why do tigers have distinct colouring?

the tiger is one of the largest of the big cats.the base colour of the coat is fawn to red,becoming progressively darker the farther southwards you go.the balinese tiger is the darkest.the underparts of the tiger are white.the coat overlaid with black to brownish - black transverse stripes and these contrasting colours provide a wonderful camouflage in its natural habitat. =D