TIGER FACTS

It's a fact that no two Tigers have the same pattern of stripes, just like no two humans have the same fingerprints. Although a Tiger's stripes look colorful and bold, they actually help the animal hide, because the stripes blend in with the tall plants in its environment. There are several different races of Tigers, ranging from the small Bali race to the Siberian, the largest cat in the world. All Tigers are endangered and some of the races are likely extinct.
-Size(average): male to 3 m (10 ft.), female to 2.7 m (9 ft.)

-Weight: male to 225 kg (500 lb.), female to 135 kg (300 lb.); largest existing member of the cat family

-LifeSpan: average probably not more than 15 years in the wild...16 to 18 years in controlled environments

-Habitat: tropical jungle, brush, marsh lands, and tall grasslands in fragmented areas of Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Bhuton, and Burma

-Diet: medium to large prey such as pigs, deer, antelopes, and buffalo

There are 5 existing sub-species of tiger: Siberian, Bengal, Indo-Chinese, Chinese and the Sumatran.
Two others are extinct: the Caspian and the Bali. The Javan is probably extinct in the wild.

MORE FACTS ON TIGERS

-The Tiger is a hugely built cat, with extremely powerful muscles. Tigers love the water and are great swimmers.

-When the temperature gets hot, tigers do not go far from the water. They can swim over 3 miles without stopping. The cubs learn this behavior from their mothers, it's not instinctual.

-They have large, powerful teeth that are set in a jaw of enormous strength. They have a bite of extraordinary force.

-The female is smaller than the male, usually by about 100 pounds.

-The tigers hunting techniques vary based on the habits and activities of its prey.

-The tiger is a solitary animal. It's estimated that between 25 & 35 square miles is needed to support a single adult male.

-Tiger cubs have a high mortality rate, Out of 100 cubs, 50 will live to the independent stage.

-Its estimated only one cub from each litter survives to maturity.

-Many tigers are killed by poachers for their coats and body parts which are prized for there supposed potency as medicines and aphrodisiacs.

-Tigers cubs are very playful and, like other mammals, have a distinct sense of fun.

-The first known White Tiger was captured in the jungles of Rewa in 1951, by the Maharaja of Rewa.

-The White Tiger has pale icy blue eyes, white fur with dark stripes, pink nose and pink paw pads.

-The White Tiger is not an albino.

-The female produces 3 - 4 cubs with each pregnancy.

-Golden offspring that carry the white gene are called Heterozygous.

-In captivity, the life expectancy of White Tigers is about 20 years.

-Most White Tigers are Bengals, although some are Bengal - Siberian crosses.

-White tigers have long been extinct in the wild.