Tigers

The tiger is the largest cat in the world and is known by many through its various characters and roles in American literature and pop culture. The tiger draws a lot of inspiration from authors past and present . The tiger can make some of the most interesting stories and characters in books , plays , and even movies.

There are only two types of tigers living in the world today. The Siberian tiger which lives in eastern Siberia , northern China , and northern Korea . The Bengal tiger which lives in India and also known as Indian tigers. Both of these species of tiger are endangered due to hunting and there are only about 5,000 to 7,000 tigers left in the wild. (Bengal Tiger1)

The Siberian tiger is not only the largest of the two species but it is also the largest living cat in the world. They need to eat about 20 pounds of meat a day to stay alive in the cold climates of Siberia . It can consume up to 200 pounds of meat a day.(The Siberian Tiger1) In the harsh Siberian winter the tiger's coat will lose some of its color. The winter coat doesn't have the red stripes of tigers from warmer climates. The white coat also helps to camouflage it in the snow. It also grows a longer and thicker coat than other tigers to help it survive the cold weather. (Siberian Tiger 2)

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A Siberian tigers territory can be as large as 1,200 square miles. It will stay in its territory for many years, as long as food sources are good. They mark their territory by scratching trees, and with urine. Only the male will defend his territory against other males. The male tiger is a loner, but he will let other tigers pass through his territory. He is more tolerant of females, and females with cubs going through his territory than other males.( Thyssen 2)

The Siberian tiger is not as good a hunter as people might think. Most of the time only one of ten of their hunting trips is a success. It hunts wild pigs, deer, elk, lynx, bears, rabbits, and will eat fish too. Its reputation as a vicious killer is really not deserved because hunting is not their strong point.( Thyssen 2)

The Siberian tiger can reach a length of 130 inches which makes it the largest of the different tiger species . The Siberian tiger also has a very broad muzzle compared to other tiger species , and male Siberian tigers usually have mane. The typical body length for male Siberian tigers is 106 - 130 inches while females are smaller and usually stay between 95 and 108 inches. They male Siberian tigers are much heavier than the female tigers and usually weigh from 419 - 675 pounds. The really large male Siberian tigers weigh 800 pounds or more. Female Siberian tigers tend to stay around 221 - 368 pounds. ( The Siberian Tiger 2)

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Despite their fearsome reputation, most tigers avoid humans; however, a few do become dangerous man eaters. These animals are often sick and unable to hunt normally, or live in areas where their traditional prey has vanished.( Siberian tiger 2)

The Bengal tiger is the smaller of the two species with males up to 10 feet long and females about 9 feet long and Bengal tigers often weight from 350 to 550 pounds.(Bengal Tiger 1) Their eyes are large with excellent vision. They also have very good hearing. They have large , sharp teeth and strong, powerful jaws. They have huge paws and claws which are retractable .They are orange with striped patterns on their backs and also have whit on their stomach areas . Their fur is short and thick and their whiskers are very long. ( Asia Bengal Tiger 2)

Tigers live alone and aggressively mark large territories to keep their rivals away. They are powerful nocturnal hunters and have to travel many miles to find buffalo, deer, wild pigs, and other large mammals.