About Tigers
My Favorite Web Sites
Tiger site
Look for a zoo in your area
Tigercam! You can actually see the tiger!
Wild tigers can eat as much as 40 pounds of meat at one time. After eating a lot, they often do not eat again for several days. Over much of the tiger's broad geographic range, wild pig, wild cattle and several species of deer are its major prey. Unlike wild tigers which kill their prey and then gorge, tigers that live in zoos eat a prepared diet of horse meat and vitamins daily. They may eat as much as 10 pounds of meat per day. As little as 50 years ago, eight tiger subspecies roamed throughout Asia. Now only five remain. Human pressures from hunting and habitat destruction exterminated the Bali, Caspian, and Javan tigers. Today, as human populations continue to grow, people compete more and more with tigers for land and food. Trying to reverse this trend, the Wildlife Conservation Society has embarked on an ambitious program to save tigers in the field designed to earmark priority areas for tigers, and protect them. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Length: 7.2 - 8.9 head-to-tail-tip Height: 2.5 - 3 ft. at shoulder Weight: 220 - 380 lbs. Coloration: Reddish-yellow to rust brown, underside whitish; stripes black; ears black with white spots on the back; cheek-hair long; short neck mane. DIET: Zoo: One day: fasting. One day: chunk of horsemeat - male 9 lbs., female 6 lbs. Five days: Spectrum feline diet beef - male 9 lbs., female 6 lbs. Wild: Deer, wild pig or whatever it can catch. One was observed eating a leopard. BEHAVIOR: Solitary except during mating season, unless it's a female with offspring. After a kill, a tiger will drag prey to dense cover, near water if possible, where it will continue to feed at leisure until only skin and bones remain. The tiger drinks frequently during a meal. ADAPTATION: Stripes and color blend into habitat which is moderately dense cover, often tall grass. Typical cat build, on a large scale. The Sumatran is the smallest of the tiger subspecies. BREEDING & GROWTH: Gestation: 103 days. Tigers reach sexual maturity by 3-4 years of age. Three to four cubs are common in each litter. The cubs are born blind and helpless, and only weigh about 2.2 lbs at birth. They are totally dependent on the mother until 18 months or so, and may stay in her range to 2.5 years. Longevity: Wild: 15 years Captivity: 20 years. STATUS: All surviving subspecies are endangered. Habitat is being destroyed which is required for prey and consequently tigers. GENERAL INFORMATION: The tiger's hind legs are longer than forelegs for powerful leaping. During the hot season, Sumatran tigers spend much of the day resting near streams, and often lie or stand in the water to keep cool. Tigers attack prey from side or rear at close range. When prey weigh more than half as much as the tiger, the throat bite is used, and death is most likely caused by suffocation. The tiger usually commences feeding on the rump of its prey.
