The tiger (Panthera tigris or Felis tigris) is a large Asian wild cat. It is maneless, of tawny-yellow colour with blackish transverse stripes and a white belly. The tiger is one of the largest members of the cat family, the males exceed the females in size and measure about 180 centimetres in length from the nose to the root of the tail - which is about 90 cm in length, and stand about one metre at the shoulder. The hair is short in the Indian species, but longer and wooly in the Siberian or Manchurian variety.
Tigers were formerly dounf throughout most parts of Central and Southern Asia, from the Caucasus to the island of Sakhalien. They were found in most parts of India, but not in Sri Lanka. The fabourite habitat of a tiger is jungle and forest where it blends in with the tall standing yellow grass and is difficult to see. Tigers generally hunt at night, feeding upon cattle, deer and other mammals. Tigers generally avoid man, but having discovered that man is an easier prey than say a deer, a tiger can become a serious threat to local inhabitants.
Tigers live generally hunt alone, pairing up during the breeding season to produce and jointly rear a litter of between two and five cubs, which stay with the mother until they are mature at the age of three.
There were eight sub-species of tiger, however three became extinct during the 20th century and the Amur Tiger became severely endangered. Like some other species of cat, tigers communicate with a complex vocal language, though currently it hasn't been decoded. Tigers not only communicate with each other, but will also happily 'talk' to anyone prepared to lie down next to them. A group of tigers is known as an ambush. Research Tiger More pictures of Tiger
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Matt and Leela Probert
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