tiger

tiger facts

"No two tigers have the same stripe pattern."

Tigers are animals that live in both warm and cold regions of Asia. They are nocturnal carnivores that hunt their prey. Solitary and territorial, these big cats are among the top predators in the world. A Siberian tiger can weigh up to 675 pounds. Males are larger than females.

5 Unbelievable Tiger Facts !

• Tigers are good swimmers and love water .
• They are hunted for their skin, fur and other body parts .
• They mark their territory with urine to prevent other tigers from entering.
• Their teeth are about 4 inches long .
• The creature's long tail helps it maintain its balance .

scientific name

The tiger's scientific name is Panthera tigris . The word Panthera means leopard, and Tigris means tiger in Latin. They are sometimes called big cats. They belong to the family Felidae and the class Mammalia .

The nine subspecies include Sumatran, Siberian, Bengal, South China, Malaya, Indochina, Bali, Java and Caspian tigers. Unfortunately, the Bali, Java and Caspian species are now extinct.

evolution

When thinking of exotic animals in Africa, most people mention tigers among the big cats that hunt on the plains and savannahs of the African continent. While tigers did indeed evolve from those majestic African cats, modern tigers never lived there. In fact, tigers are less related to lions and leopards and more to the endangered snow leopard.

The first mammals are believed to have lived 208 million years ago – after the extinction of the dinosaurs. The first carnivores came from animals known as apes about 60 million years ago. These tree-dwelling creatures were about the size of a house cat and had sharp, crushing teeth. Miacoids are the oldest relatives of the modern tiger.

About 40 million years ago, carnivores were divided into two groups – Carnivora and Feliformes . The Carniformia group was more bear-like and evolved into bears, dogs, weasels, raccoons, skunks, badgers, sea lions, walruses, and seals. Feliformia is more feline-like and has evolved into felines , hyenas, and mongooses.

Proailurus, the oldest known cat, appeared in France 30 million years ago. The northern creature weighed about 25 pounds and had eight more teeth than modern cats. 20 million years ago, the Pseudaelurines, the direct ancestors of modern cats, were found in the fossil record. About 1.6 million years ago, the saber-toothed cat Smilodon was identified in the fossil record from the discovery of the La Brea Tar Pits in California. These big cats became extinct about 10,000 years ago.

appearance and behavior

Tigers have thick reddish-orange hair patterned with black stripes. Each has its own pattern of stripes, somewhat like a human fingerprint. It has a long tail and sharp teeth and claws. Its body is 5 to 10.5 feet long and weighs from 240 to 675 pounds, depending on the subspecies. For example, a 6-foot tiger is the same length as a full-sized bed. One weighs 500 pounds, half the weight of a grand piano!

The largest tiger ever recorded weighed over 800 pounds, and the largest subspecies of tiger is the Siberian tiger, with an average weight of up to 675 pounds!

This cat's striped tail is about 3 feet long. This is equal to the length of three wooden rulers connected end to end. It uses its tail for balance when making quick turns while chasing prey. It grabs its prey with its 4-inch claws. Plus, its claws allow it to walk quietly while stalking its next meal. Additionally, their flippers make them excellent swimmers if they must traverse a river, stream, or other body of water in search of prey.

Adult tigers are animals with few natural enemies. Humans are the main predators of these cats. But because of their extraordinary strength and size, these mammals are also vulnerable to elephants and large buffaloes. The speed, claws, and teeth of these big cats are all defensive features.

These are solitary animals. The only exception is when the female is raising her young. On rare occasions, these big cats come out in groups, a situation known as an ambush. These big cats try to stay out of the sight of humans and other animals, but can become aggressive if their territory is invaded.

type of tiger

When considering the nine subspecies, the Siberian tiger is the largest of the group. It grows to 10.5 feet or more. It's also the heaviest at 675 pounds. The SumSumatran Tigeratran tiger is known as the smallest species, weighing about 260 pounds and measuring about 8 feet in length.

Even though the nine subspecies appear to be the same color, there are some differences. Sumatran cats, for example, have the darkest fur with closely spaced stripes. Some species have many stripes on their legs, while others have very few.

BenBengal Tigergal is the most abundant of all subspecies. Most have the familiar reddish-orange coat with black stripes. Interestingly, some Bengal and Siberian tigers have a recessive gene that gives them black stripes in their fur. Cats with this white and black coat are not usually found in the wild.

The South China tiger is listed as critically endangered. Their population is unknown. Unfortunately, at one point the government declared them a pest and they were hunted, resulting in a dramatic decline in their numbers.

Malayan tigers live in tropical climates. More specifically, they live in forests of Thai broadleaf trees. Their population has decreased and they are considered an endangered species.

Indochinese tigers live in Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam. The fur of this subspecies is darker than that of the Bengal tiger, and they are smaller than the Bengal tiger. They live in mountain habitats. Their population is unknown because they live in such remote locations.

