TIGER

(Panthera tigris; also Neofelis tigris, or Leo tigris), great cat of Asia, the largest member of the cat family (Felidae). Like the lion, leopard, and others, the tiger is one of the big, or roaring, cats; it is rivaled only by the lion in strength and ferocity. The tiger is thought to have originated in northern Eurasia and to have moved southward; its present range extends from the Russian Far East through parts of China, India, and Southeast Asia. There are about seven or eight generally accepted races of tiger. Of these, the Javan tiger, Bali tiger, and Caspian tiger are believed to be extinct; the Chinese tiger is near extinction; and the Sumatran, Siberian, and Indian subspecies are listed in the Red Data Book as definitely endangered. The size and the characteristic colour and striped markings of the tiger vary according to locality and race. Tigers of the south are smaller and more brightly coloured than those of the north. The Bengal tiger (P. tigris tigris) and those of the islands of Southeast Asia, for example, are bright reddish tan, beautifully marked with dark, almost black, transverse stripes; the underparts, inner sides of the limbs, the cheeks, and a large spot over each eye are whitish. The very large and very rare Siberian tiger (P. tigris altaica) of northern China and Russia, however, has longer, softer, and paler fur. There are a few black and white tigers, and one pure white tiger has been recorded. The tiger has no mane, but in old males the hair on the cheeks is rather long and spreading. The male tiger is larger than the female and may attain a shoulder height of about 1 m (3.3 feet); a length of about 2.2 m, excluding a tail of about 1 m; and a weight of about 160230 kg (350500 pounds), or a maximum of about 290 kg. The tiger inhabits grassy and swampy districts and forests; it also haunts the ruins of buildings such as courts and temples. A powerful, generally solitary cat, it swims well and appears to enjoy bathing. Under stress, it may climb trees. The tiger hunts by night and preys on a variety of animals, including deer, wild hog, and peafowl. Healthy large mammals are generally avoided, although there have been recorded instances of the tiger having attacked elephants and adult buffalo. Cattle are sometimes taken from human habitations. An old or disabled tiger or a tigress with cubs may find human beings an easier prey and become a man-eater. In warm regions the tiger produces young at any time of year; in cold regions it bears its cubs in spring. Litter size is usually two or three, and gestation averages 113 days. The cubs are striped and remain with the mother until about the second year, when they are nearly adult and are able to kill prey for themselves. The tigress does not breed again until her cubs are independent. The average life span of a tiger is about 11 years. Because it is so closely related, the tiger can be crossbred in captivity with the lion; the offspring of such matings are called tigons when the sire is a tiger, and ligers when the sire is a lion. The tiger has been the subject of much folklore and superstition. It has been hunted for sport and for fur. In parts of its range it is valued for the supposed curative, protective, or aphrodisiac properties of various parts of its anatomy. Other animals sometimes called tigers are the clouded leopard (q.v.), or clouded tiger; the puma (q.v.), or deer tiger; and the sabre-toothed cat (q.v.).