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| Unlike some big
cats like lions, adult tigers like to live alone (except for mother tigers
with cubs). This is partly because in the forest, a single tiger can sneak
up and surprise its prey better than a group of tigers would be able to
do. The size of a tiger's territory depends on the amount of food
available, and usually ranges from about 10 to 30 square miles (26-78 sq.
km). Siberian tigers sometimes have really big territories (as large as
120 square miles). Although tigers usually live alone, tiger territories
can overlap. A male tiger's territory usually overlaps those of several
female tigers. Tigers mark their territories by spraying bushes and trees
with a special mixture of urine and scent gland secretions. They also leave
scratch marks on trees. Wild tigers can eat as much as 40 pounds
of meat at one time. Over much of the tiger's broad geographic range,
wild pig, wild cattle and several species of deer are its major prey.
The word for a group of tigers is a Streak.
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. Young tigers live with their mother until they are two to three years old, then they find their own territories. BENGAL TIGERPanthera tigris tigris: INDOCHINESE TIGER Panthera tigris corbetti: SIBERIAN TIGER Panthera tigris altaica: SUMATRAN TIGER Panthera tigris sumatrae: SOUTH CHINA TIGER Panthera tigris amoyensis: |
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