Tigers

Tigers

Fact file

Species: Cats

Latin name:  Panthera tigris

Meaning:  large feline of forests in most of Asia 

having a tawny coat with black stripes

Diet: Carnivore

Habitats: Asia

Population: 3,200 individuals (20th century)

Appearance

The Tiger has a long body and a firm head with a short muzzle that contains a set of sharp teeth.  A well fed tiger is bulky, broad in the shoulders, back, and loins. Males are generally longer and heavier than females. The average length for males is about 2 meters long and with a tail length of 1 meter long. Females are usually 15 to 30 cm shorter in body length. A tiger's fur color can be from orange-red to yellow, with a lot of black stripes that have different sizes.  The back of the ear is black with a white spot in the center.

Habitat

Most Tigers live throughout Southeast Asia, China, Korea and Russia. Tigers like to live in swamps, grasslands, and rain forests. Usually where Tigers live there are trees, bushes, and tall grass. It shades the Tiger from the sun when it's extremely hot. Not only does this protect them from the sun, it also helps them to camouflage with their surroundings and surprise their prey. Unlike other cats, tigers love the water and are very sensitive to heat. Tigers are very powerful swimmers. Most tigers will soak in water usually after a kill.

Diet

Tigers eat a variety of prey ranging in size from termites to elephant calves. They may hunt tapirs, elephant and rhinoceros calves, bears, leopards and Asiatic wild dogs. Tigers mainly use on their sense of sight and hearing rather than smell when hunting. They cautiously stalk their prey from the back in attempt to get as close as possible to their unsuspecting prey. Then they attempt to take down their prey with a powerful bite to the neck. Tigers may eat up to 40 kg of meat at one time. A hungry tiger can eat as much as 27 kilograms in one night, though they usually eat less.

Babies

Female tigers give birth to as many as seven cubs at a time, which are totally dependent on their mothers for a week after birth until they open their eyes. Females will leave their mothers after about eight months while it takes males almost a year to leave their mothers. Tigers can have a litter of up to seven cubs every two years. However, the mother can only hunt for two or three cubs, so she only allows two or three to survive.

Abilities

Tigers are the largest members of the cat family and are renowned for their power and strength.They are powerful nocturnal hunters.Tigers use their distinctive coats as camouflage (no two have exactly the same stripes). They lie in wait and creep close enough to attack their victims with a quick spring and a fatal pounce. 

Threats

Tigers are also facing many threats. They are illegally killed or poached because their body parts are used in traditional Asian medicines and they are also seen as threats to human communities. There is also the reason of large habitat loss. Many organisation such as WWf or Wildlife Alliance help save tigers.You too can help, these are things you should  do:

Spread the word: Go tell others that tigers are dying and that they need our help. 
Be a responsible tourist: The wild is to be experienced and not to be disturbed and polluted.  ‘Don’t leave anything behind except foot steps, and don’t take anything except memories.’
Educate the locals:People living near the forests need to learn about the importance of tigers. They need to be told that if there are no tigers there are no forests.

Fun Stuff

International Tiger Day is on July 29. 

 Q. Why did the tiger loose at poker?     A. Because he was playing with a cheetah 

     Q: What is the fiercest flower in the garden?     A: A tiger lily!