What do Tigers Eat


Tigers are the largest cat species and the third largest land carnivore after the Polar bear and the Brown bear. Usually, they weigh up to 675 pounds, and live for around 20 to 25 years. A tigress is usually smaller than the male in all the subspecies, and an adult tiger reaches a body length of around 11 feet. These animals are known to have the longest canines of the living cats. Their most distinct features are powerful forelimbs, large heads, in addition to the dark vertical stripes which are distinct for each individual tiger, on their reddish orange fur bodies.


Dense forests with sufficient cover, access to water, and existence of prey, are the most important factors [url=http://www.raidersnflofficialauthentic.com/authentic-gabe-jackson-jersey.ht... Jackson Womens Jersey that determine this cat's habitat. Formerly, tigers were found ranging from the forests of eastern Turkey to the Russian Far East, including the western regions of Asia, the Indian sub continent, Indochina, China, and the southern parts of Indonesia. However, today, their habitat has been reduced to a mere 7% of the previous range.


There are nine recognized subspecies of tigers, three of which are now said to have become extinct.


The Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) inhabits India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal.


The Indochinese Tiger (Panthera tigris corbetti) lives in China, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, and Burma.


The Malayan Tiger (Panthera [url=http://www.packersofficialauthentic.com/authentic-demetri-goodson-jersey.ht... tigris jacksoni) is found only in the south of the Malay Peninsula.


The Siberian Tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) inhabits south eastern Russia and northern China. This tiger is also known as the Amur tiger.


The South China Tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis) is also known as the Xiamen or Amoy tiger. As the name suggests, this cat is found in the southern region of China.


The three extinct subspecies are as follows:


The Javan Tiger (Panthera tigris sondaica) was found exclusively on the island of Java.


The Bali Tiger (Panthera tigris balica) lived only on the island of Bali.


The Caspian Tiger (Panthera tigris virgata) lived along the west and south of the Caspian Sea and in Central Asia.


Growing human population has drastically affected the habitat of this animal. Large areas of forest cover are cleared for agriculture, construction of roads, human settlement, and other such purposes. In the last 10 years itself, there has been a 45% decrease in the habitat of tigers. The second most populous country, India, is home to 60% of the world's wild tigers. As the population in this country has grown by 50% in the last 20 years, it has led to immense destruction of forest areas, pushing the tigers back into smaller areas. Wild animals are finding it increasingly difficult to survive due to a reduction in their natural habitat.


An adult tiger is known to be able to consume between 35 to 90 pounds of meat in one go. Their diet mainly consists of animals like deer, antelope, and wild pigs, putting them at the top of the food chain as apex predators. Sometimes, they also prey on other predators like leopards and bears. The diet of the subspecies differ depending on the region they are from. The tigers in India prefer sambar, barasingha, chital, and also nilgai, whereas the Siberian tiger's diet mainly includes sika deer, moose, and the musk deer. Tigers are opportunistic predators, and as a result, also feed on smaller prey like monkeys, fish, and hares. Their main hunting hours range between dusk and dawn. Similar to lions, these animals first stalk their prey, and then indulge in chasing and attacking them. Killing the prey typically involves a bite on the throat or the nape, and holding onto the neck in order to strangulate the animal. Their great leaping ability facilitates their act of hunting a great deal.


The competition between these animals and mankind for land area has [url=http://www.raidersnflofficialauthentic.com/authentic-gabe-jackson-jersey.ht... given rise to a tiger human conflict. The population of many animals that are the tiger's common prey is decreasing, leading to scarcity of prey, as a result of which tigers are forced to attack cattle, sheep and other livestock. Owing to this fact, this animal is sometimes referred to as the cattle lifter or cattle killer. This conflict is a threat to the existing number of tigers and also to the people who reside in areas close to the tiger's natural habitat. Poaching for illegal trading of the tiger's body parts is also a common practice that is responsible for the decline in the animal's population. These animals are also killed or captured by humans in retaliation for attacking livestock. Often, the reserves that are created to protect this animal are not up to the mark and lack organization.


Unfortunately, the number of tigers is on a rapid decline, not only in India, but also in other parts across the world. Therefore, preservation of their natural habitat is very important for their survival. If we humans realize their importance and change things for the better, only then can we hope for the survival of this royal cat. It's quite jumbled, but it has brillient facts!