Tiger description. Tiger (Panthera tigris)

The tiger is the largest representative of the cat family. It ranks third in the ranking of the largest land predators after polar bear and a brown bear. The tiger lives mainly in dense forested areas. Tigers live in the taiga and tropical forests of the 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 is on the islands of Sumatra, Java and Bali /

Most large tiger- Amur, weighs 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 overturn him 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 big, beautiful, but extremely dangerous cat.

Tigers are an endangered species

Unfortunately, tigers are endangered. These beautiful animals once lived throughout Asia, but their decline natural environment habitats, deforestation and illegal hunting have led to a sharp decline in the population. 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.

Did 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 outlines 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 wildlife, in captivity 16-20 years.

The tiger is one of the largest representatives of cats. The predatory beast is famous not only for its size, but also for its beauty, strength, and grace.

There are only six species of striped cats in the world, although 100 years ago there were nine. The population of this powerful beast is decreasing every day. This, like most of the losses on our huge planet, is due to man. Pollution of nature and the extermination of tigers by poachers have greatly affected the population of the largest cat on Earth.

This article describes what the most big tigers exist in the world, their differences and way of life.

Malay

This species lives on the Malay Peninsula, or rather in its southern part. They live in dense forests and lead twilight image life. During the day they bask in blissful relaxation, but night vision is not enough for hunting.

Malayan tigers hunt patiently and for a long time. They keep an eye on their prey, moving from one shelter to another in anticipation of lunch. When the right moment comes, they jump out and pounce on the target. If the attempt fails, they look for another one rather than give chase.

Male wild cats lead a solitary lifestyle, while females live with their children. They do not live in the same territory, but meet only for mating. There is fierce competition for the female because of her ability to fertilize once every 2 years.

This type of cat is distinguished not only by its patience, but also by its love of water. He can spend most of the day in it during the hot season.

The weight of an adult reaches 120 kg, and the body length is 2 meters 370 cm maximum. For your large sizes Malayan and opens the top of the largest tigers.

Largest quantity Cannibal cats of this particular subspecies have been recorded. Malayan wild cats were hunted purposefully, and, protecting themselves and their offspring, the animal ate the offenders.

Sumatran

This view beast of prey is the second largest living person. The tiger lives in Indonesia and only on the island of Sumatra.

It owes its small size to living in the jungle. It would not be easy for a large predator to hunt among the thickets of a dense forest.

The Sumatran tiger differs from its counterparts in its special structure and increased aggressiveness. He has short legs and a small body size, which helps him during a hunt to pursue his prey for a long time until it loses strength and surrenders to the pursuer.

There are only about 700 Sumatran tigers left. The height of this cat species reaches 60 cm at the withers, the length of the largest Sumatran tiger is 2 meters 700 cm, and its weight is up to 130 kg.

Males are very good family men. During the pregnancy of the tigress, the male is always nearby and remains with her until the cubs grow up, after which he leaves and leads a solitary lifestyle.

Chinese

The name of the species itself speaks about its origin. Not so long ago, these animals inhabited most of China, but now they are on the verge of extinction. There are only 20 rare cats left.

The Chinese tiger is the fastest living species. Unlike his Sumatran younger brother, when hunting he does not strive to drive his prey to the point of impotence. The tiger, if possible, tries to kill its target on the spot by biting the back of the neck.

It reaches a maximum length of 2 meters 600 cm, less than the first debutant on the list, but weighs much more, up to 177 kg.

From 1964 to 2007, the Chinese wild cat was considered extinct. The individual was accidentally noticed by one of the residents rural areas and showed the photo to the authorities. From that moment on, the guard of the miraculously surviving Chinese tiger practiced with great seriousness.

The roar of a tiger is the same as fingerprints for a person. General characteristics distinguish species from each other, and low, varied notes emphasize the individuality of each individual separately. The largest tiger, oddly enough, is the most silent, and the smallest and most aggressive, on the contrary, loves to roar.

