A hundred years ago, the population of tigers on our planet was about 100,000. Almost half of them lived on the Hindustan Peninsula. However, at the beginning of the 21st century the situation changed dramatically.

Now there are no more than 4 thousand tigers left in the wild. Even children can answer the question of where the tiger lives. Previously, these “cats” lived in India and China, as well as in eastern Russia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Armenia, Iran, Pakistan, and Kazakhstan. However, in our time, it is, alas, almost impossible to meet these graceful predators in such natural regions of the planet. Tigers are dying out as a species, and the main reason lies in the activities of humans, who not only hunt this animal, but also change the conditions customary for its existence. So what kind of animal is this tiger? Where does this species of the cat family live and what does it eat?

Subspecies of tigers

Tigers differ in coat color and size, depending on the territory in which they live. Thus, several subspecies of this cat family have been identified.

The Bengal tiger prefers life in dry savannas, mangrove and rain forests. Such conditions can be found in the territory of modern India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. Quite a lot of these animals live there - about two thousand individuals.

The largest population of the Indochinese tiger lives in Malaysia. It was possible to preserve this subspecies due to the fact that strict laws were introduced in the country that successfully combat poaching.

Chinese is on the verge of extinction. Where does a tiger of this subspecies live? It is no longer possible to find it in the wild. Chinese tigers are preserved only in the country's zoos, but the Chinese government is trying to return this type of cat to its natural habitat.

The largest and smallest “cat” on the planet

Tigers are capable of living not only on the continent. There are representatives of this species who have chosen the nature of the island of Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula as their habitat. They differ from their relatives primarily in body size. The maximum weight that an adult can reach is 120-130 kilograms. Sumatran tigers are considered the smallest among their other relatives.

And the Amur tiger is considered the largest cat on the planet. Where does this subspecies of the cat family, which is also called Ussuri or Far Eastern, live? We'll tell you now!

Where do Ussuri tigers live? What is their lifestyle like?

In accordance with its name, tigers of this subspecies are distributed in the Amur and Ussuri river basins, as well as in the southeastern part of Russia and the Primorsky Territory. Only 5% of individuals of this subspecies can be found in China.

Unlike their close relatives (lions), tigers lead a solitary lifestyle. Adults never gather in flocks. They have their own territory - a special place where the tiger lives and hunts. Moreover, in this matter the animals we are considering are distinguished by enviable constancy. For many years they do not leave their site, year after year they go around the same paths, thus declaring to all their relatives that this place is already occupied. To mark the boundaries of their territory, tigers use scent marks, like most cats. In addition, they can make marks on trees by tearing off the bark with their claws. Such traces can be found even at a height of two and a half meters.

What do tigers eat?

The main diet of tigers consists of ungulates such as sika deer, wild boar and wapiti. At the same time, a tiger must eat at least ten kilograms of meat per day. Thus, every year about 50-70 animals die in the territory where the tiger lives. This type of predator is capable of hunting at any opportunity convenient for it.

Unlike other representatives of the cat family, tigers are not afraid of water, so they very often supplement their diet with fish, which they catch during spawning.

Tigers hunt, as well as live, alone. And only one attempt out of ten ends in success. Perhaps the whole point is that these predators prefer not to pursue a prey that was able to escape, but to hunt down a new one.

If the food supply decreases sharply, the tiger may leave its territory and begin hunting livestock or dogs. At the same time, a young healthy animal is never the first to attack a person. Only old or wounded individuals who are unable to hunt large prey can do this.

Reproduction and raising offspring

As already mentioned, tigers are loners, so their mating season is not associated with any specific time of year. Mating occurs when the male finds a female. He stays near her for no more than 5-7 days, after which he leaves.

To bear offspring, a pregnant tigress needs from 95 to 112 days. Tiger cubs are born completely blind and helpless. Therefore, they are forced to stay with their mother. They begin to see only a week and a half after birth. After about 15 days, their teeth begin to emerge. The mother feeds the kittens with milk for up to two months. And only after this time do the cubs taste meat for the first time.

From about six months, the young offspring begin to accompany the mother during the hunt, but do not participate in it. Young animals begin to hunt independently after reaching one year. A tiger will be able to kill large game on its own only two years after birth.

Tiger cubs live with their mother until puberty. Once they are able to feed themselves, the cubs separate. However, the territory where tigers from the new offspring live belongs to their mother. These are the rules...

