Although the lion is considered the king of animals, its size is inferior to its other predatory relative from the cat family - the tiger. Yes, the tiger is the largest predator of the cat family; this striped “kitty” is up to 3 meters in length with an average weight of 250-300 kg. The name of the majestic and predatory animal “tiger” came to us from the ancient Persian language, which means “sharp, fast”, perhaps tigers fully correspond to their name.

Tiger: description, structure, characteristics. What does a tiger look like?

Tigers have a flexible and muscular body with a round head and a prominent forehead. The eyes of a tiger are expressive, and they are also capable, like humans, of distinguishing colors (in general, the ability to distinguish colors is very rare in the animal world) and even seeing in the dark. In addition to good eyesight, tigers also have excellent hearing and sense of smell (like many feline predators), and are able to detect the slightest sounds and subtle odors. All this turns the tiger into one of the most dangerous predators on our planet.

As we wrote at the beginning of the article, tigers reach up to 3 meters in length and weigh up to 300 kg, although their sizes may vary depending on the type of tiger. The largest are the Bengal and Amur tigers, whose weight can even reach 380 kg. Female tigers are usually slightly smaller than males.

There are elastic white whiskers on the tiger's face. Also, an adult tiger has 30 teeth (with which they survive food) + four sharp fangs, two on top and bottom, with their help predators deal with their victims.

The front paws of a tiger have five toes, the hind paws only four; on each of the tiger's toes there are retractable claws, which are also used during tiger hunting.

The hair of tigers depends on the species and habitat, for example, southern tigers have short and dense hair, while northern tigers have more fluffy hair.

A tiger's skin is yellow or brown with its signature black stripes running all over its body. The tiger's stripes have characteristic pointed ends, sometimes moving apart and joining again. On average, a tiger has about 100 stripes on its body. The tiger's long tail is also covered with rings of stripes.

Remember that the word “tiger” is translated from Persian as “sharp, fast”, so it is really fast, and despite its impressive weight, this predator is capable of reaching speeds of up to 60 km per hour.

Tigers also have an impressive roar; the roar of a tiger can be heard at a distance of up to 3 km.

How long do tigers live?

Tigers live about the same length as their domesticated relatives, on average about 16-20 years.

Where do tigers live?

Tigers live mainly in Asia, but practically throughout Asia, in its most diverse climatic zones, from the Siberian taiga to the South Asian jungles of Sumatra. Many tigers live in Asian countries such as China, Korea, India, Pakistan, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Burma, and Indonesia.

Tigers prefer forested areas, tropical rainforests, bamboo thickets or the harsh Siberian taiga as habitats. In any case, they adapt well to their environment. Tigers like to make their lairs in reed thickets near water bodies.

Tiger's lifestyle and habits

Possessing such a powerful force, it is not surprising that the tiger feels like the absolute master of the forest. Male tigers mark their territory with special marks, which are made with urine and protect them from encroachment by other tigers.

In natural conditions, tigers live either alone or in small families (something like prides of lions) and what is very interesting is that the relationships of tigers from the same family are always friendly, sometimes they behave funny during communication, touching each other’s muzzles. But if a stranger tiger accidentally wanders into their territory, he will be in trouble.

What do tigers eat?

Needless to say, tigers are notorious predators, and by no means suffer from a lack of appetite. So an adult tiger can eat 30-40 kg of meat at a time, and if it is also a very hungry tiger, then all 50 kg. Their main source of food is ungulates and large herbivores: wild animals, tapirs, and roe deer. The tiger is also an excellent swimmer and is always not averse to eating not only meat, but also fish. Sometimes even a small elephant calf that has become separated from its parents can come to a tiger for lunch, but tigers are already afraid to attack adults (as well as animals).

Tigers hunt at different times; when they feel hungry, then they go out hunting, and this can be both during the day and at night, in the morning and in the evening. They always hunt alone, using two techniques: either they sit in ambush, patiently waiting for a potential victim, or they carefully sneak up on it. One way or another, both of these techniques end with a swift rush of the tiger, during which it overtakes its prey. The tiger immediately gnaws the throats of small animals; it first knocks larger animals to the ground and then gnaws the cervical vertebrae.

Interesting fact: if it so happened that the victim turned out to be stronger and was able to escape from the tiger, then he will not attack again.

Enemies of tigers

Since the tiger is literally at the top of the food chain, in natural conditions it has no enemies. Including other predators: leopards and even flocks are afraid of tigers and prefer to avoid them. (It is not for nothing that the English writer Kipling chose the tiger named Sharkhan as the main negative character of his cult book “Mowgli”, and in the book even the wolves who sheltered a human cub were afraid of Sharkhan).

Nevertheless, the main enemy of the tiger was, of course, man; moreover, the extermination of tigers by hunters led to the fact that many species of these striped “cats” were on the verge of extinction. Now tigers are listed on the planet, and hunting them is strictly prohibited.

Types of tigers, photos and names

There are 9 species of tigers, although 3 of them: the Bali tiger, the Caspian tiger and the Javan tiger, unfortunately, have disappeared forever from the face of the earth. And then we will describe in detail the remaining species that have survived. So.

He is also the Ussuri tiger, one of the largest and at the same time smallest representatives of the tiger family. It is distinguished by thick fur and a relatively small number of characteristic tiger stripes. According to zoologists, today the population of Amur tigers numbers only 500 individuals that live in the Amur region of Russia. A number of these tigers also live in North Korea and northeast China. Listed in the Red Book.

This species is also one of the largest in the tiger family. And unlike its Amur relative, the Bengal tiger is the most numerous. It is interesting that in nature there are albino Bengal tigers, which are a mutated species. Bengal tigers live in a number of Asian countries: India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh.

This type of tiger is distinguished by its dull red color and is slightly smaller in size than their Bengal and Amur relatives, they are up to 2.85 cm in length and weigh 150-195 kg. These tigers live in southern China, as well as in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Burma.

The Malayan tiger, which lives on the Malay Peninsula, is notable for the fact that it is the smallest among tigers. Its length is only 237 cm and weighs up to 120 kg. This tiger is also listed in the Red Book and is on the verge of extinction; today there are only about 600-800 individuals of the Malayan tiger in the wild.

This tiger, which lives on the island of Sumatra and several other islands in Indonesia, is also one of the endangered species of the majestic striped predator. About 500 Sumatran tigers live in the national reserves of the island. Sumatra is what separates this species from complete extinction. The Sumatran tiger also does not shine in size (compared to its large relatives, of course), but it is slightly larger than the Malayan tiger, its length is 220-225 cm and its weight is up to 140 kg.

