![]() A further habitat requirement is the placement of suitably secluded den locations, which may consist of caves, large hollow trees, or dense vegetation. Compared to the lion, the tiger prefers denser vegetation, for which its camouflage colouring is ideally suited, and where a single predator is not at a disadvantage compared with the multiple felines in a pride. Tigers can occupy a wide range of habitat types, but will usually require sufficient cover, proximity to water, and an abundance of prey. In the decade from 1997 to 2007, the estimated area known to be occupied by tigers has declined by 41%. Since the beginning of the 20th century, tigers' historical range has shrunk by 93%. The only large island they still inhabit is Sumatra. The northern limit of their range is close to the Amur River in southeastern Siberia. Today, their fragmented and partly degraded range extends from India in the west to China and Southeast Asia. This was the result of habitat loss and the ongoing killing of tigers and tiger prey. They were extirpated on the island of Bali in the 1940s, around the Caspian Sea in the 1970s, and on Java in the 1980s. Fossil remains indicate tigers were also present in Borneo and Palawan in the Philippines during the late Pleistocene and Holocene.ĭuring the 20th century, tigers became extinct in western Asia and were restricted to isolated pockets in the remaining parts of their range. In the past, tigers were found throughout Asia, from the Caucasus and the Caspian Sea to Siberia and the Indonesian islands of Java, Bali and Sumatra. Their historical range in Bangladesh, Siberia, