The tiger is the largest member of the cat family and the largest land-living mammal whose diet consists entirely of meat. It stands at the top of the food chain.
A fast and powerful predator, the tiger takes its name from the classical Greek for 'arrow'.

The tiger's original home was China, but since then they spread northwards to Siberia, westwards as far as the Caspian Sea, through India and Burma, and south to Sumatra, Java and Bali. In just the last 50 years, three subspecies of tiger, the Bali Tiger, Javan Tiger and Caspian Tiger,have become extinct. Five subspecies survive: the Amur (Siberian), South China, Indo-Chinese, Bengal, and Sumatran tigers though they are endangered. The subspecies differ slightly in size, colour and markings.

The tiger is on the verge of extinction today. A hundred years ago, India had an estimated tiger population of 40,000. Today, the total number of tigers in India is probably less than 3,000, while the world tiger population is said to be between 4,600 and 7,200 (according to unofficial estimates).

The tiger has been poached, hunted and driven out of its habitat by human beings who have been encroaching on the tiger's habitat. In the early days, hunting tigers was a sport. Indian royalty would hunt several tigers in one day! Today tigers are poached for their bones and skins: there is a high demand for tiger parts, especially the bones, in traditional Chinese medicine.
Under The Magnifying Glass…

Weight: Siberian tigers are the heaviest subspecies at 225 kg or more, with males heavier than females. The lightest subspecies is the Sumatran; males weigh about 110 kg and females around 90 kg.

Measurements: Depending on the subspecies, the head-body length of a tiger is about 41/2 to 9 feet. The length of the tail is 3 to 4 feet. The footpads vary in size with age, resulting in inaccurate estimates when used in census.

Eyes: Tigers have round pupils and yellow irises (except for the blue eyes of white tigers). The night vision of tigers is six times better than that of humans.
Claws: Like domestic cats, tiger claws are retractable. Tiger scratches on trees serve as territorial markers.

Stripes: Scientists think that the stripes act as camouflage, and help tigers hide from their prey. The Sumatran tiger has the most stripes of all the tiger subspecies, and the Siberian tiger has the fewest stripes. Tiger stripes are like human fingerprints; no two tigers have the same pattern of stripes.

Life span: The life span of tigers in the wild is thought to be about 10 years. Tigers in zoos live twice as long.

Cubs: Tiger cubs are born blind and weigh only about 2 to 3 pounds (1 kg), depending on the subspecies. They live on milk for 6-8 weeks before the female begins taking them to kills to feed. Tigers have fully developed canines by 16 months of age, but they do not begin making their own kills until about 18 months of age.

Head: Often carries the Chinese mark of wang or king on the forehead.