Or simply the Chinese tiger, is a small species of tigers living in China, which is now preserved exclusively in zoos.

Tiger hybrids

Tiger hybrids are tigers born from crossing tigers themselves with other representatives of the panther genus. Among them are:

This is a hybrid of a lion and a female tiger. It is huge in size.

Just like a liger, only in reverse, his dad is a tiger and his mom is a lioness. It is smaller in size than its parents and has the features of both: the father’s stripes and the mother’s spots, and the males have a mane, although it is several times smaller than that of real lions.

These hybrids of lion and tiger are born exclusively in captivity, in zoos; of course, they are not found in natural conditions.

Tiger breeding

Tigers reach sexual maturity at 3-5 years of age. At the same time, females mature faster and, starting from the 3rd year of life, they are ready to bear cubs, while male tigers become sexually mature at 5 years.

The mating season for tigers is December-January. At this time, the male is actively courting the female. Sometimes it happens that two males claim one female, then a fight occurs between them and the strongest gets the female.

A tigress's pregnancy lasts about 100 days, and birth takes place in a tiger's den. 2-4 tiger cubs are born at a time, in rare cases there can be 6 of them. Like their kitten relatives, little tiger cubs are born blind and only gain their sight a week later. At first, the cubs feed on their mother's milk.

At this time, they grow very quickly; already 2 months after birth, the mother tigress leaves the den for the first time with her children. When they reach one and a half years old, the cubs turn into fully grown and large tigers. True, many young tigers live next to their mother even before they are 3-5 years old.

Who is stronger: a lion or a tiger?

For some reason, many people are interested in this question. It is not possible to answer this accurately, since there are very few recorded and documented fights between lions and tigers, which does not give us the opportunity to reasonably speak about the superiority of one or another animal. But it is possible to compare a lion and a tiger according to a number of external parameters:

• In terms of weight category, the tiger wins; although it is not much, it is still heavier than the lion. (This applies to large species of tigers; small species here will lose to the “king of beasts”).
• In terms of jaw compression force during a bite, both a tiger and a lion are approximately the same.
• The principle of hunting and killing prey is also the same for lions and tigers.
• But tigers and lions differ in their way of life; lions still prefer to live in prides - small families, while tigers choose a solitary lifestyle, as well as solitary hunting (lions often hunt collectively). Although tigers sometimes form small families, which could also be called prides, they gather in such prides much less often than lions.
• In terms of endurance, it is also impossible to say who is stronger, both the tiger and the lion run very quickly and can cover considerable distances.

In any case, both the tiger and the lion are strong, powerful and, of course, very dangerous predators, including dangerous ones for humans.

• Since ancient times, the tiger has been the hero of numerous fairy tales, myths and legends. For example, one legend tells us about the now non-existent saber-tooth tiger, as the progenitor of all predators on Earth.
• Unlike other representatives of the cat family, tigers are not afraid of water, but rather love to swim in it, especially in hot weather.

Tiger, video

And in conclusion, an interesting documentary about tigers - “The Most Famous Tiger in the World.”

When writing the article, I tried to make it as interesting, useful and high-quality as possible. I would be grateful for any feedback and constructive criticism in the form of comments on the article. You can also write your wish/question/suggestion to my email. [email protected] or on Facebook, sincerely the author.

The tiger is the largest animal from the cat family. This family also includes the panther, lynx, and cheetah, but the tiger surpasses them in size.

Species: Tiger

Genus: Panthers

Family: Felines

Class: Mammals

Squad: Carnivores

Type: Chordata

Kingdom: Animals

Domain: Eukaryotes

Tiger anatomy

The size and weight of a tiger animal depends on its species. There are 6 types of tiger in total. The largest species of tigers can reach up to 2.5 meters in length without a tail. The tiger is approximately 115 cm in height. The weight of the largest individuals can vary up to 200-300 kg. The coloring of a tiger also depends on its species, the color of the coat is from rusty red to rusty brown, while the inside of the ears, paws, belly and chest are light. The iris of the eyes is yellow. The whole body is covered in black stripes. Each animal has a unique arrangement of stripes, which helps to recognize different individuals. The tail is long, even, also with black stripes, the tip of the tail is always black. The tiger's spine is flexible, the body is muscular, and the pelvic bones have such a structure that the animal can develop great speed and also have good jumping power.

It is extremely difficult to detect the appearance of a tiger in advance, because its feet have soft, fleshy pads, thanks to which its steps become silent. The tiger's skull is short, rounded, and powerful. Has a massively developed jaw. With its help, the tiger can inflict a crushing bite on the enemy. The predator's mouth opens wide, the jaws have a strong bone structure, and powerful muscles provide great compression force when biting. When attacking, the tiger sinks its teeth into the prey in such a way that the prey cannot escape during any of its maneuvers. The length of the fangs is 8 cm without root.

Where does the tiger live?

Tigers were originally common in Asia. To date, they have survived in only 16 countries: Laos, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, Russia, India, Iran, Indonesia, China, North Korea (not confirmed), Malaysia, Pakistan, Nepal, Thailand. At the same time, they choose completely different places for their habitat - this is the taiga in the north, and semi-deserts, and forests, and dry savannas, and the humid tropics.

What does a tiger eat?

Tigers can eat all kinds of animals, which they can knock down in one jump. These are deer, wild boars, roe deer, rhinoceroses. Living in captivity, they do not disdain smaller animals, such as hares, cows, donkeys, and horses. The desire to consume the plant gifts of nature appears in tigers only in the summer. Nuts, grass, and fruits are used.

Tiger Lifestyle

Tigers are territorial animals. All adult individuals live alone and have their own area, where they hunt and which they protect from other representatives of their kind. The territory of a male can reach from 60 to 100 km2, while that of females is usually smaller - 20 km2. The territories of males do not overlap, otherwise a fight will begin. But the territories of males and females can overlap.

Tiger breeding

Tigers are polygamous animals. Their mating season is in December-January. The male finds the female by the smell of her urine. Based on the behavior of the female and the smell of her urine, it becomes clear how ready she is for the reproduction of offspring. A female has only a few days a year when she is ready for fertilization. In cases where mating was not fruitful, the female’s estrus repeats the next month.

The tigress is capable of bearing offspring at the age of 3-4 years. She gives birth once every 2-3 years. Pregnancy lasts +/- 100 days. At the same time, the male does not take part in raising children at all. The female successfully does all this. Cubs are born in March-April in the amount of 2-4 cubs. Less often there is 1 tiger cub or more than 4 in a litter. They are born completely helpless. They feed on mother's milk for 1.5 months.

