Tiger

Classification:

Global Population

Description and Natural History

Physical Description
The tiger is easily one of the most recognized large mammals in the world. Although the tiger is generally divided into eight subspecies, the color remains about the same; the back is reddish orange with black stripes, and the belly is white with black stripes. White, or albino tigers, were found in the wild in India and have brownish stripes on an off-white background and blue eyes. The number of stripes varies as does the width, and the pattern differs from one side of the body to the other as well as between animals. Dark lines above the eyes tend to be symmetrical, but marks on the sides of the face can be different. Like zebras, no two tigers have the same markings.

Adult male Bengal tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) are 180-258 kilograms (397-569 pounds) and are 2.7-3.1 meters (8.9-10.2 feet) long. Adult females are smaller, weighing 100-160 kilograms (220-353 pounds) and measuring 2.4-2.65 meters (7.9-8.7 feet).

Adult male Amur, or Siberian, tigers (Panthera tigris altaica ) weigh 180-306 kilograms (397-675 pounds) and measure 2.7-3.3 meters (8.9-10.8 feet) in length. Adult females weigh 100-167 kilograms (220-368 pounds) and measure 2.4-2.75 meters (7.9-9.0 feet) in length.

The winter fur of Amur tigers grows long and dense, giving some animals a plush or shaggy appearance. The winter coat is generally paler than the summer coat.

Natural History
Historically, tigers were found in a variety of habitats which included suitable vegetative cover, large ungulate prey and access to water. These included tropical evergreen and deciduous forests, coniferous woodlands, mangrove swamps, tall grass jungles and more which extended across Asia from eastern Turkey to the Sea of Okhotsk. Today, the tigers’ range has been dramatically reduced and they survive only in scattered populations from India to Vietnam, and in Sumatra, China, and the Russian Far East. More tigers inhabit areas of high prey density and adult males have larger ranges than females.

Unlike other cats, tigers like water and will lie in it when it is hot, as well as swim across broad expanses such as rivers and lakes. Tigers are usually solitary unless they are females with cubs, or mating adults. Although solitary, they may be social with others for short periods of time. Like lions, adult male tigers will kill cubs that are not their own and then mate with the receptive female soon after. Tigers feed on various species of deer and wild pig, depending on what is available. They may supplement their diet with young elephants and rhinos, monkeys, birds, reptiles and fish. Tigers have been known to eat bears, leopards and even other tigers, and will eat carrion. Hunting occurs mostly between dusk and dawn and is usually carried out alone.

Females reach sexual maturity around 3 years of age and males around 4.5 years. Mating takes place throughout the year with peak times occurring in different countries and regions. A litter of 2 or 3 (one to seven is possible) cubs is born every 20-24 months after a gestation of 103 days. Cubs stay with their mothers until they are between 18 and 28 months old. Tigers live to be 8-10 year old.

A 1993 census of Bengal tigers found 3,750 animals. India has by far the most Bengal tigers including a few hundred in Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and western Myanmar.

A 1994 survey of Amur tigers found 150-200 animals. Due to poaching pressure due to political and economic unrest, Amur tigers survive mostly in the Russian Far East, with perhaps a few surviving along China’s north east border area and possibly into North Korea.

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Status of the Species

Threats to the Species
Historically, tigers in Russia and China were considered to be pests and people were offered bounties to kill them. Tigers were hunted primarily for their skins but also for tiger bone and other body parts that were used in traditional Chinese and Korean medicine. As well, tigers were hunted for sport (‘trophy hunting’) and by Russian soldiers as part of military training. Today, tigers are seriously threatened by commercial poaching, a declining prey base due to over hunting, and loss of habitat (including fragmentation). Tigers are also killed due to livestock predation. Heavy poaching for tiger bone for use in traditional Chinese medicine is another serious threat to the Amur tiger.

In the United States it is estimated that there are about 10,000 tigers held in zoos and in private ownership – more than there are in the wild. While some roadside zoos, traveling exhibits and pseudo-sanctuaries make claims about their role in saving tigers through captive breeding, unregulated breeding of tigers actually decreases the genetic viability of the species. A tiger that has been bred in captivity by these unaccredited facilities and individuals could never be released back into its natural habitat.

IFAW is campaigning better protection and tougher legislation to control the trade in tigers and other large cats in North America.

International Trade
Listed on CITES Appendix I which prohibits international trade.

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Authors and Sources

IUCN Cat Specialist Group.  2001.  Tiger. http://lynx.uio.no/catfolk/

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