[vc_row][vc_column icons_position=”left”][vc_images_carousel images=”1582,1583″ img_size=”1200×500″ onclick=”link_no”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”sidebarheading”][vc_column icons_position=”left”][vc_custom_heading text=”African Lion” font_container=”tag:h5|text_align:center”][vc_column_text]The largest species of cat in the world, tigers are powerful hunters with sharp teeth, strong jaws and agile bodies. They range across Asia from Russia all the way to the Sumatra and Indochina. Researchers still have much to learn about these beautiful, critically endangered, solitary cats.<\/p>\n
There is currently one recognized species of tiger, Panthera tigris. Scientists have further classified the tiger into nine subspecies: the extinct Bali, Caspian and Javan subspecies, and the living Malayan, Sumatran, South China, Indochinese, Bengal and Amur (or Siberian) subspecies. Of these six subspecies, AZA-accredited zoos currently manage three: Amur, Malayan and Sumatran. The Smithsonian’s National Zoo is home to Sumatran and Amur tigers.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column icons_position=”left”][vc_empty_space hide_on_desktop=”” hide_on_notebook=”” hide_on_tablet=”” hide_on_mobile=”” css=”.vc_custom_1529329123626{margin-bottom: 0.5rem !important;}”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row el_id=”uppp”][vc_column width=”1\/4″ icons_position=”left” el_class=”sidebarheading”][vc_custom_heading text=”FUN FACTS” font_container=”tag:h6|text_align:left”][vc_column_text el_class=”iconnn”]<\/p>\n
[\/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Conservation Status” font_container=”tag:h6|text_align:left”][vc_custom_heading text=”Vunerable” font_container=”tag:h6|text_align:center|color:%231e73be”][vc_column_text el_id=”katammm”]<\/p>\n
[\/vc_column_text][vc_wp_custommenu nav_menu=”57″ el_class=”menuucl”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″ icons_position=”left” el_class=”pannells” el_id=”smee”][vc_tta_tabs][vc_tta_section title=”Fact Sheet” tab_id=”1676379291585-c48c19fd-1bd1″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n
Tigers have reddish-orange coats with prominent black stripes, white bellies and
\nwhite spots on their ears. Like a human fingerprint, no two tigers have the exact
\nsame markings. Because of this, researchers can use stripe patterns to identify
\ndifferent individuals when studying tigers in the wild. Tigers are powerful hunters
\nwith sharp teeth, strong jaws and agile bodies. They are the largest terrestrial
\nmammal whose diet consists entirely of meat. The tiger’s closest relative is the lion.
\nIn fact, without fur, it is difficult to distinguish a tiger from a lion.<\/p>\n
Tigers are the largest cat species in the world, and the Amur tiger is the largest
\nsubspecies with males weighing up to 660 pounds (300 kilograms) and measuring 10
\nfeet (3 meters). Sumatran tigers are the smallest subspecies, maxing out at 310
\npounds (140 kilograms) and 8 feet (2.4 meters). Female tigers of all subspecies tend
\nto be smaller than their male counterparts.<\/p>\n
Historically, tigers existed throughout much of Eastern and Southern Asia, as well as
\nin parts of Central and Western Asia and the Middle East, surrounding the Caspian
\nSea. Their range has diminished significantly as human populations have expanded.
\nItis believed they currently occupy just 7 percent of their historic range.<\/p>\n
Presently, tigers are found in a variety of habitats across South and Southeast Asia,
\nChina and Eastern Russia. They thrive in temperate, tropical or evergreen forests,
\nmangrove swamps and grasslands. Amur tigers are primarily found in Far-East
\nRussia, although there are small populations across the border into China and
\npotentially North Korea. Sumatran tigers are found only on the Indonesian island of
\nSumatra. A tiger’s range within these regions is determined by the availability of
\nprey.<\/p>\n
Despite their solitary nature, communication is a very important part of tigers\u2019
\nbehavioral ecology. They communicate through vocalizations, such as roaring,
\ngrunting and chuffing, and through signals, such as scent marking and scratches on
\ntrees. Tigers are fiercely territorial animals, so these signals are particularly
\nimportant to communicating where one tiger’s home range ends and another’s
\nbegins.<\/p>\n
Tigers are solitary ambush predators that rely on stealth and strength to take down
\nprey. These apex predators primarily hunt large ungulates, such as wild boar and
\ndeer, but are also known to consume monkeys, buffalo, sloth bears, leopards and
\neven crocodiles. When tigers are found in close proximity to humans, they may also
\nfeed on domestic animals, such as cattle or goats. Tigers are adept swimmers and
\nhave even been recorded hunting in the wild.<\/p>\n
These powerful cats hunt primarily at night, using sight and sound to identify prey.
