Tigers (scientific name Panthera tigris) are the largest living feline on Earth; in fact, they can reach up to four metres in length, including their tail. Their weight widely varies, ranging from 140 kg in the male Sumatran tiger to 300 kg in the Siberian tiger. The females are becoming smaller and smaller. They are a symbol of power and agility, and their physical characteristics make them adept at catching and killing large prey with a single blow.
Tigers can be found in a wide variety of habitats, in river and lake watersheds, mountain forests, grassy thickets, mixed aspen and oak forests, floodplains, and tropical forests. The colour of their coat can vary from dark red to pale yellow; the intensity of the black stripes and their pattern also varies. Generally, tigers in South-east Asia are darker in colour and have more stripes, while tigers in northern areas are lighter in colour and have fewer stripes. They usually have short-haired fur, but tigers living in the Russian Far East areas have longer and thicker fur. Some Bengal tigers are called "white tigers" because of a recessive gene for this colouring. In addition to their white or cream-coloured coat, they also have pink noses and blue eyes.
Extinct and living species:
- Panthera tigris altaica: this is the Siberian tiger or Amur tiger. Its stripes are brown and not black.
- Panthera tigris amoyensis: this is the southern Chinese tiger. It is currently only found in the Hunan province.
- Panthera tigris corbetti: this is the Indo-Chinese tiger. It is widespread in Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.
- Panthera tigris jacksoni: this is the Malayan tiger.
- Panthera tigris sumatrae: this is the Sumatran tiger. It mainly lives in the national parks on the island of Sumatra.
- Panthera tigris tigris: this is the royal Bengal or Indian tiger. Widespread in India, Bangladesh, Burma and Nepal, the white tiger variant is also possible for this species.
- Panthera tigris balica (extinct since 1937): this was the Bali tiger, widespread in Indonesia (with a focus on the island of Bali).
- Panthera tigris sondaica (extinct in 1994): this was the tiger from Java, widespread in Indonesia (with a focus on the island of Java).
- Panthera tigris virgata (extinct in the early 1970s): this was the Caspian tiger, widespread in Central Asia, Mongolia, Anatolia, Caucasus, Iran, Kurdistan and Afghanistan.
Thanks to some radio-tracking studies, it has been determined that tigers have mainly twilight and nocturnal habits. They are solitary and hunt by following their prey and suddenly attacking them with ambushes. An adult tiger can consume up to 32 kg of meat per single meal. Tigers can give birth throughout the year in tropical areas, while in temperate areas they only give birth in the spring. Tigers can raise their young among vegetation, in tree hollows or in caves.
