Tiger

Quick Take

• Most people would put tigers in Africa alongside lions and leopards, yet there is a surprising reason why that instinct is completely wrong. Why tigers aren't in Africa →
• Tigers share a hidden physical trait with a very different kind of animal, and this shared trait is the reason they are far more versatile hunters than most big cats. Explore tiger physical traits →
• White tigers aren't what most people think, and their origin reveals something unexpected about how tiger genetics actually work. See white tiger genetics →
• A tiger's eating schedule sounds almost impossible for an apex predator, yet there is a calculated reason behind it. Discover tiger eating habits →

Tigers are animals that live in both warm and cold areas of Asia. They are carnivores that hunt for prey at night. These big cats are solitary and territorial, and are one of the world’s apex predators. A Siberian tiger can weigh up to 660 pounds. Males are bigger than females.

5 Incredible Tiger Facts

• Tigers are good swimmers and love the water.
• They are hunted for their skin, fur, and other body parts.
• They mark their territory with urine to keep other tigers out.
• Their teeth measure up to around 3 to 3.5 inches long.
• This creature’s long tail helps it to keep its balance.

Classification and Scientific Name

The scientific name of the tiger is Panthera tigris. The word Panthera derives from the Ancient Greek word for panther or leopard, and Tigris is Latin for tiger. They are sometimes called big cats. They belong to the Felidae family and the Mammalia class.

Types of Tigers

When considering the six living subspecies, the Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) is the largest of the group. It grows to be up to 10 feet long. It’s also the heaviest, weighing in at up to 660 pounds. The Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) is known as the smallest subspecies, weighing around 260 pounds and growing to be about 8 feet long.

Though the six living subspecies appear to have the same coloration, there are some differences. For instance, the Sumatran is the one with the darkest fur, with its stripes placed close together. Some species have a lot of stripes on their legs while others have very few.

The Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) is the most plentiful of all the subspecies. Most have the familiar reddish-orange coat with black stripes. Interestingly, some Bengals and Siberian tigers have a recessive gene that causes them to have white-coated coats with black stripes. Cats with this white and black fur coat are not usually found in the wild.

South China Tigers (Panthera tigris amoyensis) are categorized as Critically Endangered. Their population is unknown. Unfortunately, the government declared them pests at one time, and they were hunted, causing their numbers to decrease drastically.

The Malayan tiger (Panthera tigris jacksoni) lives in a tropical climate. More specifically, they live in forests in Peninsular Malaysia, with a small population also present in southern Thailand. Their population has decreased, and they are considered Critically Endangered.

The Indo-Chinese tiger (Panthera tigris corbetti) historically ranged across Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam, though current populations are largely restricted to Myanmar and Thailand. This subspecies has a coat that is darker than that of the Bengal tiger. They live in mountainous habitats. Their population is unknown because they live in such remote places.

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

Evolution

When thinking about the exotic animals of Africa, many people would list the tiger among the big cats that hunt on the continent’s plains and savannas. While tigers share an evolutionary lineage with African big cats, the modern tiger has never lived there. As a matter of fact, tigers are less related to lions and leopards and more related to the endangered snow leopard.

The first mammals are believed to have lived around 210 – 225 million years ago. The first carnivores came from animals known as miacoids between 55 and 66 million years ago. These tree dwellers were about the size of a domestic cat and had developed sharp, crushing teeth. Miacoids are the oldest relative to the modern-day tiger.

Carnivores split into two groups — Caniformia and Feliformia — around 60 million years ago. The Caniformia group was more bear-like and evolved into bears, dogs, weasels, raccoons, skunks, badgers, sea lions, walruses, and seals. Feliformia was more cat-like and evolved into cats, hyenas, and mongooses.

Proailurus, the oldest cat, appeared in France 30 million years ago. This arboreal creature weighed around 25 pounds and had eight more teeth than modern cats. 20 million years ago, the direct ancestor of modern cats, Pseudaelurines, was found in the fossil record. Around 1.6 million years ago, the saber-tooth tiger, Smilodon, was found in fossil records discovered in the La Brea tar pits in California. These big cats became extinct around 10,000 years ago.

Appearance and Behavior

A tiger has a heavy coat of reddish-orange hair featuring a pattern of black stripes. Each has its own pattern of stripes, kind of like a human’s fingerprints. It has a long tail as well as sharp teeth and claws. Its body measures 5 to 10.5 feet long and can weigh from 240 to 675 pounds, depending on the subspecies. For example, a 6-foot tiger is equal in length to a full-size bed, and one weighing 500 pounds is half the weight of a grand piano!

The largest tiger ever weighed more than 800 pounds, while the largest subspecies of tiger is the Siberian, which has an average weight that reaches up to 675 pounds.

This cat’s striped tail measures about 3 feet long. This is equal to the length of three wooden rulers lined up end to end. It uses its tail to maintain balance when making quick turns as it runs after prey. It uses its 4-inch claws to grab onto prey. In addition, its paws allow it to walk quietly while stalking its next meal. Also, they have webbed feet, making them excellent swimmers if they have to cross a river, stream, or other body of water in search of prey.