\nTheir striped coats help them blend into their surroundings, where they lie in wait for
\nprey to pass by. At the opportune moment, tigers pounce on their prey, take it to the
\nground and finish the kill by breaking or biting the neck. Tigers hunt about once a
\nweek and consume as much as 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of food in one night.<\/p>\n
At the Zoo, tigers eat ground beef, and their diet is supplemented with enrichment
\nitems each week. They receive knucklebones or cow femurs twice a week and rabbits
\nonce a week to exercise their jaws and keep their teeth healthy.<\/p>\n
Tigers are solitary creatures, except when mating or raising young. Cubs stay with
\ntheir mothers until they learn to hunt successfully, usually at about 18 to 24 months
\nold. They reach full independence after two to three years, at which point they
\ndisperse to find their own territory. Female tigers often remain near their mother’s\u2019
\nterritory, while males disperse farther from home.<\/p>\n
Female tigers reach sexual maturity between age 3 and 4. Males are sexually mature
\nat about 4 or 5 years old. Mating can occur at any time of year but most often takes
\nplace during cooler months between November and April. Tigers are induced
\novulators, which means females will not release eggs until mating occurs. Gestation
\nlasts approximately 100 days, and females give birth to between one and seven
\noffspring at a time, averaging between two and four cubs. Once cubs become
\nindependent, at about age 2, females are ready to give birth again. However, if a
\nfemale’s offspring do not survive, due to causes such as infanticide or starvation, she
\nis able to conceive another litter right away.<\/p>\n
The life span of tigers in the wild is usually between 10 and 15 years. In human care,
\nor on rare occasions in the wild, a tiger can live up to 20 years. However,
\napproximately half of all wild tiger cubs do not survive past the first two years of life.
\nOnly 40 percent of those that reach independence actually live to establish a territory
\nand produce young. The risk of mortality remains high for adult tigers due to their
\nterritorial nature, which often results in direct competition with conspecifics, or
\nmembers of the same species.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Conservation” tab_id=”uppp”][vc_column_text]Globally, tigers are considered an endangered species. Only six of the nine tiger subspecies that once existed remain, and the South China tiger is thought to be nearly or entirely extinct in the wild. The Sumatran subspecies is listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List, and the Amur is listed as endangered. All tigers are protected under CITES Appendix I.<\/p>\n
It is generously estimated that only 3,900 tigers exist in the wild, including approximately 200 to 400 Sumatran tigers and 360 Amur tigers. The Smithsonian’s National Zoo participates in the Species Survival Plan for Sumatran and Amur tigers, which works to responsibly breed and manage tiger populations within AZA-accredited institutions throughout North America.<\/p>\n
The goal of the SSP is to sustain a population of the three manage tiger subspecies\u2014Amur, Sumatran and Malayan\u2014that is genetically healthy enough to maintain a high genetic diversity for the next 100 years.<\/p>\n
There are numerous threats to tiger survival, including human-animal conflict driven by human overpopulation, poaching for use in traditional medicines and the destruction and fragmentation of habitat. Human-animal conflict stems from two primary issues. The first is a rise in agriculture and overgrazing by farmers, which drives away typical prey for tigers and forces them to hunt livestock.<\/p>\n
The second is urban sprawl and the encroachment of towns and cities into tiger territories, which displaces the cats and leads to killing by humans provoked by fear. These conflicts are not unique to Asia and are common as humans encroach upon the territory of large predators around the world. In the U.S., cougars in the western parts of the country have faced similar threats.<\/p>\n
The demand for tiger bones and other body parts used in traditional Asian medicines is also contributing to the tiger’s decline. Despite the work of many governments and scientists to decrease demand by\u00a0educating\u00a0the public about other sources for these “medical” compounds, an illegal market for tiger parts persists. In some areas, tiger farming has become a profitable illicit market.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Meet the Animals” tab_id=”smee”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n
Tigers have reddish-orange coats with prominent black stripes, white bellies and
\nwhite spots on their ears. Like a human fingerprint, no two tigers have the exact
\nsame markings. Because of this, researchers can use stripe patterns to identify
\ndifferent individuals when studying tigers in the wild. Tigers are powerful hunters
\nwith sharp teeth, strong jaws and agile bodies. They are the largest terrestrial
\nmammal whose diet consists entirely of meat. The tiger’s closest relative is the lion.