Where does the white tiger live?

Contrary to popular belief, the white tiger is not classified as a separate subspecies. This feature of its color is the result of a gene mutation. Some individuals lack the pigment that should color their fur yellow. At the same time, the black bars remain in place.

The birth of a white tiger is a very rare occurrence. Albino can appear in an ordinary tiger family, regardless of its subspecies. For every 10 thousand individuals with a yellow color, there is only one white one.

Most often, handsome whites are born in captivity, as they are descendants of the same animal. Therefore, the main places where tigers live are zoos or private nurseries.

A cat protected by the state

Over the past hundred years, the Amur tiger population has decreased by 25 times. There are no more than 450 individuals of this subspecies left in the wild. The main reason their disappearance was due to poaching. These beauties are destroyed for their skins; in addition, in East Asia, bones and other parts of a killed animal, whose name is the Amur tiger, are also used as valuable medicinal raw materials. Where does this subspecies live after its habitat is destroyed?

Basically, individuals of the same population cannot contact each other due to the fact that they live isolated from each other. The reason for this isolation is human activity. Thus, the number of predators is significantly influenced by the decreasing factor of their genetic diversity. The imbalance between the predator and its main victims is also negative, because the number of the latter also decreases every year.

Now the Ussuri tiger is listed in the Red Book. In Russia, a poacher must pay a fine for killing him. For reference: in China there is a death penalty for such a crime.

Panthera tigris
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae

It seems that tigers have always awakened much more complex feelings in humans than any other animals: let’s remember their literary images - from the treacherous Shere Khan from R. Kipling’s “The Jungle Book” to the “Guardian of the West” who protects people from Korean mythology. IN Lately tigers have become a symbol of wildlife conservation, and their future now depends entirely on whether people can find a balance between their growing needs and the need to save the earth's nature.

Tigers and lions, considered the largest of all living cats, are almost the same size. The largest tigers live in Hindustan and Russia, where the weight of males varies from 180 to 300 kg, while tigers in more southern island populations are much smaller in size - the average weight of male Sumatran tigers does not exceed 100-150 kg.

The Amur tiger is the largest living member of the cat family: a medium-sized male can weigh from 150 to 300 kg. The documented record belonged to a beast weighing 384 kg.

Facts about tigers

Highlighted 8 subspecies of tigers:

1. Bengal (Indian) tiger (P.t. tigris): India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, western Myanmar, Nepal;
2. Indochinese tiger (P. t. corbetti): Kampuchea, China, Laos, Malaysia, eastern Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam;
3. Sumatran tiger (P. t: sumatrae): Sumatra;
4. Amur tiger (P. t. altaica): Russia, China, North Korea (unconfirmed data);
5. South China tiger (amoyensis) (P. t. amoyensis): China;
6. Caspian (Guranian) tiger (P. t. virgata): once lived in Afghanistan, Iran, the Republic of Turkmenistan and the adjacent Chinese territory, in Turkey - now extinct;
7. Javan tiger (P. t. sondaica) - extinct;
8. Bali tiger (P. t. balica) - extinct.

Distributed in India, Southeast Asia, China, southeast Russia. Habitats range from the reed beds of Central Asia to the tropical rain forests of Southeast Asia and the coniferous-deciduous forests of the Russian Far East.

The body length of a male Bengal tiger is 2.7-3.1 m, females 2.4-2.65 m; male weight 180-258 kg, female 100-160 kg.

Colour: black stripes on a bright red background on the back and sides; the lower part of the body is mostly white; Males have a noticeable “collar” of thick, long hair around their heads. The color of the Amur tiger is paler, with seasonal color changes. Sometimes there are white tigers with chocolate stripes.

The main food object is large ungulates. They also hunt smaller animals, such as monkeys, badgers, and even fish.

Females reach sexual maturity at the age of 3-4 years, males somewhat later - at 4-5 years; a litter usually contains 2-3 cubs (sometimes 1-7). The duration of pregnancy is 103 days. Young animals become independent at the age of 1.5-2 years.

Lifespan tiger up to 15 years old (in captivity up to 26 years old).

Conservation status

All tigers are listed as endangered. Populations are rapidly declining due to poaching, habitat loss and declining food supply. Three of the eight recognized subspecies are already extinct, and the South China tiger is critically endangered.