Adult tigers are animals with very few predators. Humans are the main predators of these cats. But they are also vulnerable to elephants and large buffalo due to the extraordinary strength and size of these mammals. These big cats’ speed, claws, and teeth are all defensive features.

These are solitary animals. The only exception is when females are raising their cubs. On the rare occasions these big cats are seen in a group, the group is called an ambush. These big cats try to stay out of sight of humans and other animals but can be aggressive if their territory is invaded.

Habitat

Tigers live in South and Southeast Asia as well as the eastern part of Russia and China. Some live in temperate climates while others live in tropical environments. Siberian tigers live in cold climates where it snows. Their heavy fur coat and an extra layer of fur on their paws protect them from cold temperatures. Also, they have an extra layer of fur around their neck that’s sometimes called a scarf. This insulates them from the cold even more.

Tigers live in different habitats including swamps, grasslands, and deciduous and mangrove forests. The type of habitat each subspecies occupies depends on that particular subspecies.

Malayans live in tropical broadleaf forests while Indo-Chinese tigers live in hilly, mountainous areas. Bengals live in rainforests while the Sumatran live in lowland forests and around swamps.

Tigers sometimes migrate short distances to find more prey. Also, they may migrate to an area with less snow and warmer temperatures in the cold weather months.

Diet

What does a tiger eat?

With powerful jaws, claws, and superb hunting abilities, tigers are carnivores who eat pretty much anything they want. Deer, antelope, buffalo, and pigs are some of the prey of tigers. Tigers have even been known to eat leopards and crocodiles.

Tigers use their stalking skills, speed, and quick movements to take down their prey. However, these big cats usually eat just once per week. They are capable of eating 75 pounds of meat in one sitting. Seventy-five pounds is equal to four adult dachshunds. Tigers have a habit of killing prey, eating as much as they want, then covering the rest of it with leaves so they can come back later for a snack.

Predators and Threats

Because of their size and strength, adult tigers don’t have many predators. Humans are predators of this animal, while elephants and bears can also pose a threat to them. Tiger cubs have a lot more predators than adults, including hyenas, crocodiles, and snakes.

Habitat loss through deforestation is a threat. Poaching is another major threat. They are hunted for their skin, fur, teeth, and other body parts. Also, many are captured and sold to individuals as exotic animals. This practice is illegal. These creatures do not receive the proper care when sold as exotic pets. In many cases, they are starved by their owners and not given the proper medical care, shelter, or exercise. Not surprisingly, tigers kept as exotic pets have been known to attack and injure or kill the people who purchased them.

Of course, a tiger living in a zoo environment receives the proper care from veterinarians and others who are trained to care for them in the best possible way.

The conservation status of the tiger is Endangered with a decreasing population. Fortunately, they are now protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Reproduction, Babies, and Lifespan

The breeding season of this creature usually falls between November and April. However, they can breed at any time of the year. A female that’s ready to mate marks her territory with a particular scent. This attracts males to the area. The males sometimes fight and otherwise compete for a female that is ready to mate. Tigers are not monogamous; they mate with different partners each breeding season.

The gestation period is around 100 days. A litter can number from 1 to 7 cubs, but usually, a female gives live birth to 2 to 4 cubs. Each tiger baby, or cub, weighs from 2 to 3 pounds at birth. Like other cats, tiger cubs are born blind. Their eyes open in 6 to 12 days. These newborns rely on their mothers for everything.

Cubs are cared for and nursed by their mother for the first 6 weeks of life. The mothers are very protective of their cubs. Young cubs are vulnerable to a variety of predators, and many fall victim to them before they are strong enough to defend themselves. So, if a mother feels her cubs are threatened in any way, she moves them to another den, one baby at a time. Plus, she only leaves them for brief periods of time to hunt for food. She licks each baby in an effort to clean its fur and stimulate its digestive system.

At 7 weeks old, the cubs are fed solid food by their mother. She brings food to the den and breaks it up for the cubs. The cubs spend a lot of time wrestling and chasing one another as a way to strengthen their muscles and learn stalking behaviors. At eight to 10 months, the cubs are ready to go out and hunt with their mother. They stay with her until they are around 2 years old.

Tigers suffer from some of the same ailments as other cats. Feline leukemia, rabies, and anemia are some examples.

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

Population

Bengals are the most plentiful of all the tiger subspecies. Bengals living in India number between 2,500 and 3,750. As for the other subspecies, according to the IUCN Red List, there are 2,154 to 3,159 mature individuals in existence. The population of some tigers, such as the South China tiger, is unknown because of the remote, mountainous area where they live.

The official conservation status of the tiger is Endangered with a decreasing population.

In the Zoo

• See the beautiful Malayan tigers at the Cincinnati Zoo.
• Check out the Tiger Trail at the San Diego Zoo.
• Admire the Siberian tigers at the Indianapolis Zoo.

Watch This Fascinating Video About the Rarest Tiger on Earth