Creature Feature

Tiger Cub

 

Panthera Tigris

 

The word tiger comes from the Greek word "tigris" which was derived a Persian source meaning "arrow." In an asian context, its origins mean "the yellowish animal" or "whitish yellow"

 

A group of tigers is termed "streak" or "ambush."

 

There are six subspecies of tigers that still exist today, three are extinct.

The six existing are the Royal Bengal Tiger (India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Burma), Indochinese tiger or Corbett's tiger (Cambodia, China, Laos, Burma, Thailand and Vietnam), Malayan tiger (Malay Peninsula), Sumatran tiger (Sumatra), Siberian or North China tiger (far eastern Siberia) and South China tiger or Xiamen tiger (China).

 

The three extinct subspecies are the Balinese tiger (island of Bali) which became extinct in 1937 because of hunting, Javan tiger (island of Java) which became extinct in 1980 and Caspian or Persian tiger (Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, former Soviet Union and Turkey.

 

Tiger hybrids:

Liger - offspring of a male lion and a female tiger

Tigon - offspring of a lioness and a male tiger

 

Tiger mutations:

White tiger & Golden Tabby or strawberry tigers

 

They live within forests and areas with dense vegetation which always have 3 features, mainly with excellent cover, good water supply and plenty of prey.

 

They mark their territories with urine.

 

The tiger is on the list of the most endangered animals in the world, with the Xiamen tiger as the most endangered of the tiger subspecies. Poaching for fur and destruction of habitat are the main causes for extinction.

 

Among conservation efforts are Project Tiger and Save China's Tigers.