The female does not allow the male to approach the children, since strange males are capable of killing babies. At 2 months, tiger cubs already leave their den and follow their mother. At 1.5 years old they become independent, sometimes remaining with their mother for 2-3 years. Then they begin to look for their territory. Tigers live up to 20-26 years.

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They are so attractive, and at the same time dangerous, and we are talking about tigers, or more precisely, the Amur tigers. Today we will figure out where they live Amur tigers, what is their number, what do they eat in the wild. Do you know interesting facts about tigers? No?? You will learn about this below, but now we will start with the characteristics.

Description of the Amur tiger

Amur tiger The largest representative and the smallest in number, it is distinguished by the smallest number of stripes on the body and thick fur. The weight of a tiger is about 180-220 kg, with body length 2.7-3.8 meters, height 90-106 cm at the withers. Fur of the Amur tiger not only thick, but also soft, and color he is orange, his belly is white. By the way, stripes the male has more elongated and longer ones, the length of one stripe can be 15-16 cm, width 13-14 cm, while the female has a length of 14-15 cm, width 11-13 cm. In total, 100 stripes can be counted on the body! Did you know that the roar of a tiger can be heard at a distance of 3 km? In addition, the tiger is capable of running 60 km/h, despite its considerable weight.

The tiger has white on its face mustache, which grow in 4-5 rows, and fangs up to 8 cm long! The keratinized protrusions on the sides perfectly help the tiger to cope with the division of food. Adults have 30 teeth. Hind legs tigers have 4 fingers, front 5 each, each with long, sharp and retractable claws. Eyes the tiger is rounded, with an orangeish iris, and ears have a rounded shape. Lifespan of a tiger not very long, just 15 years on average.

How many Amur tigers are left?

Amur tiger the smallest among his kind. You probably know that it was included in the Red Book. Of course, breeders are trying to preserve this species; each animal is beautiful and unusual in its own way, isn’t it? So how many Amur tigers are left? There are about 500 individuals of this species; all is not lost, right?

Where does the Amur tiger live?

Where do wonderful and beautiful creatures live? The Amur tiger can be found in the Amur region of Russia, in the Northeast of China, in North Korea. But only in Russia Amur tiger will be included in the Red Book.

FOOD, INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE AMUR TIGER

Nutrition of the Amur tiger

A tiger can easily endure a long fast, thanks to subcutaneous fat, but this is only during forced fasting, and as we know, we always love to eat. A hungry tiger can eat about 50 kg of meat, but a tiger usually eats 30-40 kg, an awful lot, right? Basic diet– herbivores and artiodactyls. Tigers eat pigs, deer, roe deer, porcupines, moose. But they also snack on small animals: mice, fish, birds, rabbits, and even frogs. Quite often, domestic animals and small elephants become prey. By the way, in the summer, the tiger snacks on meat with berries and nuts.

Tiger hunt Alone, he either sits in ambush or quietly sneaks up on prey. Moreover, both methods are successful, thanks to a quick jump of 5-10 meters in length. Large animals Amur tiger falls to the ground, gnawing the back vertebrae, and gnaws the throat with the small ones. Interestingly, if the hunt is unsuccessful, the tiger gives up and does not attack the victim again.

Interesting facts about the Amur tiger

U Amur tiger 2 names: Siberian and Ussuri

Tail Amur tiger the longest is 110-115 cm in length

Amur tiger is the largest among all species

Amur tiger hunt almost all animals, and in severe hunger will attack a bear

Amur tiger does not kill for fun, he feels how much he needs to be satisfied

Tiger cubs at the age of about a year can already hunt on their own

Included in the book Amur tiger weighing 400 kg

Amur tigers Of all species, they attack humans the least

VIDEO: AMUR TIGER

IN THIS VIDEO YOU WILL SEE WHAT AN AMUR TIGER LOOKS LIKE AND YOU WILL ALSO LEARN A LOT OF USEFUL AND INTERESTING THINGS

The tiger (lat. Panthera tigris) is a predatory mammal from the fairly large family of Felines, as well as a typical representative of the genus Panther (lat. Panthera) from the subfamily Big cats. Translated from Greek, the word “Tiger” means “Sharp and fast.”

Description of tigers

Representatives of this species include the largest predatory animals from the Feline family. Almost all subspecies of currently known tigers are among the largest and most powerful land predators, so in terms of mass, such mammals are second only to brown and polar bears.

Appearance, coloring

The tiger is the largest and heaviest of all wild cats. However, different subspecies differ markedly from each other not only in their characteristic appearance, but also in size and average body weight, and mainland representatives of this species are always noticeably larger than island tigers. The largest today are the Amur subspecies and Bengal tigers, adult males of which reach a length of 2.5-2.9 m and weigh up to 275-300 kg and even a little more.

The average height of the animal at the withers is 100-115 cm. The elongated body of the predatory mammal is massive, muscular and excellent flexibility, and its front part is noticeably better developed than the back and sacrum. The tail is long, with uniform fluff, always ends in a black tip and is distinguished by transverse stripes that form a continuous type of ring around it. The powerful, strong front paws of the animal have five toes, and the hind paws have four toes. All fingers of such an animal have retractable claws.

The rounded large head has a noticeably protruding facial part and a convex frontal region. The skull is quite massive, with widely spaced cheekbones and nasal bones extending onto the maxillary bones. The ears are relatively small in size, rounded in shape. There are tanks on the sides of the head.

White, very elastic vibrissae are typically arranged in four or five rows, and their length reaches 165 mm with an average thickness of 1.5 mm. The pupils are round in shape, the iris is yellow. All adult tigers, along with most other representatives of the cat family, have three dozen well-developed and strong, sharp teeth.

This is interesting! The male's tracks are larger and more elongated than those of the females, and the middle fingers protrude quite clearly in the forward direction. The length of the male's track is 150-160 mm with a width of 130-140 mm, the female's is 140-150 mm with a width of 110-130 mm.

The predatory mammal of the southern type is distinguished by short and rather sparse, low hair with good density. Northern tigers have fluffy and fairly tall fur. The underlying background color can range from a rusty-reddish tint to a rusty-brown color. The area of ​​the abdomen and chest, as well as the inner surface of the paws, are light in color.

There are characteristic light markings on the back of the ears. There are transverse vertical stripes on the body and neck, which are located quite densely on the back half. On the muzzle below the location of the nostrils, in the area of ​​the whiskers, chin and lower jaw, a pronounced white coloration is noted. The forehead, parietal and occipital areas are characterized by the presence of a complex and variable pattern formed by short transverse black stripes.

