Tigers are large mammalian predators of the cat family. In the biological classification, all species of the animal belong to the genus panther. According to paleontological studies, tigers appeared about 2 million years ago in Central Asia. About 10 thousand years ago, their habitat expanded significantly, capturing Malacca, Hindustan and part of the nearby islands.
In the 19th and 20th centuries, there was a massive extermination of the species by humans, which led to both a reduction in the range and a catastrophic decrease in the number of animals, some of the subspecies of which were completely destroyed. All species of tigers that have survived to this day are listed in the International Red Book with the status of “endangered species” and are protected.
Tiger: brief description
Tigers are the largest species in the big cat family. Depending on the variety, these beautiful and formidable predators reach a height of 1.5 to 2.5 m, and their weight ranges from 90 to 300 kg.
The tiger is one of the largest and most dangerous predators on earth
Huge tabby cats are unusually strong and powerful animals, but they are also very dexterous and agile, and this combination makes them one of the most dangerous predators on the planet. Tigers have excellent hearing and sense of smell, and night vision allows them to navigate perfectly in the dark, thanks to which they can hunt at any time of the day.
But the main distinguishing feature of these animals is, of course, their spectacular striped color. The color of the upper part of the body is fiery red or sandy yellow, and black or dark brown stripes descend along the back, sides and outer parts of the paws, which, intertwined, create bizarre patterns.
By the way, tigers not only have striped fur, but also skin, the striped pattern on which exactly repeats the pattern on the predator’s fur coat. Also, each tiger has its own unique pattern on its body, and there are simply no two identical cats in nature.
Each tiger has a unique, original pattern on its body
. Despite their size, tigers can run fast, reaching speeds of up to 40-50 km per hour. But they are not capable of covering long distances at this pace, so they will not pursue fast prey for a long time and switch to a more accessible prey.
Elena
Ask a Question
Question to the expert
Is it true that in China there is a death penalty for killing a tiger?
Yes, in China there really is a law according to which the culprit is sentenced to death for killing a tiger. Although, even such a severe punishment does not stop poachers, because in Chinese medicine the internal organs of tigers are highly valued, which they consider a panacea for infertility and impotence.
Natural habitat
The formation of tigers as a separate species took place in Asia, and unlike many animals that gradually populated other continents during migration, the natural range of striped predators remained limited to the Asian continent.
Tigers are exclusively Asian animals
Elena
Scientists have still not come to a consensus why tigers have not settled in Africa and Europe. Some experts believe that the huge cats, accustomed to the humid tropics, did not like the hot African climate and the cold European forests. Other experts put forward the version that tigers were prevented from conquering new lands by such large predators as lions, which dominate Africa, and bears, which have chosen the mountainous and forest regions of Europe.
These fascinating animals were once widespread throughout Asia, including the Russian Far East and the Sunda Islands archipelago. But literally over the past century, the natural habitats of tigers have decreased significantly, and their small populations have remained in the territories of only 16 countries, such as:
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- Bangladesh;
- Laos;
- Pakistan;
- India;
- Butane;
- China;
- Thailand;
- Cambodia;
- Vietnam;
- Malaysia;
- Burma;
- Nepal;
- Iran;
- Indonesia;
- Russia.
The last country on this list should have been the DPRK (North Korea), at least the Koreans themselves claim that several tigers remain in the wild. But zoologists suggest that striped cats have already been completely exterminated in this country, although they can neither confirm nor deny the version of the existence of tigers in North Korea, given the fact that access to it is closed to members of world natural organizations.
Common types
There are 9 subspecies of the tiger, three of which are now completely exterminated.
Known as Ussuri, Siberian, Manchurian or North Chinese, it is common in the Amur region, Primorsky and Khabarovsk territories of Russia. The population size reaches about 500 individuals.
The Amur tiger is a large subspecies. It is distinguished by thick, long and fluffy wool, light color and many stripes.
The nominate subspecies that lives in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar. The population is estimated at 3100-4500 animals, but it is still under threat due to poaching. The average weight of males is 205-227 kg, for females - 140-150 kg.
Distributed in Cambodia, Myanmar, southern China, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam. The number of individuals is 1200-1800. This subspecies is distinguished by a darker color. The average weight of males is from 150 to 190 kg; for females this figure is in the range of 110-140 kg.
Distributed only in the south of the Malay Peninsula. Previously, the population of this subspecies was classified as Indochinese tigers, but according to genetic studies, at the beginning of the 21st century it was separated into an independent subspecies. Its population is estimated at 600-800 individuals, that is, it is the third largest in nature.
Inhabitant of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, where there are about 400-500 animals. This is the smallest of all subspecies: males weigh 100-130 kg, females weigh 70-90 kg.
This small subspecies is the most endangered species. Body length is 2.2-2.6 meters, weight of males is 127-177 kg, females - 100-118 kg. Currently, 59 individuals are kept in captivity in China, and they are trying to introduce them into the wild.
