The biggest of the striped cats and a solitary ambush hunter of forests, from Indian mangroves to snowy Russian taiga. It now occupies less than a tenth of its historical range.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?Yes
Dangerous?Yes
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Night
Mostly active from dusk into the night.
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?No
At a glance
Found inAsia
HabitatForest, Rainforest, Wetland, Grassland
ColoursOrange, Black, White
SizeLarge
Length1.4–2.8 m plus a 0.6–1.1 m tail
Weight75–260 kg, by region and sex
Legs4
Covered inFur
Lives alone
Lives for10–15 years
Can swim
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Scattered populations in India and the rest of South Asia, Southeast Asia, Sumatra, north-east China and the Russian Far East. India has the most tiger habitat.
- What it eats
- Mainly large hoofed animals such as deer and wild pigs, plus buffalo and gaur where they occur.
- Conservation
- Endangered (IUCN Red List)
Did you know
Their skin is striped too, not just the fur.
A powerful swimmer that crosses wide rivers and often soaks in water on hot days.
Often confused with
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