Indochinese

This species lives in southeast Asia and is listed in the Red Book. Not whimsical in choosing a place of permanent residence. It can settle on the banks of the river, in the forest, and on rocky terrain.

Its lifestyle is no different from the Malayan tiger, so until 2006 they were considered from the same subspecies. Scientists found minor genetic and external differences. The Indochinese tiger is stronger and more powerful and, unlike its twin, much more secretive, but this did not stop man from almost exterminating the entire population.

On given time There are about 1,500 individuals of this species. It reaches a length of 2 meters 900 cm, and its weight ranges from 110 to 190 kg.

If a tiger of any kind tastes human meat even once, he will no longer be able to stop and turns into a cannibal.

Bengal

This is another one big tiger in the world. It ranks second in silver, but in terms of numbers it is first. But still, like all species, this strong beast on the verge of extinction. The Bengal tiger's habitat is extensive. It can be found in both India and Pakistan.

A loner, like most representatives of this category of cats. Prefers to hunt in the dark. The ideal time is dawn or dusk. Anyone can envy his patience. It sits in ambush and waits for the right moment, in no hurry to rush to prey. But when this moment comes, with a lightning-fast movement he jumps on the target and, pressing him to the ground, strangles him.

There are about 4,000 Bengal tigers on the planet. The large and powerful animal reaches 3 meters and 100 cm in length. The average weight of an adult male is 220 kg.

The color of the animal depends on the frequency of black stripes on the tiger's skin: the more of them, the darker it is. The stripes on the predator's fur are also duplicated on its skin, so even a bald tiger will be striped, this makes the wild cat similar to its domestic brother.

Bengal cats most often give birth to tiger cubs with abnormal coloring. It can be several shades lighter than usual, or completely white.

Amursky

The largest representative of felines lives in Russia, or rather in Far East. The Amur tiger is also found in northeast China, only 10% of the population.

Powerful, large, durable. In terms of strength, he has no equal among his relatives. It can drag prey half a kilometer. It is not afraid of bad weather either: the Amur tiger will endure any frost.

He prefers to live in places where there is a lot of potential food for him. If it is enough for him, the tiger will not cross human territory, much less attack its owner. Only strong and debilitating hunger can push him to take such a desperate step.

The Amur tiger has the longest fur. This helps him endure even the most severe frosty weather.

A law has been introduced in Russia that threatens a fine of 100,000 rubles and a prison term of 2 years for killing this majestic animal. The Amur tiger needs a vast territory; one individual occupies up to 100 square meters. km, and the settlement of Siberian lands by people deprived the cat of open spaces. This has contributed to the extinction of tigers as much as poachers.

The Amur tiger subspecies was almost exterminated 100 years ago, but today the population has increased greatly, and now there is no reason to fear its extinction.

There are currently 470 individuals of the Amur giant. The largest tiger that lives on our planet weighs up to 300 kg. In length it reaches 3 meters and 800 cm. With its impressive size, it is fixed heaviest weight adult male, which was 384 kg.

The Amur tiger has several names, such as Ussuri and Siberian. On the coats of arms of the cities of Primorsky Krai and Khabarovsk ‒ main character.

The tiger is the great predator of our planet, which is becoming extinct every year due to humans. The earth has already lost the Caspian, Bali and Java, next in line is the Chinese. If people do not change their attitude towards nature, then in a few hundred years this beautiful beast will only be seen in paintings and in museums.

Tiger - large mammal, predator of the cat family. Today the tiger is listed in the Red Book, so hunting it is prohibited. This means that there are few tigers left. So where do tigers, the largest and least numerous striped cats, live?