Made to kill. Structure and functions

The structure of all representatives of the cat family ideally corresponds to their hunting specialization. They are fluent in the art of covert pursuit, ambush and killing the victim. Different types of cats differ from each other mainly in coat color and size. Tigers, like other “big cats,” mainly hunt prey that is significantly larger than them; They are characterized by short front legs with well-developed muscles and long, sharp, retractable claws, with which they can grab and hold their prey. The skull is shortened, which enhances the leverage effect when working with powerful jaws. Tigers usually kill animals with a crushing bite to the back of the neck, although in some cases they strangle their prey by placing a death grip on its throat.

For the hunt to end in success, the tiger must first crawl as close to the prey as possible; then he straightens up to his full height and rushes to the attack, covering the remaining distance with several powerful leaps. Typically, a tiger attacks from behind, trying to grab onto the shoulder, neck or back of its prey. One in ten or even twenty attacks is successful.

These cats are unusually impressive in appearance: their orange-red and white fur is decorated with black stripes; The uniqueness of the color lies in the fact that each tiger can be identified by its unique arrangement of stripes. White tigers, which are quite widely represented in zoos (the stripes on their fur are most often chocolate-colored, so they cannot be considered full albinos), are descended from Mohan, a male Bengal tiger captured by the Maharajah of the Rewa district in India (now the state of Madhya Pradesh). Although the colors of tigers vary somewhat in different parts of their range (representatives of populations living in the rain forests of Southeast Asia are darker), the vertical arrangement of stripes, characteristic of all subspecies, provides these cats with excellent camouflage.

Tiger habitats. Spreading

The play of sunlight and the continuous movement of mine shadows cast by tall grasses, bushes and trees provide tigers with the opportunity to sneak up unnoticed. Probably, only this environmental factor is common to many different biotopes where the tiger has ever flourished as a species. Its range includes the tropical rain forests of the Sunda Islands, tall grass and floodplain forests of northern India and Nepal, mixed deciduous, dry evergreen and dry tall forests of Thailand, mangrove swamps of the Sundarbans, as well as temperate and boreal forests of the Russian Far East; Until recently, the tiger lived in the reed thickets, tugai forests and mountain forests of the Caspian region.

An attacking tiger in a jump can fully serve as a symbol of strength and swiftness, an example of the most perfect predator on Earth. While searching for prey or patrolling its territory, the tiger is quite capable of covering distances of up to 10-20 km every day.

The main characteristic of tigers' habitats is the presence of dense vegetation, which the animals skillfully use, hiding in it before starting to hide their prey. In addition, animals need sources of water, which is important in hot climates, and a high population density of large ungulates, the main prey of these predators. The distribution of tigers, as well as many features of their behavior and social structure of populations, are determined primarily by the abundance of species that form the basis of their diet - deer, bovids and pigs.

Keeping in touch from a distance. Social behavior of tigers

Unlike lions and cheetahs, which hunt in open spaces, the tiger hides and ambushes its prey, so hunting alone is usually the most effective for it. In areas with dense vegetation, where prey are dispersed over large areas, the benefits of cooperative hunting are minimized. Therefore, the social organization of tigers is not characterized by life in a community; these animals maintain connections with each other mainly at a distance.

Radio tracking in Nepal, India and Russia has shown that males and females occupy individual territories, which they protect from other tigers of the same sex. Females settle in a smaller territory, and their choice is determined by the availability of food and water resources necessary for the tigress to survive and raise offspring. Males try to take control and protection of the maximum possible number of individual areas of females.

The size of individual territories depends on the strength and fighting qualities of the males who occupy them. Typically, a male who is able to defend his territory from invasion by other tigers has exclusive mating rights with all females whose territories are included in his domain.

Despite the fact that the manifestation of territoriality is characteristic of all tigers, the size of the territories themselves depends on the population density of the animals that the predators hunt. In Nepal and India, which have a very high density of ungulate populations, the average area of ​​a female's individual home range is only 20 square meters. km, while in the Russian Far East, where the density of ungulate populations is extremely low, the area of ​​an individual territory can reach 470 sq. km. Stray tigers are mostly young animals approaching sexual maturity; they strive to acquire their own territory - they cross already occupied areas and move along their borders, waiting for the opportunity to penetrate into other people's possessions.

The male can determine the reproductive state of females by the smell of their marks. When sniffing, the tiger raises its head high, and its muzzle is distorted by a peculiar grimace called “flemen” - while the animal’s lips are strongly retracted and the mouth is wide open, thanks to which odorous substances easily reach the corresponding receptors of the Jacobson’s organ, which analyzes both the smell and taste.