\nIn fact, without fur, it is difficult to distinguish a tiger from a lion.<\/p>\n
Tigers are the largest cat species in the world, and the Amur tiger is the largest
\nsubspecies with males weighing up to 660 pounds (300 kilograms) and measuring 10
\nfeet (3 meters). Sumatran tigers are the smallest subspecies, maxing out at 310
\npounds (140 kilograms) and 8 feet (2.4 meters). Female tigers of all subspecies tend
\nto be smaller than their male counterparts.<\/p>\n
Historically, tigers existed throughout much of Eastern and Southern Asia, as well as
\nin parts of Central and Western Asia and the Middle East, surrounding the Caspian
\nSea. Their range has diminished significantly as human populations have expanded.
\nItis believed they currently occupy just 7 percent of their historic range.<\/p>\n
Presently, tigers are found in a variety of habitats across South and Southeast Asia,
\nChina and Eastern Russia. They thrive in temperate, tropical or evergreen forests,
\nmangrove swamps and grasslands. Amur tigers are primarily found in Far-East
\nRussia, although there are small populations across the border into China and
\npotentially North Korea. Sumatran tigers are found only on the Indonesian island of
\nSumatra. A tiger’s range within these regions is determined by the availability of
\nprey.<\/p>\n
Despite their solitary nature, communication is a very important part of tigers\u2019
\nbehavioral ecology. They communicate through vocalizations, such as roaring,
\ngrunting and chuffing, and through signals, such as scent marking and scratches on
\ntrees. Tigers are fiercely territorial animals, so these signals are particularly
\nimportant to communicating where one tiger’s home range ends and another’s
\nbegins.<\/p>\n
Tigers are solitary ambush predators that rely on stealth and strength to take down
\nprey. These apex predators primarily hunt large ungulates, such as wild boar and
\ndeer, but are also known to consume monkeys, buffalo, sloth bears, leopards and
\neven crocodiles. When tigers are found in close proximity to humans, they may also
\nfeed on domestic animals, such as cattle or goats. Tigers are adept swimmers and
\nhave even been recorded hunting in the wild.<\/p>\n
These powerful cats hunt primarily at night, using sight and sound to identify prey.
\nTheir striped coats help them blend into their surroundings, where they lie in wait for
\nprey to pass by. At the opportune moment, tigers pounce on their prey, take it to the
\nground and finish the kill by breaking or biting the neck. Tigers hunt about once a
\nweek and consume as much as 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of food in one night.<\/p>\n
At the Zoo, tigers eat ground beef, and their diet is supplemented with enrichment
\nitems each week. They receive knucklebones or cow femurs twice a week and rabbits
\nonce a week to exercise their jaws and keep their teeth healthy.<\/p>\n
Tigers are solitary creatures, except when mating or raising young. Cubs stay with
\ntheir mothers until they learn to hunt successfully, usually at about 18 to 24 months
\nold. They reach full independence after two to three years, at which point they
\ndisperse to find their own territory. Female tigers often remain near their mother’s\u2019
\nterritory, while males disperse farther from home.<\/p>\n
Female tigers reach sexual maturity between age 3 and 4. Males are sexually mature
\nat about 4 or 5 years old. Mating can occur at any time of year but most often takes
\nplace during cooler months between November and April. Tigers are induced
\novulators, which means females will not release eggs until mating occurs. Gestation
\nlasts approximately 100 days, and females give birth to between one and seven
\noffspring at a time, averaging between two and four cubs. Once cubs become
\nindependent, at about age 2, females are ready to give birth again. However, if a
\nfemale’s offspring do not survive, due to causes such as infanticide or starvation, she
\nis able to conceive another litter right away.<\/p>\n
The life span of tigers in the wild is usually between 10 and 15 years. In human care,
\nor on rare occasions in the wild, a tiger can live up to 20 years. However,
\napproximately half of all wild tiger cubs do not survive past the first two years of life.
\nOnly 40 percent of those that reach independence actually live to establish a territory
\nand produce young. The risk of mortality remains high for adult tigers due to their
\nterritorial nature, which often results in direct competition with conspecifics, or
\nmembers of the same species.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][\/vc_tta_tabs][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/4″ icons_position=”left” el_class=”sidebarheading”][vc_custom_heading text=”WHERE TO FIND THE TIGER” font_container=”tag:h6|text_align:left”][vc_single_image image=”1518″ img_size=”full” onclick=”link_image”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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