It is important to remember that the distance between the stripes and their shape vary greatly among representatives of different subspecies, but in most cases more than a hundred stripes cover the animal’s skin. The striped pattern is also present on the skin of the predator, so if you shave off all the fur, it is completely restored in accordance with the original type of coloring.

Character and lifestyle

The tiger, regardless of subspecies, is a very typical representative of territorial animals. Adults lead a solitary lifestyle and have their own area where they hunt. An individual area, ranging in size from 20 to 100 km 2, is very fiercely protected by the predator from the encroachments of other representatives of the genus, but the territory of the male and female may well overlap.

Tigers are not able to pursue their prey for several hours, so such a predatory animal attacks with a lightning-fast dash from a special ambush after the prey is caught up. Predatory mammals from the Felidae family hunt in two different ways: very quietly creeping up on the prey or waiting for their prey in a pre-selected ambush. Moreover, the maximum distance between such a hunter and his prey can be quite impressive, but not more than 120-150 m.

This is interesting! During the hunt, an adult tiger has a jump height of up to five meters, and the length of such a jump can reach about ten meters.

The surprise of an attack practically does not give any victim of a wild animal even the slightest chance of survival, which is due to the inability of the animal to gain sufficient speed for a life-saving escape. An adult and strong tiger can literally be near its frightened prey in a matter of seconds. Males quite often share part of their prey, but exclusively with females.

How long do tigers live?

Amur tigers in natural conditions live about fifteen years, but when kept in captivity their life expectancy is slightly longer, averaging twenty years. The lifespan of a Bengal tiger in captivity can reach a quarter of a century, but in the wild it is only fifteen years. Indochinese, Sumatran and Chinese tigers can live eighteen years in the wild. The Malayan tiger is considered to be a real long-liver among tigers, whose life expectancy in natural conditions is a quarter of a century, and when kept in captivity - about four to five years more.

Types of tigers

There are only nine subspecies belonging to the Tiger species, but by the beginning of the last century only six of them managed to survive on the planet:

• (Panthera tigris altaica), also known as the Ussuri, North China, Manchurian or Siberian tiger - living mainly in the Amur region, on the territory of the Jewish Autonomous Okrug, in the Primorsky and Khabarovsk Territories. The largest subspecies, distinguished by thick and fluffy, rather long fur, having a dull red background and not too many stripes;
• (Panthera tigris tigris) - is the nominate subspecies of the tiger, living in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, in Nepal, Myanmar and Bhutan. Representatives of this subspecies inhabit a wide range of various biotopes, including tropical rainforests, dry savannas and mangroves. The average weight of a male can vary between 205-228 kg, and that of a female - no more than 140-150 kg. The Bengal tiger, which lives in the northern part of India and Nepal, is larger in size compared to individuals inhabiting the younger regions of the Indian subcontinent;
• Indochinese tiger (Panthera tigris corbetti) is a subspecies found in Cambodia and Myanmar, and also inhabiting southern China and Laos, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam. The Indochinese tiger has a darker color. The average weight of a mature male is about 150-190 kg, and an adult female is 110-140 kg;
• Malayan tiger (Panthera tigris jasksoni) is one of six extant representatives of the genus, found in the south of the Malay Peninsula. Previously, the entire population was considered to be the Indochinese tiger;
• (Panthera tigris sumatrae) is the smallest of all currently existing subspecies, and the average weight of an adult male is approximately 100-130 kg. Females are noticeably smaller in size, so their weight does not exceed 70-90 kg. Small size is a way of adapting to living in the tropical forest zones of Sumatra;
• Chinese tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis) is one of the smallest representatives of all subspecies. The maximum body length of the male and female is 2.5-2.6 m, and the weight can vary between 100-177 kg. The genetic diversity of this subspecies is extremely small.

Extinct subspecies are represented by the Bali tiger (Panthera tigris balisa), the Transcaucasian tiger (Panthera tigris virgata) and the Javan tiger (Panthera tigris sondaica). The fossils include the primitive subspecies Panthera tigris acutidens and the oldest subspecies of the Trinil tiger (Panthera tigris trinilensis).

Range, habitats

Initially, tigers were quite common in Asia.

However, today all representatives of the subspecies of such predators are preserved exclusively in sixteen countries:

• Laoc;
• Bangladesh;
• Republic of the Union of Myanmar;
• Butane,
• Cambodia;
• Socialist Republic of Vietnam;
• Russia;
• Republic of India;
• Islamic Republic of Iran;
• Republic of Indonesia;
• China;
• Malaysia;
• Islamic Republic of Pakistan;
• Thailand;
• Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal.

The tiger's usual habitats are northern taiga zones, semi-desert and forest areas, as well as dry savannah and humid tropical areas.

This is interesting! Almost all wild cats are afraid of water, so if possible they try to avoid bodies of water, while tigers, on the contrary, are excellent swimmers and love water, using bathing to relieve heat and overheating.

The most favorite territories where tigers set up their comfortable and reliable lair, hunt, and also raise their offspring are fairly steep cliffs with numerous niches and secret caves. Inhabited areas can be represented by secluded reed or reed thickets near water bodies.

Diet of tigers

All subspecies of tigers are representatives of the order of predators, so the main diet of such wild animals is exclusively meat. The diet of a large feline mammal may have some significant differences depending on the main features of the animal’s habitat. For example, the main prey of the Bengal tiger most often are wild boars, Indian sambars, nilgai and axis. Sumatran tigers prefer to hunt wild boars and tapirs, as well as sambar deer. Amur tigers feed mainly on deer, as well as wild boars.

Among other things, Indian buffaloes and hares, monkeys and even fish can be considered as prey for tigers. Too hungry predatory animals are able to feed on frogs, all kinds of rodents or other small animals, as well as berries and some fruits. There are well-known facts according to which adult tigers can, if necessary, quite successfully hunt some predators, represented by crocodiles, boa constrictors, as well as Himalayan and brown bears or their cubs.

As a rule, sexually mature male Amur tigers, who are large in size and have impressive muscles, enter into fights with young bears. The outcome of the struggle of such powerful predators can be completely unpredictable. There is also information according to which tigers often attack cubs. In zoological parks, the diet of tigers is compiled very carefully, taking into account all the recommendations given by specialists of the Euro-Asian Regional Association.

In this case, the age characteristics of the predatory mammal must be taken into account, as well as its weight, the gender of the animal and the characteristics of the time of year. The main diet of a predator in captivity is represented by products of animal origin, including chickens, rabbits and beef. The diet also includes milk, eggs, fish and some other types of highly nutritious protein foods.

