Fun facts about Tigers

Tigers are considered Solitary hunters. Their hunting strategy focuses on observing their prey from a distant site and a planned strategy for a successful attack. These giant cats can live up to 25 years and not only this they can reach a length of up to 11 feet (3.3 meters) and weigh as much as 720 pounds (330 kilograms).

Types of species and their age

Tigers majorly have 5 living subspecies, which are-

1. Bengal Tiger
2. Sumatran Tiger
3. South China Tiger
4. Indochinese Tiger
5. Amur Tiger
6. Siberian Tiger

Sadly, most of the world's prominent species of tigers have become extinct and many are endangered. Amongst all endangered, Siberian tigers are the largest tiger subspecies. These Siberian tigers have an amazing height of at least 11 feet and they averagely weigh around 660 pounds or sometimes more. This is insane!

However, India is considered as the World's tiger capital where most of the tiger species can be seen in various parts of its states. The Bengal tiger is the most common in India.

Tigers plan their attack

While father tigers usually go back to their solitary nature of hunting (They hunt alone). 

The female tiger mostly takes responsibility for caring for its cubs. Tigers have their unique way of planning their attack or hunt. They keenly observe their prey from a distance and attack them when they are distracted. They majorly apply their famous strategy of Blood loss or throttling to catch their prey. 

In this, the tiger targets the neck of the prey by piercing it till the blood loss and eventually the prey dies. Other than this, In throttling, the tigers choke their prey till they die out of suffocation. What a hunt!

Did you know? Tigers can detect their prey or attackers from behind. It is believed that they do have extra eyes on their ears(Check the White spot on their ears !). Every tiger has its design of stripes and glands emitting a natural scent which makes every tiger unique. How cool is that?

Tigers are considered as one of the best hunters amongst the cat family with lions.

Other than this, Just in case you have observed a tiger sitting with eyes closed (which rarely happens) then it means they feel relaxed and are enjoying the tranquility of the surroundings.
 

The beauty of White Tigers

White tigers are normally a type of Bengal Tigers and their color is the result of lack of pigmentation in their parent genes which makes them turn into white beauty (No, not the one from Disney!)
QUICK FACT - In certain cases, Tigers breed with lions and a hybrid tiger is born which is usually known as tigons and ligers. Wow!

Their unique white appearances make them a center of attraction for many and lead to a source of entertainment in zoos. This makes me feel sad. How about living in captivity for life? I would not survive for long!

These big cats tend to grow faster as compared to their cousins in the orange family. Which means they can turn into fully grown at the age of 2-3 years. And they averagely live for 11-12 years. Surprisingly, These have beautiful blue eyes, making an adoring combination with their white fur.

I don’t know why, but I feel like Tigers can be a good detective who may walk off leaving no marks for tracking. How? Well, the secret is in their claws which they pull in resulting in no footprints.Very cunning! However, their footprints are known as “pugmarks”.

Most interestingly, Tigers are good swimmers and can swim up to 6 kilometers. They should take part in the Olympics. What would you suggest?

Astonishing behaviors of tigers

Ever heard of tigers practicing vocals? Well, They do. When it comes to expressing their thoughts in their usual routine, They produce sounds like- chuffing, roaring, hissing, moaning, and growling. 

Not only this, but they are also good in Parody! Who would have imagined that tigers could mimic as well? Strange! Tigers generally stay lowkey but in case of any alarming situation, they communicate through mimicking certain voices.

This does not end here. Tigers hardly require first aid for minor injuries. As their saliva consists of antiseptic properties. Tigers generally prefer to be lowkey and are also considered good observers, which means they will allow their cubs and tigresses to initiate the meal. Are we in a kingdom?

Tigers prefer hunting at night (no humans time) and for these reasons, they are also considered Night owls. In extreme cases, Newborn cubs are eaten by the male tigers which makes the mating for tigress convenient.

QUICK FACT -  What is a group of tigers called? An ‘ambush’ or ‘streak’.

Tigers are amazing creatures for our ecosystems. These cats have no other major enemy than Humans. I am jealous of the fact that tigers are naturally gifted by an individualized gland that secretes unique scents.