Protecting an individual territory is fraught with serious dangers: even if a tiger wins a fight, it can receive serious injuries that will deprive it of the ability to hunt. It is not surprising that tigers try to notify their opponents of their presence in advance in order to avoid a direct confrontation. They spray urine mixed with anal gland secretions onto shrubs, trees, and rocky surfaces, and leave marks in the form of feces and scrapes in various parts of their territory using roads, trails, and other conspicuous places. Surely, such identification marks are perceived by neighbors and visiting tigers as a signal “the area is occupied,” although it is possible that they also carry other information, in particular, individual differences between animals.

Tigers become sexually mature by the age of 3 - 5 years, but it still takes them some time to establish their own territory and prepare for reproduction. Mating can occur at any time of the year, even in winter. Females in estrus notify males about this with the help of increased roars and active scent marking of the territory. After a pregnancy of 103 days, the female gives birth to an average of two to three blind, helpless kittens. For at least the first month, the cubs feed on their mother's milk, and the tigress keeps them in the den where they were born, or carries them to other places, carefully grabbing them by the scruff of the neck with her teeth.

In hot areas, tigers can spend most of the day near rivers and other bodies of water; They often stand or lie in the water to cool off. Tigers are skilled swimmers; sometimes they can easily swim across rivers 7-8 km wide.

After 1-2 months, the cubs begin to accompany their mother on the hunt, staying behind her. Only six-month-old tiger cubs begin to learn the techniques of tracking, hiding and killing prey. Males do not participate in raising cubs, although at times they join the family, and sometimes even share their prey with the tigress and her cubs.

Tiger cubs depend on their mother for up to 15 months, after which they gradually disperse.

Tigers and people

The relationship between people and tigers is complex. People from different parts of the world, fascinated by the majesty of tigers, strive to save these animals from extinction. Residents of countries where tigers live are trying to find a balance between meeting their own needs - and sometimes saving their lives - and addressing the problem of conservation of the species. If there is no natural prey, tigers begin to hunt livestock. Such predatory attacks are usually carried out either by young settling individuals, or by old, wounded or physically weakened tigers driven out of their territory by young and strong animals. Less commonly, although unfortunately still too often, tigers kill people.

There are three main reasons why tigers become man-eaters: injury, old age and hunger. It happens, although extremely rarely, that tiger cubs pick up the habit of cannibalism from their mothers. In India, tigers, having noticed a moving living creature from behind (a person bending down while collecting firewood), realize too late that the object of their attack was a person. Under such circumstances, a single blow is often fatal, and the tiger does not eat its victim, leaving it at the scene of the kill. In other cases, a person accidentally comes across a tigress with cubs or a tiger near killed prey and dies as a result of an attack caused by parental instinct or an attempt to defend its prey on its territory. The third common reason for tigers to attack people is an attempt to drive people away from potential prey: predators kill shepherds trying to protect their herd.

There is only one place on Earth where tiger cannibalism has become quite common. This place is the Sundarbans Tiger Reserve, located in the delta of the Ganges River. The biotope of the Sundarbans Nature Reserve is absolutely unique, as it is represented by mangrove forests. The tigers that live here have no fear of humans; This is probably due to the historical fact that the Sundarbans are the only Indian territory where sport hunting of tigers has never existed.

The sad story of the destruction of tigers

Of the eight recognized tiger subspecies, the three smallest and most isolated are already extinct. The first to disappear from our planet was the Bali tiger (the last reliable report of the sighting of the Bali tiger dates back to 1939); followed by the Turanian and Javan tigers, which were last seen in 1968 and 1979, respectively. Now the South China tigers are on the verge of extinction. Tigers of other subspecies also face a serious threat of extinction from the face of the Earth.

There are three main threats to living tigers today: direct poaching, habitat destruction, and depletion of the food supply. Enormous damage to predator populations is caused by the growing demand for tiger bones, caused by the needs of the market for traditional oriental medicine, and the hunting of tigers for their skins, which attracts lovers of hunting trophies. Efforts to curb illegal trade have yielded positive results, but the scale remains significant.

Tiger habitats are being degraded by human activity and are being fragmented due to the growth of the human population. When tiger populations become torn apart individual fragments within the former range, the ego dooms animals to isolation and reduction in numbers, which ultimately brings them close to the risk of extinction from nature.

