Tigers

The Tiger (Panthera tigris) is the largest of big cats. It is one of the four big cats in the genus panthera. Not only are they native to Asia, but to other areas of the world too. They are some of the best predators and is a carnivore. Not including the tail, the tiger will reach six to seven feet long.

Subspecies

The Bengal Tiger

The Bengal tiger (panthera tigris tigris) is the most well known and most common subspecies. It is native to India and Bangladesh. They live in sub-tropical, tropical rainforest area and mangroves. A male will reach a weight somewhere between 450 lbs. and 220 lbs. where as females will reach about 311 lbs. They are a kind of burnt orange with black stripes, thus helping them blend in with the grasses and plants of the area.

The Indo-Chinese Tiger

The Indo-Chinese tiger (panthera tigris corbetti) can be found in Cambodia, Burma, China, Laos, Thiland, and Vietnam. Males can weigh up to 420 lbs. and females weigh up to 308 lbs. They live in forests and even in mountains, and have very few left in the wild. They are slightly darker and smaller than bangals.

The Amur Tiger

The Amur Tiger, or Siberian tiger (panthera tigris altaica) Is lives in the Amur river basin and in will be found in Siberia as well. They are a protected subspecies and is the largest of the subspecies till in existence Males weighing up to 540 lbs. and a six month old Amur can be the size of a fully grown leopard. They have thick have a few less stripes and are just a tiny bit paler then a Bengal, but can be white or ghost. (see color variation)

South China Tiger

The South China tiger (panthera tigris amoyensis) is the most endangered of all subspecies. This subspecies may already be extinct in the wild but there are some in captivity. This tiger subspecies is extraordinarily close genetically. They are one of the smaller tiger subspecies and resemble Bengals in color.

The Malayan Tiger

The Malayan tiger (panthera tigris jaksoni) is only found in the Malay peninsula. It was not found to be a subspcies of its own till 2004. It is the smallest subspecies and there are only about 700 of these tigers in the wild.

Color Variations

Golden Tabby

The golden tabby color variation is tied for rarest color variation with the ghost variation. This tiger is a sort of marmalade color with orange stripes. Golden Tabby’s also have some white mixed in with the marmalade. This is caused by a genetic mutation.

Ghost

This Color variation is also caused by a genetic mutation. These tigers are pure white, but are NOT albino. The pink of their noses and pads of their paws gives it away. The skin would be white if they were albino.

White

This mutation is again, genetic. All of the mutations are not dangerous to the tiger its self. This variation is the most well known. These tigers are white with black stripes, and again are not albino.

Orange

Most tigers are born this way. There is no mutation behind them being orange-that is just how they are supposed to be.

Mythical Color Variations

Maltese tiger

This color variation is a myth. It is said to be gray-blue with black stripes. People have tried to say they have found the “mythical Maltese tiger” but all of these claims have be proved a ruse.

Black Tiger

There have been many reports of the black tiger. These tigers are thought to be all black, but when the sun hits them right, the pattern would show due to the fact that the background is less dense then the stripes. People who have reported this were probably mistaking it for a black leopard, or jaguar.

Diet

A tiger’s diet consists of the meat of herbivores. Deer, wild boar and buffalo m

ake up the majority of their diet. A mother protecting her cubs of a territorial female might kill a leopard of a jaguar in defense of their cubs or of their territory, but like lions, will rarely eat them, but will in a time of starvation. Tigers will also eat fish but that is less common.

Habitat

Tigers live in densely covered areas (usually forests) and usually sleep in small caves when taking a long nap, and a fae (female tiger) will leave her cubs there too, but move them constantly. A tiger will always live by a river of other body of water and will stay close to prey.

Hybrids

The tiger’s only hybrids are the liger and the tigon. A liger is a cross between a tigress and a male lion, where as a tigon is the cross between a lioness and a male tiger. They reach about 12 feet in length and reach about 800 to 1,000 lbs.