What does a tiger eat in the wild?
Since tigers are predators, it is quite natural that their menu consists of food of protein origin, that is, raw meat. The diet of these cats is based on herbivorous ungulates: deer, roe deer, wild boars, tapirs. Adult, experienced males hunt large ungulates such as elk, buffalo and gaur (wild Asian bulls). Huge cats attack baby elephants and rhinoceroses, but at the same time they themselves die, trampled by an elephant herd, or pierced by a sharp rhinoceros horn.
Today's roe deer hunt was successful
If the hunt is unsuccessful, they can be content with small prey, for example, hares, badgers, and monkeys. Foxes, jackals and wolves often become victims of tigers, and they also do not hesitate to kill and eat the babies of predators such as leopards and bears. Birds and reptiles can also become a snack for a striped animal; it is not averse to eating fresh fish. In hungry years, tigers eat frogs and small rodents, and they do not disdain carrion.
Bengal tigers hunt swamp crocodiles, and I must say, very successfully. Huge cats know very well that the most vulnerable place of these reptiles is the stomach, so they first try to blind the crocodile with a blow of their paw, and then, turning it over on its back, tear its belly with its claws.
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In general, the diet of tigers directly depends on their location.
- Representatives of the Amur variety hunt red deer, boar, roe deer and elk;
- The prey of Bengal striped cats are Indian buffalos, nilgai and axis;
- The menu of Sumatran tigers includes tapirs, wild boars and sambar deer;
- The victims of Indochinese tigers include sambar deer, gaur, monkeys and porcupines;
- Predators of the Malayan variety feed on deer, wild boar, monkeys and small langur monkeys.
Such a large predator requires a lot of meat.
Although the tiger is a carnivore, it does not miss the opportunity to feast on fresh berries and fruits that have fallen from trees. Huge cats also know medicinal herbs, and in case of illness or injury they eat wild medicinal plants.
Tiger Roar
Tigers can starve for a week, but at one time they are able to eat 30-50 kg of meat. In general, an adult predator requires from 7 to 9 kg of meat per day, and in a year they eat about 2-3 tons of food, twice as much as lions.
Question to the expert
Why do tigers become man-eaters?
People indeed often become victims of these predators, but tigers do not deliberately hunt humans. Zoologists believe that huge cats attack people, mistaking them for animals, and are skeptical about the theory that as soon as a tiger tastes human meat, he immediately becomes a cannibal. The only exception was the tigress, who at the beginning of the 20th century terrorized the inhabitants of Nepal and India, and was responsible for killing 430 people.
Lifestyle and behavioral characteristics
Like all members of the big cat family (with the exception of lions), tigers are solitary by nature and lead a solitary lifestyle. Each striped predator has its own territory, where its hunting grounds and a reliable shelter for rest and sleep are located. The territories of males occupy an area of 60 to 100 km², the territories of females are more modest, and extend over 10-20 km².
Each tiger jealously guards its territory
Tigers prefer to settle in the jungle, among thickets of bamboo and tall trees, which serve them as excellent camouflage and ambush sites. Some individuals live near mangrove swamps, they are also found in desert regions, and the Ussuri tiger lives in the taiga zone.
Where does he live?
The tiger is an Asian animal. Its historical range included the Russian Far East, Iran, Afghanistan, China, India and the countries of Southeast Asia.
Where does the tiger live on the map
Today, in most of these territories, the tiger has been exterminated; large populations remain only in India and Indochina and the Far East (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, Iran, Cambodia, China, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan , Russia, Thailand).
Reproduction and care of offspring
Sexual maturity of male tigers occurs at the age of 4-5 years, females are ready to continue the race, reaching 3-4 years of age. These predators are polygamous; one male can have up to 3-5 partners during the mating season, while females mate with only one male.
Male and female meet only during the mating period
Tiger mating season
These predators can breed all year round, but the mating period usually falls in the winter months - December-January. Females signal their readiness to become mothers by leaving urine marks, which males use to find their chosen ones. If the tigress fails to become pregnant during the mating season, she will go into estrus again after a month or two.
Fights rarely arise between males for females, because they mate with tigresses living in their territory. But sometimes young tigers, who have not yet had time to acquire their own “harem,” lay claim to the female, and then the males, in a duel, find out which of them will get the striped lady.
General information
The white tiger is an animal that is born with a frequency of one individual per 10 thousand with the usual fur color. Reports of these predators have been recorded for several decades, and they came mainly from Bengal, Assam, Bihar, but there were especially many of them from the territory of the former principality of Rewa.
The first documented sighting of a white tiger dates back to the mid-20th century. Then one of the hunters accidentally found the animal’s lair, where among the usual there was a white male tiger cub, and took it with him. This man tried to breed offspring of the same color from him by breeding him with an ordinary female. The first attempts were unsuccessful, but after some time he still managed to get the second generation of white tigers.