But even if the tigers’ habitats are reliably protected, the predators need an abundant food supply. The decline in the number of ungulates has already left many areas of Asia without tigers, which in all other respects are quite suitable for these predators. Strengthening control over the shooting of ungulates in such areas, coupled with a ban on all hunting in protected areas, will undoubtedly benefit both people and tigers.

Ultimately, tigers can only survive if local people become interested in their conservation and protection. People living in various parts of the tiger's range perceive it as an inevitable but necessary component of the environment.

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 brownish-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 have White color, 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 time, the second one is more typical 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 less often - 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, leave for more long 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 for the birth of a white tiger it was necessary to cross tigers with each other family connection, then now white tigers have become quite common, thanks to which it is possible to get 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 does not wane, and its further distribution among various zoos around the world.

(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 they are just like ordinary domestic cat, 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.

Breeding such unusual large species The American Zoo and Aquarium Association strongly disapproves. 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 polar bear and a 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 advent 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. This is the most small view 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) Very rare view, which 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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Planet Earth is inhabited by many animals that have beauty and grace, but if you add strength to these qualities, then only the tiger comes to mind.

Exactly the tiger is one of the largest predators, the description of which is truly delightful.

The largest representative of the cat family by one species inspires respect And even some trepidation.

All about tigers

The tiger is classified as family panthers, subfamilies big cats. Such a cat can reach a weight of up to 300 kilograms and be up to 3 meters long. To date, a record has been recorded where the weight of the animal reached 388.7 kilograms. Having a powerful and elastic body, the height at the withers of which can reach more than a meter, the tiger is considered one of the most dangerous predators on the planet. Speaking about how much a tiger weighs, it is important to note that different types may have different Weight Limit. However, the Bengal is considered the most massive - the tiger weighs more than 300 kg.

The animal is characterized by a rounded forehead and round eyes, which are capable of not only seeing perfectly in the dark, but also distinguishing color scheme. Stiff white whiskers give the cat an excellent sense of smell, which is a big plus when hunting. The tigress is actually no different from the male, except for her smaller size, but this difference is very insignificant.

The undoubted advantage of the famous predator is its fangs, reaching 8 centimeters. Such a “tool of labor” quickly deals with prey and is able to kill the victim with the first bite. In matters of nutrition, the tongue, which has keratinized growths on the sides, plays an important role. It is thanks to them that the animal is able to quickly cut up the carcass of its victim and separate pieces of meat. There is no need to talk much about what a tiger eats. It is clear that the main food of a predator is meat. Moreover, the big cat loves fresh meat more, but in difficult times it will not disdain carrion.

Summing up the appearance of the largest cat on the planet, we can draw the following conclusions:

1. The predator is quite large in size and poses a threat to virtually all animals.
2. Physical data allows you to hunt even very large individuals.
3. The physiology of the body is fully consistent with the hunting lifestyle and allows the cat to quickly deal with prey.

It is impossible not to note the animal’s ears, which are relatively small, but have very acute hearing. Interestingly, the front paws have five toes, and the hind paws have four. Each paw has retractable and very sharp claws, as well as soft pads that make the predator’s movement almost silent.

Reflecting on the pedigree of predators, it should be noted that today the remains of a large saber-toothed tiger are being found, which lived during the period of the existence of dinosaurs. He was significantly more powerful than his descendant and could reach up to a ton in weight.

Modern individuals represent nine species known to science, three of which are already irretrievably lost. However, there is a statement that ancient look was a saber-toothed cat, but not a tiger.

The division into species can be classified by the height and weight of individuals, which differ somewhat, as well as the lifestyle of predators. The entire list will be as follows:

1. Amur (Ussuri), Bengal and Indochinese tigers.
2. Sumatran, Malay and South Chinese.
3. The Balinese, Caspian and Javan are extinct species of predator.

