TIGERS

By Isabella Whale

Tigers are the largest species of the cat family. The Latin name for a tiger is Panthera Tigris.

There are six subspecies of tiger: the Bengal tiger, the Amur, the South China tiger, the Sumatran tiger, the Indo Chinese tiger, and the Malayan tiger.

These creatures can live up to 20 years of age in captivity. They only live for a maximum of 15 years in the wild.

There were once 9 subspecies of tiger, but 3 became extinct during the 20th century. Bengal tigers are the most common tigers found.

Did you know that there are less than 4,000 tigers in the wild today? Tiger populations have been in a rapid decline over the past century because of hunting and habitat loss.

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Diet

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Tigers usually prefer fairly large prey like deer and wild pigs. Tigers only attack or eat humans if they are old, injured or cannot kill their
usual prey.

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Habitat

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Wild tigers live in Asia. Larger subspecies, such as the Siberian tiger, live in northern colder areas. Smaller subspecies live in southern warmer areas.

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Appearance

These fascinating animals have amazing midnight-black vertical stripes on their body. They have amazing tannish orange fur which help them to camouflage. They also have a white underbelly.

Male Siberian tigers can grow up to 4m in length and 300kg in weight

Bright, reddish-tan fur with dark, vertical stripes

White fur on inner side of limbs and underparts

Long, curved claws
(up to 10cm in length)