Tiger habitats

Nowadays the tiger can be found quite certain territory- This is exclusively Asia. Specific areas are the Russian Far East, China, India, Iran, Afghanistan, Southeast Asian countries and the Indonesian islands. The habitat of tigers formed in northern China, and later they spread throughout the Malay Peninsula, India, and the islands of Java, Bali and Sumatra. In Russia, tigers can be found in the Primorsky and Khabarovsk Territories, in the Far East. What habitats do tigers choose for themselves? These are mangrove swamps, wet tropical forests, bamboo thickets, semi-deserts, savannas, rocky hills and northern taiga. You can meet tigers in the mountains - they rise up to 3 km above sea level. Where exactly does each species of tiger that exists today live?

Where do Amur tigers live? The Amur tiger (other names - Siberian, Ussuri, Manchurian, North Chinese) is found in Russia - in the Primorsky and Khabarovsk territories, in northeastern China.
The Royal Bengal Tiger lives in India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan.
The Indochinese tiger can be found in southern China, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.
A Malayan tiger roams the southern part of the Malay Peninsula.
The Sumatran tiger lives only on the island of Sumatra.
The South China tiger is severely endangered; the remaining individuals can only be found in China.

The tiger is the largest representative of the cat family. The body length of the animal can reach 2.5 meters, and this does not include the tail, and the weight of some individuals is 390 kilograms. Although the tiger is the most big cat on our planet, its population has decreased significantly. Of the once thriving nine subspecies, only six remain today: Indian, Amur or Ussuri, Bengal, South China, Malayan and Sumatran tigers. All of them are protected and listed in the Red Book.

Tigers live their adult lives alone in an occupied territory. Seeing a stranger in their area, males always start a fight. Unlike males, females can exist peacefully in overlapping areas.

What do tigers eat?

All tigers are predators and the basis of their diet is meat. A tiger's diet can only depend on its habitat. For example, the main production Bengali tigers are wild boar, Indian sambar, nilgai and axis. Sumatran hunts wild boar, tapir and sambar deer. Amursky The tiger eats musk deer, sika and red deer, roe deer, and wild boar. Indian buffaloes, moose, pheasants, hares, monkeys and even fish also become prey for tigers. A hungry animal can eat frogs, rodents and other small animals. In addition to animal food, tigers also consume berries.

There are also facts that tigers also eat predators: leopards, crocodiles, wolves, boa constrictors and even Himalayan and brown bears and cubs. Most often, male Amur tigers engage in fights with bears. Although such a fight can end in death for both the tiger and the bear, they still engage in the fight quite often.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, about 100,000 tigers lived on Earth, most of which lived in India (40,000 individuals). In the 21st century, the number and habitat of animals has decreased significantly. According to rough estimates, there are no more than 4,000 tigers left in the wild.

Previously, these striped animals lived in many countries: India, China, eastern Russia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Armenia, Iraq, Iran, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan. In addition to the mainland, tigers inhabited the islands of Sumatra, Java, and Bali. Now it is rare to see a tiger even in the once most common places.

The largest population of Bengal tigers lives in the territories of the following states: Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Bhutan. The representative of the panther genus prefers to settle in dry savannas, rain and mangrove forests. Its population is about 2,000 individuals.

Indochinese tiger inhabits the territories of China, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand. One of the largest populations lives in Malaysia. It was possible to preserve the animal population in this country with the help of harsh laws punishing poaching.

Another representative of the species Amur tiger lives in Khabarovsk and Primorsky Krai of Russia. Small quantity Amur tigers inhabit the territory North Korea and northeastern China. This is the largest subspecies of tigers of all living ones; already at the age of six months its weight and size exceed the parameters of an adult leopard.

Chinese tigers- a species that is on the verge of extinction. There are no animals left in the wild. All tigers of this species live in captivity in China. The government is doing everything possible to return tigers to the wild.

In addition to the continents, tigers also live on the Malacca Peninsula and the island of Sumatra. These tigers differ from their mainland relatives in their size. Malayan and Sumatran tigers weigh significantly less than their relatives. A male Malayan tiger weighs up to 120 kg, while a Sumatran tiger weighs 100-130 kg.