Introduction
Of the
eight subspecies of tiger, three
now are extinct, and the number of
tigers in the remaining ones is
shrinking rapidly. It is no exaggeration
to say that the tiger is a critically
endangered species.
The tiger generally is solitary and does not form prides, but a male's territory usually includes areas occupied by one or more females. When tigers cooperate in bringing down a victim, it is likely that they are either siblings, or a mother and offspring.
Feeding infrequently during the day, tigers usually hunt at night. They can, however, be active during the day if they are in protected areas away from humans. Kills are often shared, not only with cubs, but also with other adults.
Size And Appearance
The only cat species with a true striped
pattern, the tiger averages a massive 8
to 10 feet long and 300 to 600 pounds.
Females are smaller than males. Although
the Siberian tiger is the largest felid
and can be up to 13 feet long and 700
pounds, such large males are rare. In
general, Indian tigers are not as heavy
nor as powerfully built as the
Siberian.
The distinctive coloring of tigers is vertical black or brown stripes on a pale orange, yellowish-brown, or rust background. The extremely rare white tiger, with brown stripes and blue eyes, usually is seen only in captivity. Although the white tiger is not a true albino, and has an off-white coat, wild albinos with pure white coats and pink eyes have been seen infrequently.
Tiger Cubs
Gestation is 98 to 108 days; there are
two to four cubs in a litter. In
general, the tigress raises only two
young per litter. The cubs are born
blind, weighing about 2.5 pounds, and
are already marked with tiger stripes.
Their eyes open after one week, they
begin to eat meat at approximately eight
weeks, and are fully weaned when they
are 5 to 6 months old. The mother leads
her young to a new hiding place when
they are about two months old, and they
remain in that place while she hunts.
Soon after the transfer, the female
starts taking her cubs to each kill and
begins teaching them hunting skills.
Studies suggest that there is surprisingly little fighting among siblings at a kill. In addition, unlike lions, a hungry female tiger allows her cubs to feed first, even if the amount of meat is limited and she must go without.
The young begin to hunt when they are about one year old. Males become more independent at this age, while female cubs tend to stay closer to the tigress. Young males may travel a considerable distance before establishing their own territory, and often the new territory is gained by replacing an older or injured male.
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