In one day, an adult predator can eat about ten kilograms of meat, but the norm depends on the species characteristics of the animal and its size. Other products are offered to the tiger periodically and in limited quantities. In captivity, the diet of feline predators is supplemented with vitamin mixtures and healthy supplements with essential minerals, which promotes proper skeletal growth and prevents the development of rickets in animals.

The tiger is a predatory mammal belonging to the cat family. The tiger is a member of the panther genus, which, in turn, belongs to the subfamily of big cats.

The tiger is one of the largest land animals

In nature, the animal is divided into nine subspecies. Currently, only six exist, the rest were exterminated or became extinct.

Subspecies of tigers:

1. Amur - the main habitat is the Primorsky and Khabarovsk territories of Russia, also a small amount is located in the northeast of China and the north of Korea;
2. Bengal – habitat India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan;
3. Indochinese – habitat in southern China, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia;
4. Malay - south of the Malacca Peninsula;
5. Sumatran – habitat of the island of Sumatra (Indonesia);
6. Chinese - at present, individuals of this subspecies have practically disappeared, a small number are kept in Chinese reserves;

And extinct subspecies:

1. Bali tiger– lived only on the territory of the island of Bali, the last individual was killed by hunters in 1937;
2. Javan tiger– lived on the island of Java, the last representative of the subspecies was killed in 1979;
3. Transcaucasian tiger– lived in Iran, Armenia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Turkey and Turkmenistan. The last time a tiger of this subspecies was seen was in 1970.

Currently, the most numerous are Bengal tigers, which make up approximately 40% of the total number of animals of this species.

The Bengal tiger is typically red in color with black stripes. But there are also individuals with white fur, which also has dark spots. In the natural environment, such individuals rarely survive, since their light color makes it difficult for them to hunt. White tigers easily adapt to captivity and reproduce well.

There is an opinion among people that a tiger with white fur is an albino, but in reality this is not the case. White tigers are a type of Bengal tiger that first appeared in India.

History of the origin of the white tiger

All white tigers currently existing in captivity have one common ancestor - a male Bengal tiger named Mohan. It all started in May 1951, when during a tiger hunt with the participation of the Maharajah of Reva, a tiger’s lair was discovered, in which there were four teenage tiger cubs. Three red tiger cubs were killed, and the fourth, distinguished by its unusual white color and which attracted the attention of the ruler, was left and transported to the palace of the Maharaja. The tiger lived here for 12 years.

The Maharajah of Rewa was very proud that only he had such a unique beast. And he wanted to have more of them. For this purpose, Mohana was brought an ordinary red tigress. However, no matter how many offspring there were after this, not a single tiger cub was white. Until one day a tigress from previous copulations was brought as a bride to a white tiger. As a result of inbreeding (relationship between related individuals), the tigress in 1958 gave birth to an offspring of four kittens, one of which was white.

Since then, the number of white tigers has increased dramatically. Now there was not enough space for all these individuals in the palace, and the ruler of Reva decided to sell the unique animals. White tigers at that time were considered the natural heritage of the country, but several specimens were nevertheless exported outside the country.

So, in 1960, one of the descendants of the white tiger Mohan came to the USA, to the National Park in Washington. A little later they appeared at the Bristol Zoo in the UK. And then they began to spread throughout the globe.

Currently, the number of white tigers is unknown, as they are kept not only in zoos and circuses, but also in private menageries, where it is difficult to monitor their numbers. The largest number of white tigers is found in their country of origin - India.

Despite the fact that white tigers are born only between related individuals, and this, as a rule, leads to a weakening of the viability of the offspring, this has not yet been observed among white tigers. The birth rate of white tigers is approximately one per 10,000 red-colored individuals.

White Tiger

Physiology of the white tiger

The white tiger differs from the red tiger in its smaller size. Individuals of this species have brown-red, pink or blue eyes. The most common animals are those with blue eyes.

The tiger has a massive body, elongated in length, with developed muscles and fairly high flexibility, inherent in all animals of the cat family. The front part of the body is more developed than the back, and the animal is higher in the shoulders than in the sacrum. A tiger has four toes on its hind paws and five on its front paws. All of them have retractable claws.

The tiger's round-shaped head is distinguished by a protruding facial part and a rather convex forehead. The animal’s skull is quite massive, large, with widely spaced cheekbones. Small ears have a rounded shape. Vibrissae up to 16.5 cm long and up to 1.5 mm thick are arranged in 4-5 rows and are white, turning brown at the base.

An adult tiger should have 30 teeth, of which 2 canines, reaching a length of up to 8 cm. Such powerful teeth help the predator kill prey. In addition, on the sides of the animal’s tongue there are special tubercles covered with keratinized epithelium, with the help of which the tiger separates the meat from the bones of the prey. These tubercles also help the animal when washing itself.

The white tiger has short, rather dense and low hair. And if an ordinary tiger has various shades of red, then a white tiger has shades from cream to white. The entire surface of the body is covered with dark stripes, which can range from light gray (in some individuals) to completely black. Along the body and neck the stripes are located in a transverse vertical position. The edges of the strip are pointed, or they bifurcate and then join again. In the back, the tiger has more stripes.

Territorial behavior

Tigers are territorial animals, that is, adults lead a solitary lifestyle in their own territory. Invasion into it is subject to fierce resistance from the tiger owner. Animals mark their territory, usually leaving marks on vertical objects.

The size of the territory occupied by a tiger depends on several factors, in particular on the habitat, the density of population of other individuals, the presence of females and prey. On average, 20 square meters is enough for a tigress. km, and for males – 60-100 sq. km. At the same time, in the habitat of the male, there may be separate habitat areas for females.

During the day, tigers constantly move around their territory, periodically updating marks along its borders. On average, a tiger can travel from 9.6 to 41 km per day, and females travel from 7 to 22 km per day.

Although tigresses, like males, have a personal territory, but when invading or crossing boundaries with other females is perceived as normal, tigresses are able to coexist peacefully with each other. While males not only do not tolerate other males living on their territory, but also are aggressive towards individuals who accidentally cross the border of someone else’s territory. However, male tigers can coexist peacefully with females, and in some situations even share prey with them.

Food and hunting

In the natural environment, the main food of tigers are ungulates. For a white tiger, this could be deer, wild boar, Indian sambar, etc. Sometimes it happens that a tiger can eat food that is unusual for it in the form of monkeys, hares, pheasants, and in some cases it can even be fish. On average, for adequate nutrition, a tiger needs approximately 50-70 ungulates per year.