More than half a century has passed since that moment. The population of these unusually colored animals has increased significantly. It is interesting that all the white tigers currently kept in captivity in various zoos around the world are descendants of the same individual that was once found by a hunter in the jungle. It follows from this that all these representatives of the cat tribe are related to each other. There are currently about 130 white tigers in captivity, of which about 100 are in India. Unfortunately, the last representative of these animals that once lived in nature was shot dead back in 1958.
Enemies of a tiger in the wild
The main enemy of the tiger has been and remains man, through whose fault these magnificent creatures are in danger of extinction. But striped cats have no serious opponents among representatives of the animal world that share their habitat with the tiger. Most animals, including such large predators as leopards and bears, avoid the tiger's territory and try not to even catch their eye.
Few animals would risk messing with such a ferocious beast as a tiger
In fairness, it is worth noting that Asian tigers have practically no competitors. But the Amur tigers are less fortunate, because next door to them lives a dangerous and formidable enemy - the Ussuri brown bear. And meetings of these two predators often develop into fierce fights for life and death.
Amur tigers and Ussuri bears have always been at enmity with each other
Most often, conflicts arise between a tiger and a bear over prey, but sometimes huge cats deliberately attack the clubfooted inhabitants of the taiga, and this happens if there are few herbivores in the forests, and the tigers have to starve. Typically, striped predators hunt small bear cubs or young, immature individuals, but they can also choose an adult bear as their prey. And although the brown “master of the taiga” is more powerful and larger, in 7 out of 10 cases he loses to the more dexterous, cunning and resourceful tiger, which patiently waits in ambush and then in one jump overtakes the prey and inflicts a mortal wound in the throat, or grabs the bear in the scruff, breaking his spine with one blow.
Interesting fact: in the wild, tigers and bears are enemies, but in captivity they can become true friends. This is what happened in the US state of Georgia, when animal activists found three emaciated creatures in a poacher’s basement: a tiger cub, a lion cub and a bear cub. Volunteers settled the foundlings in one of the enclosures of the local zoo, and the young animals immediately found a common language with each other. Moreover, as they grew older, the warm friendship between the lion, tiger and bear became stronger, and for 13 years now they have remained inseparable friends.
Inseparable friends: the tiger Sherkhan, the bear Baloo and the lion Leo.
Hybrid individuals
In captivity, striped predators are often crossed with lions to create hybrids called Ligers and Tigons or Tiglions.
Mestizos usually inherit the qualities of both parent species, both in physical characteristics and behavioral reactions. Although the breeding of ligers and tiglions today is not welcomed by experts, since scientists place emphasis on the preservation of natural species.
A liger is a cross between a lion and a tigress. Its body length usually ranges from three to four meters, and its weight ranges from 360 to 450 kg or more. Because the lion father passes on a growth-promoting gene to the cub, but the female tiger lacks the corresponding oversize-inhibiting allele, ligers grow much larger than either parent species.
Photo gallery of ligers (lion + tigress):
A less common hybrid is Tigon (tiglon) - a cross between a lioness and a male Tiger. Because the male Tiger does not pass on the growth-promoting gene and the lioness passes on the growth-inhibiting allele, tigons are about the same size as their parents. Some females are fertile and sometimes give birth to litigons when they mate with a male Asiatic lion.
Who is stronger, tiger or lion?
If tigers had to fight African lions, it is difficult to say which of them would emerge victorious, because the size and power of these predators are approximately equal. But, given the fact that tigers live exclusively in Asia, encounters between huge cats in the wild are excluded.
The forces of these predators are equal, and the outcome of the battle between them is difficult to predict
But Bengal tigers share territory with a small population of Indian lions, however, the animals rarely cross paths, so conflicts between them are very rare. And yet, scientists put forward a theory that a lion would win in a battle between these titans. They came to this conclusion after studying in detail the habits and lifestyle of animals. The advantage of lions is that they live in a pack; they always feel the support of their relatives behind them, so in battle they behave more boldly and decisively. But tigers have to rely solely on their own strength, they act more cautiously, and during the battle they look for ways to retreat.
In the natural environment, naturalists have not been able to record fights between lions and tigers. But in the circus, fights between a lion and a tiger are not uncommon, and according to the trainers, in most cases the lion wins, although such statistics cannot be considered official.
Genetic failures
As scientists have proven, the white tiger is not an albino animal. This coat color can only be caused by the presence of recessive genes. This means that a true albino tiger cannot have black or brown stripes. If both parents are orange but carry certain genes, they have about a 25% chance of producing white-furred offspring. Now let's take another case. For example, if the parents have different colors, i.e. one of them is white and the other is orange, then the chance of getting light-colored offspring increases to 50%.
As mentioned above, among white tigers there are also animals that have plain fur without traditional stripes. In the organisms of such individuals there is practically no coloring pigment, so their eyes are red due to the blood vessels visible on them.
