord's menagerie. Such animals as you have never seen, striped horses, great spotted things with necks as long as stilts, hairy mouse-pigs as big as cows, stinging manticores, tigers that carry their cubs in a pouch, terrible walking lizards with scythes for claws. Syrio Forel has seen these things.[1]

- Syrio Forel to Arya Stark

Notes

  1. This article's title "pouch tiger" is just a placeholder for navigation purposes, as these creatures don't have a formal name.
  2. These animals are the only species of marsupial ever described so far in the entire novel series. In real life, marsupials are found primarily in Australia, but also the common opossum family found in the Americas. George R.R. Martin has stated that the medieval societies in Westeros and the Free Cities haven't fully explored The Known World so they haven't discovered their analogues of Australia and the Americas - and for that matter, he isn't sure if such direct analogues even exist. The appearance of these animals in the text is therefore something of a mystery, hinting at as-yet unexplored continents. The vague single mention of them seems to be describing the Thylacine - also known as the "Tasmanian tiger" but also "Tasmanian wolf", due to their superficial resemblance (as marsupials they were unrelated to felines or canines, but developed a similar body structure due to convergent evolution in their ecological niche as an apex land predator). In real life, Thylacines went extinct in the early 20th century, the last dying in 1936. It is also possible that what Syrio saw was actually a pre-historic species of large marsupial predator, such as the Marsupial lion, given that other Pleistocene mega-fauna such as Mammoths still exist in the world of Westeros. A further possibility is that they simply don't directly correspond to any one real-life species, living or dead: Martin also confirmed that the Shadowcat that lives in Westeros, while filling the ecological niche of cougars, explicitly has no real life equivalent, being bigger than a cougar but smaller than a tiger, black with white stripes.


References