What is a Tiger?
Tigers are of the genus and species Panthera tigris, and are both revered and feared, hunted and protected. These typically orange with black striped (some are white due to a genetic mutation) carnivores can be exceptionally large. There are actually several subspecies of tiger that live throughout parts of Asia, and though these species can mate, they have separate distinctions, tolerate different types of habitats, and may differ in size and proliferation. The largest males of the subspecies, Siberians, can weigh about 660 pounds (299.37 kg) and have a nose to tail tip length of 13 feet (3.96 m). Some of these subspecies are now close to extinction, and a few are already extinct. For instance subspecies like the Balinese, the Javan and the Caspian are gone. The South China subspecies is likely to become extinct, even though the Chinese government now forbids the hunting of these tigers. There have been few sightings of this animal, and only a few exist in zoos. Other types include th
The tiger, one of the most magnificent animals in the world, is also one of the most endangered. A tiger is a mammal belonging to the family Felidea ( the cat family) in the order Carnivora. Carnivore means “meat eater.” A cat of beauty, strength and majesty, the tiger is master of all and subject to none, except humans. Largest of all cats, tigers are formidable predators with razor sharp claws, long teeth and powerful jaws and legs. Tigers can bring down animals far heavier than themselves, including buffalo, deer and wild bear. The tiger’s speed and refined hunting skills also capture feasts of small prey, contributing to the 40 to 100 pounds (18 to 45 kg.) of meat that tigers can eat in a day. All tigers are striped, but each tiger’s markings are unique. Tigers range in weight from 180 to 500 pounds (80 – 230 kg). Adult males are larger than adult females. Tigers increasingly compete with expanding human population and industry for land and food, and many are killed by poachers who
