Panthera tigris

     The tiger is the biggest of all the cats.  Sadly the tiger has been hunted by the humans and has lost most of its habitat.  Already three to eight species have become extinct, other species are at high risk.
      Tigers live for 8-10 years in the wild and 26 years in captivity.  Its body length is 140-280cm, and its tail length is 60-110cm.  A male weighs 180-280kg, and a female weighs 115-185kg.    
     The tiger has thick black vertical stripes covering an orange body.  The belly and throat are a creamy white.  Males have a ruff around the back of the head.  No two tigers have the same stripe pattern.

    Tigers range from India to Siberia and South East Asia.  The preferred habitat of tigers is forest, but they can be found in grassland and swamp margins.  They need a good, large population of prey and a constant water supply.
     Tigers main prey species are large animals such as wild pigs, buffalo, and deer.  They also hunt baby elephants, reptiles, birds, monkeys, and fish.  Occasionally, they kill leopards, bears, and other tigers..

     Tigers are found of water and are strong swimmers.
     They stalk and ambush their prey.  They blend in their surroundings so they can sneak up on their prey.  When they are close enough they rush and kill their prey by grabbing the throat or nape of the neck.
     It is rare for a tiger to attack people.  It is normally injured or old tigers who are they culprits, they are less able to catch their usual prey.
     Female tigers will give birth to 2-4 cubs after a period of 104 days.  The cubs will stay with their mothers for up to 2 years before going out to stake out their own territories.  The males look for territories away from their birth site, but females may sometimes share their mothers' territories,

     Male tigers may kill a female's cubs if the cubs are an offspring of another male.  This makes sure that the female will bear the new male's offspring.
     Tigers are active at dawn and dusk.
     Other than the man, the tiger has no natural predators.

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Leopards