At one time, a tiger eats 30-40 kg of meat. At the same time, the animal can go without food for a considerable time. This is due to the presence of subcutaneous fatty tissue, which can reach 5 cm in some individuals.

The tiger hunts animals alone. At the same time, he uses one of two hunting techniques inherent to him - sneaking up on prey or waiting for it in ambush. The first method is most often used by predators in winter, while the second is more common in summer. Having tracked the prey, the tiger approaches it from the leeward side so that the wind does not carry the tiger's scent to the animal. The predator moves with careful short steps, and often crouches to the ground. When closest to the prey, the tiger makes several large jumps, thereby reaching the target animal.

In the second method - waiting - the tiger takes cover from the prey, lying in the wind, and when it approaches, it makes a sharp jerk over a short distance.

If the animal being hunted manages to move away from the tiger for 100-150 meters, then the predator stops hunting. When chasing, a tiger can reach a speed that is high for such a large animal - up to 60 km/h.

When hunting, a tiger can make a jump up to 5 meters high and up to 10 meters long. The tiger can carry caught and killed prey by gripping it with its teeth or throwing it on its back. At the same time, it can carry an animal weighing up to 100 kg. Holding a killed animal weighing 50 kg in its teeth, the predator can overcome an obstacle up to 2 meters high. The tiger moves very large prey by dragging it along the ground. Moreover, the prey can weigh 6-7 times more than the tiger’s weight.

Reproduction

Mating of tigers most often occurs in December-January. In this case, only one male follows the female. If a rival appears, a fight occurs between the males for the right to mate with the female.

A female tiger is capable of fertilization only a few days a year. If at this time the female is not fertilized, then estrus repeats after a short time.

Most often, a tigress gives birth to its first offspring at the age of 3-4 years, and a female can give birth once every 2-3 years. Gestation of the cubs lasts approximately 97-112 days.

Tiger cubs are born in March-April. In one litter there are most often 2-4 tiger cubs, offspring with one tiger cub are less common, and even more rarely – 5-6 cubs. The weight of born tiger cubs is 1.3-1.5 kg. The cubs are born blind, but after 6-8 days they begin to see.

For the first six weeks, the cubs feed only on the milk of the tigress. Tiger cubs grow only near their mother; tigresses do not allow male tigers near their offspring, since the male can kill the cubs that are born.

After 8 weeks, the cubs become capable of following their mother and leaving the den. The new generation becomes capable of independent life only at the age of about 18 months, but, as a rule, they continue to remain with their mother until they reach 2-3 years, in some cases - up to 5 years.

After young tigers begin to live on their own, females remain in close proximity to matter. Males, in contrast, go longer distances in search of their own unoccupied territory.

Over the course of their entire lives, females give birth to about 10-20 tiger cubs, and half of them die at a much younger age. On average, the life expectancy of a tiger is 26 years.

However, it is worth considering that white tigers are very rarely found in natural conditions.

They predominate more in captivity, where mating occurs between certain representatives of this species. At the same time, if previously, in order to give birth to a white tiger, it was necessary to cross related tigers with each other, now white tigers have become quite common, thanks to which it is possible to obtain white offspring from two white tigers.

White tigers are very popular in zoos. However, zoologists have differing opinions about white tigers. Some believe that any color variation is worthy of attention, while others argue that white tigers are genetic freaks. For the first time, the director of the zoological association, William Conway, spoke against this species of animal, calling white tigers freaks and calling for their exclusion from all zoos.

Nevertheless, the popularity of the white tiger has not waned, and its further spread among various zoos around the world continues.

(lat. Panthera tigris) is a mammal and the largest predator of the cat family. The body of this animal is elongated, flexible and muscular, 1.8 - 3.1 m long and weighing about 270 kg.

The head is round in shape, the ears are small, and the tail is long (about 90 cm). The coat color is red with black transverse stripes.

Thanks to this unusual color, the animal can camouflage itself well in thickets. In addition, the color of the skin depends on the specific geographical location of the “cat,” which makes it possible to distinguish several subspecies of this animal.

The most famous species are the Amur, Bengal, and Indochinese tigers. These animals can be found only in Asia (in Southeast Asia, the Middle and Far East, in the Primorsky Territory of Russia), they live in a variety of areas (both in forests and in the mountains).

They feed on ungulates, and also do not disdain crocodiles, turtles, crabs, fish and insects. The mating season usually occurs in the winter season, the duration of pregnancy varies between 95 and 112 days.

Usually from two to four tiger cubs are born, in rare cases - one. Young tigers live with their mother for 2-5 years, and reach sexual maturity: females at 3-4 years, males at 4-5 years. Life expectancy is a maximum of 25-26 years.

Tigers always hunt in packs. This statement is far from the truth. Many people confuse the lifestyle of tigers with the lifestyle of lions. Lions - yes, they live and hunt in groups, while tigers are animals accustomed to solitude, and therefore prefer to hunt alone. Although there is an exception to this tiger rule: tigers can hunt in a small group during the mating season and when young tiger cubs are not yet able to independently lead a full adult life.

Each tiger can be distinguished from another by the paw prints it leaves. In reality, the track of the same tiger will always look different on different soils, so it is not easy to tell which tiger visited a given place.

Tigers are afraid of water. Unlike other animals of the cat family, tigers and jaguars are not the least bit afraid of watery places and swim there with great pleasure. When the weather is particularly hot, these animals literally do not get out of the water; they can lie there for hours, escaping the scorching sun.

Tigers cannot climb trees. They also belong to the cat family, which means, like an ordinary domestic cat, they can climb a tree. But it’s not a particularly favorite activity for them, and a tiger can climb a tree only if a tasty morsel is “settled” there or if there is a stressful situation. Therefore, when meeting a tiger, there is no point in hiding from the beast in a tree.

Tigers love to feast on humans. As a rule, a healthy young tiger will never specifically hunt a person; ungulates and other animals are quite enough for him. Old or sick (wounded) tigers can actually attack people, since they are no longer able to hunt large prey.

Having obtained food for itself and having eaten heartily, the tiger sets off on a long journey, no longer paying attention to other animals. False statement. The tiger is not a fan of long walks, and therefore rarely makes long journeys. And he can hunt at any opportunity presented to him.

There is a separate type of tigers - White tigers. This is an erroneous statement. In fact, white tigers are not classified as a separate breed group. In addition, the birth of a white tiger is quite rare. Such an “ugly duckling” among tigers can be born from a completely normal orange and black tiger family. The thing is that the fur of white tigers can sometimes be devoid of pigmentation, which is responsible for the red color, while the black stripes remain unchanged. So you get a tiger with black stripes on a white coat.

