Tiger King of The Cats By; CH

Physical Features The tiger is the largest cat in the world. The average tiger is 3-10 feet long and weight is 300-600 pounds. Tigers can be orange, yellow or white but all of them have stripes. They have pink noses and green, blue or brown eyes. Tigers have round, small ears that can hear very well. All tigers have different stripe patterns like humans have their own fingerprints. Tigers have huge, strong paws. Tigers have long tails with stripes.

Habitat Tigers live in parts of southern Asia and India. They can be found in mangrove swamps, rainforests and evergreen and deciduous forests. Tigers need to live near water and places to hide while hunting.

Climate & Landforms A tiger’s climate can be cold or warm. Siberian tigers like the cold to live in and they have thick fur to help them survive. Most tigers like warmer climates better than colder because more animals live there. Tigers sometimes live in the lower Himalayan Mountains. Mostly tigers live in places with trees, bushes and other plants. Tigers that live in the north have lighter fur than those that live in the south.

Food! Tigers are carnivores (which means they only eat meat). Tigers hunt at night and eat animals like antelope, wild pigs, buffalo, bear and sometimes leopards and monkeys. Tigers mostly eat large mammals, but if they have to they might eat frogs, insects and grass. Tigers can eat up to 10 pounds in one meal. A tiger’s only predator is humans.

Lifespan & Endangered Tigers may live to be 10-20 years old. All tigers in the world are endangered. They are endangered because poachers illegally kill tigers for their fur which is valuable to trade. Three types of tigers are extinct which are Caspian, Javan and Bali and all others are endangered.

Reproduction It takes 3-4 years for a mother to have her babies. The cubs weigh 3 pounds when they are born. Female tigers have 3-6 cubs at a time, but some die when they are born. Cubs chase and pretend to fight in their play. Tigers are very careful about their cubs. Tiger cubs leave their mother at 18 months to 2 years to live and survive on their own.

Behavior Tigers mate and then the males leave the female. All tigers live independently except for mothers and their cubs. Tigers enjoy chewing on sticks, just like dogs. Tigers mark their territory by scratching trees and spreading smell. They roar and growl to find each other. Tigers are nocturnal Tigers sleep 10-12 hours a day.

Behavioral Adaptations Swimming and dunking themselves in the water cools them off during hot days to keep body temperature cooler. Tigers always get closer to their prey by going against the wind so their smell doesn’t carry. When tigers sleep they crouch down and camouflage themselves so hunters won’t see them easily. Tigers sometimes can run 35 miles per hour for several seconds to chase prey.

Physical Adaptations Tiger’s stripes help the tiger camouflage when it hunts because the prey might think it was grass or trees. The pads under a tiger’s foot help the tiger to be quieter when stalking prey. Tigers have very sharp claws to help them suffocate their prey. Tigers have funnel-shaped ears to collect sound. Tigers hide their claws under a layer of fur to keep them sharp and clean.

Physiological Adaptations Tigers have very sharp and strong teeth to bite into prey. Their night vision is 6 times better than a human because they are nocturnal. Tigers have a very muscular body to be able to pounce and carry themselves. They have an excellent sense of smell to help them sense how close their prey is. In front of their eye, tigers have a thin layer of tissue to help them see in the dark.

Interesting Facts More tigers live in captivity than live in the wild. Less than 5,000 tigers live in the wild. They are 10 times stronger than a human. The stripes on a tiger’s forehead are called “wang stripes” and “wang” means “king” in Chinese. Tigers can jump 10 meters in a pounce. Tigers have the biggest canine teeth of any mammal.