Tiger

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Tiger

The tiger (Tigris), a member of the biological (Felidae) family, is the largest of the Big Cats Native to much of eastern and southern Asia, the tiger is a top level predator and is a Meat Eater. Reaching up to 3.3 meters (11 ft) in total length, weighing up to 300 kilograms (660 pounds), and having canines up to 4 inches long, the larger tiger subspecies are comparable in size to the biggest vanished Animals. Aside from their great bulk and power, their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes that overlays near-white to reddish-orange fur, with lighter under parts. The most numerous tiger subspecies is the Bengal tiger while the largest is the Siberian tiger

Tigers have a lifespan of 10–15 years in the wild, but can live longer than 20 years in captivity.

They are highly adaptable

They are protective and generally lonely animals, often requiring large nearby areas of habitat that support their prey demands. This joined with the fact that they are native to some of the more densely populated places on earth, has caused significant conflicts with humans.

Three of the nine subspecies of modern tiger have gone vanished, and the remaining six are classified as endangered, some critically so.

The primary direct causes are habitat, fragmentation and hunting.

The range of the species is radically reduced. While all surviving species are under formal protection.

Tigers are among the most recognizable and popular of the world's Large Animal Species. They have featured prominently in ancient tradition and legends, and continue to be depicted in modern films and literature. Tigers appear on many flags and coats of arms, as mascots for sporting teams, and as the national animal of several Asian nations, including India.

 

Where the Name “Tiger” came from??

 

The word "tiger" is taken from the Greek word "Tigris", which is possibly derived from a source meaning "Arrow", a reference to the animal's speed and also the origin for the name of the Tigris River.

General Information

Today the range of the tiger is only 7 percent of what it used to be

In the past, tigers were found throughout Asia,

Furthermore, within the past decade alone, the estimated area known to be occupied by tigers has declined 41 percent.

During the 19th century, the tiger completely vanished from western Asia

Tiger habitats will usually include sufficient coat, closeness to water, and an abundance of prey. Bengal Tigers live in many types of forests, including wet; evergreen; the semi-evergreen

The big cats, only the tiger are strong swimmers; tigers are often found bathing in ponds, lakes, and rivers. Unlike other cats, which tend to avoid water, tigers actively seek it out. During the extreme heat of the day, they often cool off in pools. Tigers are excellent swimmers, able to swim up to 4 miles and carry dead prey across lakes.

  

Physical characteristics

Tigers are easy to recognize. They typically have rusty-reddish to brown-rusty coats, a white "edge" that surrounds the face, and stripes that vary from brown or gray to pure black. The form and density of stripes differs between subspecies, but most tigers have over 100 stripes.

The pattern of stripes is unique to each animal, and thus could potentially be used to identify individuals, much in the same way that fingerprints are used to identify people. This is not, however, a preferred method of identification, due to the difficulty of recording the stripe pattern of a wild tiger. It seems likely that the function of stripes is mask, serving to help tigers cover up themselves amongst the spotted shadows and long grass of their environment as they hunt their prey. The stripe pattern is also found on the skin of the tiger. If a tiger were to be shaved, its characteristic mask pattern would be preserved.

Like other big cats, tigers have a white spot on the backs of their ears. These spots, called ocelli,

Tigers have the additional distinction of being the heaviest cats found in the wild. They also have powerfully built legs and shoulders, with the result that they have the ability to pull down prey substantially heavier than themselves.

 

Sub-Species of Tigers

There are nine recent subspecies of Tiger, three of which are extinct.
The surviving subspecies:

 

1. The Bengal tiger or the Royal Bengal tiger

The Bengal tiger or the Royal Bengal tiger is the most common subspecies of tiger found primarily in India and Bangladesh. It lives in varied habitats: grasslands, rainforests, and scrub forests, wet and dry forests. Males are usually weighed 205 to 227 kg, while the average female will weigh about 141 kg. While conservationists already believed the population to be below 2,000, the most recent audit by the Indian Government's National Tiger Conservation Authority has estimated the number at just 1,411 wild tigers, a drop of 60% in the past decade. Since 1972, there has been a massive wildlife conservation project, known as Project Tiger, to protect the Bengal tiger.

2. The Indochinese Tiger,
3. The Malayan Tiger,
4. The Sumatran Tiger,
5. The Siberian tiger,
6. The South China Tiger,
 

The Extinct subspecies:

 

1. The Bali Tiger,
2. The Javan tiger,
3. The Caspian Tiger,

Hybrids of Tigers

Hybridization among the big cats, including the tiger, was first conceptualized in the 19th century. Lions have been known to breed with tigers to create hybrids called ligers and Tigons. Such hybrids were once commonly bred in zoos, but this is now discouraged due to the importance on conserving species and subspecies.

Ligers are the offspring of a male lion and female tiger. 

The offspring of a male tiger and female lion is called a Tigon. 

Ligers tend towards gigantism and are generally larger than either of their parents, while Tigons are generally smaller or at least no larger than their parents.

Ligers are typically between 10 to 12 feet in length, and can be between 800 and 1,000 pounds or more.

 

Color variations of Tigers

1. White Tigers,

2. Golden Tabby Tigers,

3. Maltese Tiger (Black Tigers),

 

 

Reproduction

Mating can occur all year round, but is generally more common between November and April. A female is only friendly for a few days and mating is frequent during that time period. The development period is 16 weeks. The Tigress usually consists of around 3–4 cubs of about 1 kilogram each, which are born blind and helpless. The females take care of them alone, sheltering them in Dens. The father of the cubs generally takes no part in taking care of them. Unrelated wandering male tigers may even kill cubs to make the female friendly.

This cub generally dominates its siblings during play and tends to be more active, leaving its mother earlier than usual. At 8 weeks, the cubs are ready to follow their mother out of the den, although they don't travel with her as she roams her territory until they are older. The cubs become independent around 18 months of age, but it is not until they are around 2–2½ years old that they leave their mother. Females reach sexual maturity at 3–4 years, whereas males reach sexual maturity at 4–5 years.

Over the course of her life, a female tiger will give birth to an approximately equal number of male and female cubs. Tigers breed well in captivity.