Tigers fight with each other for life and death. Controversial statement. Usually, a fight for tigers is a way to prove which of them is stronger. But, as a rule, the strongest will never “finish off” the weak. As soon as the weaker animal realizes that it is not able to fight the enemy, it tries to retreat as quickly as possible, and the stronger one, in turn, shows generosity and does not pursue its fleeing brother.

Tigers hate dogs. What is true is true. There are several points of view that explain this hatred. One view is that there has been a long-standing feud between dogs and cats. Another is inclined to think that dog meat is very healthy for a tiger and is extremely tasty. In any case, no matter what the dog does and no matter where it is, having noticed it, the tiger strives to “crush” the animal.

These animals live only in Africa. Most researchers believe that all currently known varieties of this predatory cat originated from South Chinese tigers. Gradually they settled Iran and Turkey, but this cannot be said about Africa. Of course, today there are more than enough of them there, but this does not mean that the tigers themselves moved there and took a liking to these places; most likely, people helped them in this.

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Many people, when they see this amazing animal, have a question: “What is the largest tiger in the world?”

The largest species of tigers

This animal has extremely terrifying dimensions, which can vary depending on its subspecies. The question of which tiger is the largest in the world cannot be answered unequivocally. After all, there are several varieties, the dimensions of which leave a strong impression.

Today it is believed that the largest tigers in the world belong to two subspecies. True, their rivals in size have recently appeared. These are the so-called ligers, which occurred in the process of crossing the two largest representatives of cats.

Among the subspecies created by nature, the largest tigers in the world are Bengal and Amur. They hardly differ in size and weight. Although it is worth noting that the largest tiger in the world was killed in 1967 in Northern India. This was officially recognized as the highest figure in nature, because the weight of the killed male reached 388.7 kg!

Bengal tiger

Representatives of this subspecies can be found in Pakistan, Northern and Central India, Eastern Iran, Bangladesh, Manyam, Bhutan, Nepal and in the vicinity adjacent to the mouths of the Sutlij, Ravi, Indus. It is not only the largest tiger in the world, but also the most numerous of the living subspecies. There are a little less than 2.5 thousand individuals.

The average weight of a male Bengal tiger varies depending on its habitat. The highest results in the modern world are observed in Nepal. On average, a male pulls 235 kg there. But it was there that the “record holder” was spotted - the largest tiger in the world, whose weight reached 320 kg.

Amur tiger

This subspecies has many other names: Ussuri, Far Eastern, Manchurian or Siberian. As already mentioned, it is believed to be the largest tiger in the world.

The dimensions of this representative of the cat family are very impressive. For example, if he stands on his hind legs, then his height will be up to 3.5-4 m! The weight of such individuals may vary. So, the stable weight is 250 kg. But among them there are outstanding individuals.

The Siberian tiger is somewhat different in appearance from its counterparts living in warm countries. It has a less bright red color, and its coat is very thick. In addition, there is a layer of fat on its belly, which allows it to feel comfortable in frosty winters.

A Far Eastern tiger living in captivity can live more than 25 years. When free, his age rarely exceeds 15.

Concern for the conservation of an endangered subspecies

There are very few Amur tigers left in the wild. There are several reasons for this. Among them:

• the active destruction of animals by people who hunt them for their fur;
• the extinction of Amur tigers from a plague that affects carnivores;
• deforestation of the taiga, where tigers can live freely and breed;
• a decrease in the number of ungulates, which are the main food product of these predators;
• identical DNA in surviving individuals, which leads to the appearance of weak and often non-viable offspring.

Today this situation is under control. Now nature reserves and zoos are actively breeding these graceful animals, and their name has been included in the Red Book of Russia. At last count, there are no more than 500 Amur tigers left.

Liger

As noted earlier, in nature there are hybrids obtained by crossing individuals of different species. This measure was taken by zoo owners in order to impress visitors, increasing their number and profits. But these attempts were not always crowned with success, and the success rate was only 1-2. Crossing lions with tigresses has led to the emergence of quite interesting and large hybrids.

The male liger is much larger than even the Bengal and Amur tigers. Its weight can reach 400 kg even when the individual is not obese at all. The height of a male standing on his hind legs is about 4 m.

In appearance, ligers resemble those that became extinct about 10 thousand years ago. They owe such large dimensions to the DNA of their ancestors, because lions and tigresses, when mating, activate the gene that is responsible for growth.

The most important feature of lion-tigress hybrids is that their females have the ability to bear children. So, there are two more species - liligers and taligers. The first is produced by crossing a female liger and a male lion, and the second by mating a female liger and a male tiger.

The American Association of Zoos and Aquariums strongly discourages the breeding of such unusual large species. After all, today we need to concentrate on conserving endangered species of tigers, and not try our best to break the record in the category “The largest tiger in the world.”

The tiger is the largest representative of the cat family. It ranks third in the ranking of the largest land predators after the polar bear and brown bear. The tiger lives mainly in dense forested areas. Tigers live in the taiga and tropical forests of South and Southeast Asia.

Tiger species and habitat

There are several types of tigers. The largest of them lives in Eastern Siberia, and the smallest - on the islands of Sumatra, Java and Bali /

The largest tiger is the Amur tiger, weighing up to 420 pounds

• Bengal tiger (Panthera Tigris) - India, Nepal, Bangladesh. Population size: 2000 individuals.
• Chinese tiger (Panthera t. amoyensis) - China. Population size: only about 60 individuals in captivity.
• Indochinese tiger (Panthera t. corbetti) - Cambodia, Laos, Mjanma, Thailand, Vietnam. Population size: 400 - 1000 individuals.
• Malayan tiger (Panthera t. jacksoni) - Malay Peninsula. Population size: 600 - 800 individuals.
• Sumatran tiger (Panthera t. sumatrae) - Sumatra. Population size: 440 - 680 individuals.
• (Panthera t. Altaica) - Eastern Siberia. Population size: 450 - 500 individuals.

Tigers hunt a variety of animals, but the main diet of these predators is deer and wild boars. In Eastern Siberia, tigers even attack bears, although they do not always emerge victorious from the fight.

How tigers hunt

The tiger is a solitary hunter and, unlike lions, rarely hunts in a pack. Having noticed the victim, he crouches to the ground and slowly, silently creeps up. When the victim is at a distance of about 20 m, he suddenly rushes at him, grabs him by the neck and tries to knock him over with his weight. If a tiger has only wounded its prey, it can chase it for about 200 m. But such chases rarely end in success for it.

The tiger is a large, beautiful, but extremely dangerous cat.

