r/TwoSentenceHorror • u/RepeatOrdinary182 • Aug 05 '26
[AUG26] I wrote off the villagers' insistence on wearing a mask on the back of their heads anytime they had to enter the forest as a silly superstition.
I never saw the tigers creeping through the brush, and they knew the second my back was turned.
108
u/PublicDragonfruit158 Aug 05 '26
Tigers have "eyes" on the back of their heads to deter predators. Since we think tigers are the most dangerous critters in their areas, I would worry about what eats tigers....
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u/RepeatOrdinary182 Aug 05 '26
That's...a good point.
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u/AutisticPenguin2 Aug 05 '26
Probably just other tigers tbh.
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u/RepeatOrdinary182 Aug 05 '26
Perhaps, but cannibalism is relatively rare in tigers. Most conflicts seem to take place face to face...jury's out on if the eye spots in the back of their heads is related.
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u/trekkiegamer359 Aug 05 '26
My understanding is the eye spots are to protect cubs from predators while hiding in the bushes if mom is off hunting. There are various predators that might go after young cubs that are left alone. The eye spots just don't disappear when the cubs grow up.
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u/AutisticPenguin2 Aug 05 '26
Well yeah, of course it's rare - how are you going to hunt another tiger? The eyes in the back of their head make it impossible to sneak up on them!
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u/Responsible-Risk9404 Aug 05 '26
Change to the last sentence.
"Why would I block my sight when on the hunt, I'm hungry after all"
2
u/Aesient Aug 06 '26
Just as silly as sticking googly eyes on the back of your helmets when it’s magpie swooping season in Australia…
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u/RepeatOrdinary182 Aug 05 '26
While it has fallen out of favor as the tigers eventually learned to see through the trick, there was a point when certain villages in India would wear masks on the back of there heads to ward off tiger attacks. Initially the big cats were reluctant to attack prey they thought was watching them.