-->

• The largest of all cats, the tiger is also the largest living solely carnivorous land-dweller. Restricted to the Asian continent, tigers were once widespread, but due to habitat destruction and poaching, they now exist in a few small regions that provide the forest cover, ample water supply and hunting opportunities they require.

• Fast Facts

  1. Eight subspecies of tiger
  2. Weight: 165-570 pounds
  3. Average life span: 15 years
  4. Can reach up to 12 feet in length
  5. Tiger territories can span over 200 miles
  6. A tiger can eat 30 kilograms of food in one meal
  7. Tigers sleep up to 16 hours per day
  8. The tiger is on the Endangered Species List
  9. There are approximately 5,100-7,600 tigers in the wild

• Characteristics

  Tigers can easily be distinguished by their reddish or golden fur marked by black vertical stripes. These stripes allow the tiger to camouflage itself among trees and may also allow individuals to distinguish each other, since each tiger has a unique stripe pattern.

  Tigers are solitary animals and with the exception of females and their young, they live and hunt alone. They maintain large territories to ensure ample hunting opportunities and will fiercely defend their territories from intruders. Unlike most other cats, tigers enjoy water and will often swim in lakes or rivers to cool off on a hot day.

• Related Mahalo Pages

  Lions | Wolves | Endangered Species | Zoology | Cheetahs | Giraffe | San Francisco Zoo Tiger Attack | Lori Komejan | Magnapinna Squid | Bactrian Camel | Tapir | Lynx

Categories

• View History
• Discuss on the Message Board
• Embed this Page
• Share this page