In the Battle of Shenandoah, a battalion of Confederate soldiers from Louisiana were known by their contemporaries as a "fighting band of Louisiana tigers." LSU adopted the "Tigers" nickname in 1896 and they were known as the "Fighting Tigers" in 1955. "Mike the Tiger" is a live Bengal tiger that represents LSU at home games. Tradition states that for every growl produced by "Mike" before a football game, the "Tigers" will score a touchdown that night.