Learn all basic tigers facts and information by this writing:

Diet

Tigers mainly eat ambar deer, wild pigs, water buffalo and antelope. Tigers are also known to hunt sloth bears, dogs, leopards, crocodiles and pythons as well as monkeys and hares. Old and injured tigers have been known to attack humans and domestic cattle.

Population

In the early 1900s, there were around 100,000 tigers throughout their range. Today, an estimated total of around 3,000-4,500 exist in the wild. Below is a breakdown of tiger numbers by subspecies.

1. Bengal tiger: Less than 2,000
2. Indochinese tiger: 750-1,300
3. Siberian tiger: Around 450
4. Sumatran tiger: 400-500
5. Malayan tiger: 600-800
6. South Chinese tiger: Extinct in the wild
7. Caspian tiger: Extinct
8. Javan tiger: Extinct
9. Bali tiger: Extinct

The Tale of the Tiger

Recognizing a tiger at the zoo is easy. But in their natural habitat, tigers are really hard to find. That’s because their unique orange, black and white stripe pattern helps them blend into the forests and grassy areas where they live and hunt.

Tigers are carnivores. They are quiet, patient hunters with large powerful paws and teeth to help them catch and eat their prey. Some of their favorite meals include pigs, deer, rhinoceroses, and even small elephants.

Tigers hunt for their food, but they are also hunted by humans for their valuable fur and body parts. Because of this, tiger researches think there may only be 3,500 tigers left in the world. This makes them an endangered species.

Also see elephant facts

Range

Historic tiger range ran from Turkey through South and Southeast Asia to the far eastern shores of the continent. Today, they are only found in South and Southeast Asia, China and the Russian Far East.

Behavior

Tigers occupy a variety of habitats from tropical forests, evergreen forests, woodlands and mangrove swamps to grasslands,savannah and rocky country. They are mostly nocturnal (more active at night) and are ambush predators that rely on the camouflage their stripes provide. Tigers use their body weight to knock prey to the ground and kills with a bite to the neck. They are also very good swimmers and have been known to kill prey while swimming.

Tigers essentially live solitary lives, except during mating season and when females bear young. They are usually fiercely territorial and have and mark their large home ranges.

Reproduction

Mating Season: In tropical climates, mostly from around November to April; during the winter months in temperate regions.

Gestation: 103 days.

Litter size: 3-4 cubs.

Cubs follow their mother out of the den at around 8 weeks and become independent at around 18 months of age. They leave their mothers at about 2 ½ years. Mothers guard their young from wandering males that may kill the cubs to make the female receptive to mating.

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