It is worth considering each species separately in order to understand where the animals can live, how much they weigh and what kind of lifestyle they lead. It is better to characterize the species of predators from the largest:

• The Amur tiger lives in the South-East of Russia, partly in North Korea and the northern regions of China. The predator reaches 100 centimeters or more at the withers, and can weigh more than 200 kilograms. It must be said that the tiger population has sharply declined and numbers no more than 500 individuals;
• the Bengal species is the largest. Predators have a red color with black stripes, a height at the withers of more than a meter and a weight that can exceed 300 kilograms. Inhabits the territories of South and partly Central Asia. The species numbers more than 5 thousand individuals;
• the Indochinese predator, with narrower stripes, can be up to one and a half meters long and weigh no more than 120 kg. The number of individuals of the species has sharply decreased and numbers just over a thousand;
• The Malayan cat is the smallest species, its length does not exceed 240 centimeters and its weight is 120 kg. Today, scientists have counted no more than 800 representatives of this unique species;
• The Sumatran cat reaches a length of just over two meters and weighs no more than 140 kg. It is mainly found in nature reserves on the island of Sumatra and numbers about 500 individuals;
• the southern Chinese species is no longer than two meters and no heavier than 130 kg. It lives in the center of China and tolerates captivity extremely poorly. This species worries scientists most of all, because every year it becomes more and more scarce.

There are several more subspecies of large predators of the cat family, which are hybrids. A striking representative of such “mixtures” is the liger (lion and female tiger) and tigon (tiger and female lion). Such predators are distinguished by their enormous size and a wide variety of colors, which are simply impossible to predict. As a rule, hybrids are at least three meters in length and can weigh more than 300 kilograms.

Where is the best place for tigers to live?

Of course, each species of legendary predator has its own habitat, where it is most comfortable and familiar. However, each species has some specificity, which manifests itself not only in matters of hunting, but also such important aspect, like breeding offspring.

For example, tigers have never lived in Africa, and this is primarily due to climatic conditions.

To answer the question of where tigers live, you need to know about the nuances of tiger physiology:

1. For AMUSRIAN And bengal species The most favorable conditions are those where the average temperature is not very high. These species, thanks to their beautiful and reliable cover, tolerate cold well. Tenacious paws and sharp claws allow you to easily overcome rocky terrain, while developing excellent speed.
2. Malay And Sumatran species has a darker color and less height at the withers. This factor allows you to be invisible in the dense thickets of the Indonesian jungle. Such cats are capable of developing high starting speed and have an excellent jump.
3. South Chinese And indochinese tiger- a typical predator, capable of hunting both on flat terrain and in dense thickets. Such predators are characterized by ambushes near water bodies or in dense bamboo thickets, from where an instant and deadly attack is launched.

Despite the fact that the tiger is generally considered lone hunter, quite often individuals grouped into families. Even lonely tigers are periodically present in families during the mating season. Possessing enormous strength, the tiger has no competitors in its habitat. The habitat is systematically marked by urine or stripping of bark from trees. It is the territory that causes conflicts between adult males.

Considering the question of how long do tigers live, it is important to note the diet of predators. In the wild, cats do not have a specific “routine” that forces them to hunt or rest at precise times. Predators go hunting when they feel hungry and never obtain more food than necessary.

The main pastime of a tiger is resting in a shady place or playing funny games if we are talking about a family. With a lifespan of no more than 30 years, the tiger has virtually no competitors or enemies that could resist it. The predator only treats elephants and rhinoceroses with some caution and apprehension. A strong cat's diet can even include small crocodiles. The main and favorite “dish” are ungulates and large herbivores.

Breeding offspring

Fights for the right to take part in breeding offspring are an exciting spectacle. Against the background of numerous males, only one can approach the female - the strongest. To briefly describe process of breeding, you need to know the following:

1. A tigress can bear offspring at the age of 3–4 years, and a male can bear offspring at the age of five.
2. The breeding season usually occurs in December or January.
3. The tigress is capable of bearing offspring several times a year, but with a period of 2–3 years.
4. The gestation time does not exceed 103 days.

As a rule, no more than four tiger cubs are born, which at the age of two months become completely independent. However, small predators prefer to stay with their mother for a long time, sometimes even up to five years. In 25–30 years, a tigress can give birth to twenty new individuals. However, more than half of young cats die at a fairly young age, becoming victims of hyenas, wolves or other predators.

Tigers are unique animals, whose lives are in danger due to the careless activities of mankind. That is why most species are included in the Red Book or are protected by the state.

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. A small number of Amur tigers inhabit the territory of 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.

White and golden tigers are also found in nature. This animal color is the result of a mutation. As a rule, one such individual appears for every 10,000 individuals with a normal color. Most often, animals appear in captivity because they are descendants of the same animal. White and golden tigers live mainly in zoos and private nurseries.