THE TIGER

(BY SUHASHINI)
Tigers are the largest existing members of the cat family, after the liger (only lives in captivity.) Tigers live only in Asia, in which they once roamed all across, from the islands of Java, Bali, Sumatra, to the freezing taigas of Siberia. Tigers are famous for their thick, orange-tawny coats, gleaming amber-gold eyes, black to rich brown stripes, and long, whip-like tail. These cats have the longest canine teeth of any land mammal, sometimes three to four inches long,. Like most cats, with the exception of the cheetah, tigers have retractable claws, keeping them extremely sharp for battle and gripping, having the ability to sheath and unsheathe them when need be. A tiger has an orange-brown coat with stripes, except for the genetic mutated white tigers and golden tabby tigers, now only existing in captivity, with only around 200 white tigers, and only 30 golden tabbies. Tigers, depending on the subspecies and gender, can be from seven feet long to thirteen feet long from nose to tail tip, the tail being sometimes more than four feet long, and anywhere from three hundred to eight hundred pounds, males generally more massive and longer than females (the largest recorded tiger was a male Amur weighing 1025 pounds.) The tail of a tiger is used in communication. A tiger with a held up, wagging tail is happy, a tail at body height wagging means a tiger is excited. When a tiger twitches its tail between its legs-watch your step! Tigers have golden-amber eyes (white ones are either ice-blue, green, and sometimes amber) with a type of third eyelid, and, while color blind, have night vision six times better than a humans, sensitive and acute hearing, and an OK sense of smell. The ears have white bull’s eyes on the back of them, so a mother with cubs can see her cubs, and so the cubs see her. Tigers use their orange-tawny hides and stripes to blend in with their surroundings, as they can run 35 m/p/h, but have quick stamina's.
In 1900, there were over 100,000 tigers in Asia, and nine subspecies. Now, thee are extinct, and there are only 4000-7000 in the wild land.
Amur (Siberian) Tiger-These tigers live in the Russia Far East, with around 450 survivors, these are the largest non mutated living cats on earth, males weighing 800 pounds, and have thick, pale coats to keep them warm.
Caspain Tiger- The second largest tiger, and very aggressive, often used in fights in Ancient Rome, these beautiful creatures became extinct in the 1950’s.
Bengal Tiger- The most numerous tiger in existence, but yet with a small number of 3000-5000, these cats mainly live in India, where they hunt wild deer and boar, or anything else they can lay their paws on. All white tigers in captivity come from a wild caught white Bengal named Mohan.
Indochinese Tiger- With around 1000-2000, these tigers live in southern-east Asia. Little is known about them, as heir lands are mostly restricted to the public.
Malayan Tiger- Discovered in 2004, around 2000 exist.
South China Tiger- These felines were only given protection in 1977, they are almost extinct, maybe even already gone, with an estimated 20-30 in China and only 60 in zoos, all in their birth land. None have been seen in the wild for ten years.
Javan Tiger- Small, highly aggressive tigers, as with the Caspain, used in the Roman era, these tigers went extinct in the 1970’s. Only one known photo exists of a breathing Javan specimen.
Bali Tigers- Little is known about these 150 pound tigers, and were shot by trophy hunters to banishment in the 1930’s. No none photo is known to be around of a living Bali Tiger.
A tiger uses camouflage to hunt, hiding in tall grasses or snow for cover. The main prey of tigers are wild pig, deer, birds, monkeys, wild cattle, peacocks, or anything else they can capture. Cows are sacred in India, and with their population of over 1 million, cattle is often taken down. Tigers hunt by sneaking up on prey, often young, weak, old, or injured, but are capable of taking out the strong. Within fifty feet or closer distance, they’ll start to run, and ambush the prey. With small game, a bite to the throat is used, while larger animals are leapt upon, and bitten at the base of the neck, breaking the spinal cord. Either the rump or internal organs are eaten first, but tigers may sometimes take the prey of smaller leopards, sometimes killing their smaller cousins if they argue against the taking of their kill. A single adult tiger can eat over 100 pounds of meat and one sitting, and when finished its full, will cover the carcass with logs and leaves. They will keep coming back for more for several days until they need a fresh meat supply.
A female tiger is called a tigress, while a baby is called a cub. The females can be told apart from males easily, so long as they aren’t neutered. While not sexually dimorphic, they can be told apart one way as the males are larger, sand only the females raise young. But if you look at the back end of a male, there will be two ball like subjects (testicals) hanging. Tigresses don’t have this.
In general, tigers are solitary. Few cases have ever been reported of them together. Even then, it is almost always only to mate, or when a tigress raises cubs. The male and female will join an mate for a few days, then leave, the male seeking more tigresses to mate with. He will not participate I caring for his children. The pregnancy for tigers is 103 days, and soon the cubs are born. Anywhere from one to five are given life, but often some are born dead and some die shortly afterwards. This usually leaves only one to three. The tigress for the first few weeks, will nurse and sleep with them, leaving only for food and water. But soon she leaves more often. And the cubs set off on their own. They are vulnerable to leopards, snakes, bears, wolves, and civets in the early days. Only 50% survive to the age of a few months, and still 50% of those live only to their second birthday. The tigress mother will teach them how to hunt, and will raise them for up to two years. Then the young will leave, sometimes stay together for a while, and then leave for good, to live off their lives alone.