The Bali, Javan and Caspian tigers are now extinct. This is due to poaching as well as habitat loss.

Habitat

Tigers live in South and Southeast Asia and eastern Russia and China. Some live in temperate climates, while others live in tropical environments. Siberian tigers live in cold climates with snow. Their thick fur coat and an extra layer of fur on their paws protect them from the cold. Additionally, they have an extra layer of fur around their necks, sometimes called a scarf. This makes them more resistant to cold.

Tigers live in a variety of habitats, including swamps, grasslands, deciduous forests, and mangroves. The type of habitat each subspecies inhabits depends on its species.

Malayan tigers live in tropical broad-leaved forests, while Indochinese tigers live in hilly mountains. Bengal tigers live in tropical rainforests, while Sumatrans live around lowland forests and swamps.

Tigers sometimes migrate short distances in search of more prey. Also, they may migrate to areas with less snow and warmer temperatures during the colder months.

diet

what do tigers eat With powerful jaws, claws and superb hunting abilities – tigers are carnivores and will eat almost anything they want. Deer, antelope, buffalo and pigs are some of the tiger's prey. Tigers have even been known to eat leopards and crocodiles!

Tigers use their tracking skills, speed and quick movement to take down prey. However, these big cats usually only eat once a week. They can eat 75 pounds of meat in one night. Seventy-five pounds equals four adult dachshunds. Tigers have the habit of killing prey, eating as much as they want, and covering the rest of the prey with leaves so they can come back later for a snack. For a full list of what tigers eat, check out our What Do Tigers Eat? page.

Predators and Threats

Due to their size and strength, adult tigers do not have many natural enemies. Humans are the natural enemies of this animal. Elephants and bears also pose a threat to them. Tiger cubs have more natural predators than adults – including hyenas, crocodiles and snakes.

Habitat loss from deforestation is a threat. Poaching is another major threat. They are hunted for their skin, fur, teeth, and other body parts. Additionally, many are captured and sold to individuals as exotic animals. This is illegal. These creatures are not properly cared for when sold as exotic pets. In many cases, they were starved by their owners without proper medical care, shelter or exercise. Not surprisingly, tigers kept as exotic pets have been known to attack, injure or kill the people who purchase them.

Of course, tigers living in a zoo environment are properly cared for by veterinarians and other people trained to look after them in the best possible way.

The tiger's conservation status is endangered due to declining populations. Fortunately, they are now protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Reproduction, Babies and Longevity

The breeding season for this creature is usually between November and April. However, they can reproduce at any time of the year. A female ready to mate marks her territory with a special scent. This attracts males to the area. Males sometimes fight or compete for females who are ready to mate. Tigers are not monogamous; they mate with a different partner each breeding season.

The gestation period is about 100 days. A litter of pups can have anywhere from 1 to 7 pups, but typically a female will give birth to 2 to 4 pups. Each tiger baby or cub weighs 2 to 3 pounds at birth. Like other cats, tiger cubs are born blind. Their eyes will open within 6 to 12 days. These newborns are dependent on their mothers for everything.

They are cared for and nursed by their mothers for the first 6 weeks of life. Mothers are very protective of their young. Young cubs are vulnerable to a variety of predators, and many fall prey to them before they are strong enough to defend themselves. Therefore, if a mother feels her pups are in any way threatened, she will transfer them to another den one at a time. Plus, she'll only let them go for a short amount of time to find food. She licked each baby to clean its fur and stimulate its digestive system.

At 7 weeks of age, pups were fed solid food by their mothers. She brings food to the den and separates them for the pups. The cubs spend a lot of time wrestling and chasing each other as a way to strengthen their muscles and learn tracking behavior. At eight to ten months old, the cubs are ready to go hunting with their mother. They were with her until they were around 2 years old.

Tigers suffer from some of the same threats/diseases as other types of cats. Feline leukemia, rabies and anemia are some examples.

They live 10 to 15 years in the wild. In zoos, they can live up to 20 years or more. The world's oldest tiger is a Sumatran tiger named Djelita. She lived at the Honolulu Zoo and died at the age of 25.

population

Bengal tigers are the most numerous of all tiger species. There are between 2,500 and 3,750 Bengal tigers living in India. As for other subspecies, according to the IUCN Red List, the number of extant mature individuals ranges from 2,154 to 3,159. The populations of some tigers, such as the South China tiger, are unknown because they live in remote mountainous areas.

The tiger's official conservation status is Endangered and numbers are declining.

in the zoo

• See beautiful Malayan tigers at the Cincinnati Zoo.
• Check out the San Diego Zoo's Tiger Walk.
• Admire the Siberian tiger at the Indianapolis Zoo.

more about tigers

• extinct tiger species
• Why There Are No Tigers in Africa (Big Cats Thrive There)

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