Tigers are the largest members of the cat family. They live in Asia and belong to the same genus as the lion, leopard, and jaguar. Two major subspecies of the tiger are the Siberian tiger and the Bengal tiger. The tiger is thought to have originated in northern Asia during the Pleistocene Epoch.

Scientific classification: Tigers belong to the family Felidae. The scientific classifications of each tiger are listed in the "Types of Tigers" section of this report.

Appearance The Siberian tiger measures 4.6 to 9.2 ft long, excluding the tail, which is 27 to 37 in long. The Siberian Tiger weighs 400 to 675 lb. It has thick yellow fur with dark stripes. The Bengal tiger is about 10 ft long, including the tail, and weighs around 400 to 569 lb. It is found in southeastern Asia and in central and southern India. Its coat is flatter than the Siberian tiger's coat, it has a darker color, and the stripes are darker. The Sumatran tiger is even smaller and darker.

Ears The tiger's ears are its main advantage when hunting. Tigers have white spots behind their ears to help identify one another in the jungle. Hearing is the tiger's sharpest sense.

Eyes The tiger's night vision is six times greater than ours. They have a mirror like layer at the back of the eye that reflects extra light. Tigers also have very good colorful eyesight.

Mouth Tigers have long, canine teeth that they use to stab and kill their prey. The molars behind them are like scissors. They slice strips of flesh from the carcass. The tigers tongue has a rough surface. This sandpaper like surface allows the tiger to drink, groom themselves, and it helps them remove the last little bit of meat from their kill.

Legs The tiger's legs are very powerful. The tiger can leap up to 30 feet.

Paws The tiger's paws are like a soft pad. They are not rock hard as they appear. The tiger's claws are very sharp. They can reach up to 4 - 5 inches in length and are retractable. When tigers walk, they retract their claws, in order to keep them sharp.

Behavior Hunting: Tigers are very good hunters. They like to hunt large animals, such as: deer, antelope, wild oxen, pigs, and buffalo. Some tigers attack elephant calves when the calves are unprotected. Tigers also prey on small animals such as: monkeys, tortoises, and frogs.

Tigers a re very fast while running short distances. They can leap up to 30 feet. After a tiger has killed an animal, it eats everything except for the bones and the stomach.

Territory: Most adult male tigers claim a territory and keep other males out of it. Sometimes, their territory can range up to 250 sq. miles. Tigers mark their territory with urine and fluids that come out from a gland under their tails.

Mating: The tiger is a solitary animal. Males and females only come together at mating time, to share a kill, or to drink and rest at watering holes.

A tigress is sexually mature at around the age of 4 years. A litter can usually consist of about 6 cubs. Tiger cubs weigh about 3 pounds when they're born.

Types of Tigers

Bali Tiger (Panthera Tigris Balica) The Bali tiger was hardly ever seen. This tiger was darker and had fewer stripes than the other Indonesian tigers. This species is extinct.

Bengal Tiger (Panthera Tigris Tigris) The Bengal tiger is probably the most popular of the tigers. It is also known as the Indian tiger. The Bengal tiger became endangered in the 1940's, when tiger hunting was legal.

Caspian Tiger (Panthera Tigris Virgata) The Caspian tigers once ranged throughout Afghanistan, Iran, the former Soviet Union, and Turkey. This species is now extinct.

Chinese Tiger (Panthera Tigris Amoyensis) Living in Eastern China, the Chinese tiger's habitat includes forests and rocky mountains. This tiger is extremely endangered.

Corbetts or Indochinese Tiger(Panthera Tigris Corbetti) This tiger was named after the famous hunter and author Jim Corbett. The Corbetts tiger is smaller and darker than the Bengal. The Corbetts tiger has short stripes which turn into spots. The range of the Indochinese tiger includes, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Burma, Malaysia, and the San Diego Zoo. The Corbetts Tiger is the second largest in population.

Javan Tiger (Panthera Tigris Sondaicus) This tiger was named after the Indonesian island named Java. The Javan Tiger was similar to the Sumatran but was darker with closer stripes. This species is now extinct.

Siberian Tiger (Panthera Tigris Altaica) Also known as the Manchurian or Amur Tiger, the Siberian Tiger is the largest cat in the world. The Siberian Tiger's color is lighter than the Bengal with stripes that are brown. Its homeland is Northeast Asia. Siberian Tigers are doing well in the wild, in zoos, and tiger reserves.

Sumatran Tiger (Panthera Tigris Sumatrae) The Sumatran Tiger is from the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The total number of Sumatran Tigers dropped by one half in the eighties.

Tiger Population Around the World

Country Minimum Maximum
Bangladesh	300	460
Bhutan	50	240
Cambodia	100	200
China	20	30
India	2,500	3,750
Indonesia	400 500
Malaysia	600	650
Nepal	180	250
North Korea	<10	<10
Russia	430	470
Thailand	250	600
Vietnam	200	300
TOTALS	5,030	7,450
ROUNDED TOTALS	5,000	7,000