Tigers are an endangered species

Unfortunately, tigers are endangered. These beautiful animals once lived throughout Asia, but the loss of their natural habitat, deforestation and illegal hunting have caused the population to plummet. Some Asian countries have special programs to protect tigers, which may be able to prevent the complete destruction of the largest cats in the world.

Do you know that

• The largest tiger, the Amur tiger, that the researchers came across weighed 432 kg.
• The tiger has well-developed all five senses, especially vision. Thanks to this, he sees in the dark five times better than a human.

• Despite the high skill of the hunter, on average only every tenth tiger attack is successful.
• The characteristic color of the tiger allows it to camouflage perfectly. The predator's striped fur makes the contours of its body unclear, which allows it to sneak up on its chosen prey unnoticed.
• A tiger can jump to a height of 5 meters. This opportunity is used when the victim is in a tree.
• A tiger can eat up to 50 kg of meat at one time.
• A tiger can run at a speed of 60 km/h.
• The tiger, like the jaguar, is a good swimmer.

Tiger Dimensions:

• Length: 1.7 - 3.3 m.
• Height at withers: 0.8 - 1.2 m.
• Body weight: 90 - 423 kg (males), 65 - 160 kg (females).
• Lifespan: 10-15 years in the wild, 16-20 years in captivity.

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Total allocated nine species of tigers, of which only six remain alive, and three are considered extinct.

Existing tiger species

Amur or Siberian tigers

photo: Joeke Pieters

Amur tigers (Panthera tigris altaica) can reach almost 3.3 meters in length. The weight of males is up to 300 kg, and they are larger than females. This subspecies of tiger has a skull that is much larger than other species. The color of the Amur tiger is paler in winter, and with the arrival of the warm season it becomes brighter and more saturated. The fur is thicker and coarser than that of other tiger species due to the low temperature of the range where it lives. Amur tigers are capable of knocking down animals that weigh several times more than them. They tend to hunt elk and wild boar.

Bengal tigers

Bengal tiger (lat. Panthera tigris tigris or Panthera tigris bengalensis) can be seen in India. It is the most numerous of all tiger species with over 2,500 individuals in the wild. This tiger species can weigh around 230 kg for an adult male and 140 kg for a female. Bengal tigers also have very long tails and heads that are larger than other species. They are excellent hunters and feed on a wide range of prey, including deer, antelope, pigs and buffalo. Also, during times of shortage of basic food, they hunt monkeys, birds and other smaller prey.

Indochinese tigers

A species of tiger that is known as the Indochinese tiger (lat. Panthera tigris corbetti), found in several Asian countries. The species is darker in color and smaller in size than Bengal tigers, but they are capable of reaching a maximum weight of 200 kg for males and 150 kg for females. Indochinese tigers prefer to live in forested areas. There are not many such tigers anymore. The government estimates the species' population to be only 350 individuals. Indochinese tigers are suffering from food shortages as wild pig and deer numbers are also declining.

Malayan tigers

Malayan tiger (lat. Panthera tigris jacksoni) can only be found in the south of the Malay Peninsula. This tiger was only recognized as a separate species in 2004. It is the smallest species on the mainland and the second smallest tiger species. Males weigh on average 120 kg, and females about 100 kg. Note that the Malayan tiger has cultural significance as it is on the country's coat of arms and is also the logo of Maybank, a Malaysian bank.

Sumatran tigers

photo: Hagen Schneider

Sumatran tigers (lat. Panthera tigris sumatrae) a very rare species that lives only on the island of Sumatra. Habitat destruction is still considered the main threat to the Sumatran tiger. The Sumatran tiger's stripes are closer together than other tigers. This allows him to be invisible in tall grass. One of the Sumatran tiger's best tactics is to stalk its prey in the water. It is an extremely fast swimmer, so it is easily able to intercept larger prey in the water that it would not be able to handle on land.

Chinese tigers

Chinese tigers (lat. Panthera tigris amoyensis) most at risk of extinction. This tiger species is often listed among the ten most endangered species in the world. In the early 1950s, the Chinese tiger population was estimated to number 4,000. And already in 1996, only 30-80 of these unique animals remained.

Extinct tiger species

Bali tigers

Some species of tigers are extinct, including Balinese tiger species (lat. Panthera tigris balica). As the name suggests, the range of this tiger species was limited to the island of Bali, Indonesia. Before its extinction, the Bali tiger was the smallest tiger species. This species is still considered important in Balinese Hinduism.

Caspian tigers

Caspian tiger (lat. Panthera tigris virgata), which is also known as Transcaucasian tiger Previously found in sparse forests. It was discovered in the south and west of the Caspian Sea. At least, it was still found in the wild until the early 1970s. The closest living species to the Caspian tiger is the Amur tiger.

Javan tigers

He lived on the island of Java, in honor of which he received his name - Javan tiger (lat. Panthera tigris sondaica). This extinct tiger species was present until the mid-1970s. The weight of males is from 100 to 140 kg, and females - from 75 to 115 kg. Unfortunately, the last Javan tiger was seen after 1979, in the area of ​​Mount Betri.

Tiger hybrids

We talked about different types of tigers, as well as those that have become extinct. However, there are some other species that can also be considered part of the tiger family, such as the Liger and Tigon hybrids.

Liger

Liger - hybrid, which is the result of mating between a male lion and a tigress. The lion contributes a gene that promotes growth, because of this, ligers can grow much larger than their parents and have a length of 3-3.5 m, and a weight of 360 kg to 450 kg or even more. They do, however, reflect the appearance and behavior of both parents. As a result, the liger has spots and stripes imprinted on its sandy fur. Male ligers have a 50% chance of growing a mane, just not as luxurious as a lion's. While the resulting liger is certainly beautiful and interesting to study, the males of this hybrid are sterile, even when their females are usually fertile.

Tigon

Tigon, which is the result of breeding between a male tiger and a lioness, is a less common hybrid. Naturally, tiger hybrids cannot; they are found in the wild and can only be seen in zoos or circuses. Tigons are usually no larger than average in size.

Types of tigers with unique colors

White tigers

Very attractive appearance white tiger makes him a popular and desirable zoo resident or even an exotic pet, but albino tigers are rare in the wild. White tigers were first bred at the beginning of the 19th century. They can appear in tiger parents who carry a rare gene that occurs only once every 10,000 births.

Golden Tigers

Another recessive gene may result in an interesting "golden" shade. The color is sometimes called "golden tabby". actually have golden fur, with pale orange stripes. Their fur is thicker than other tigers. At last count, there are about 30 golden tigers.

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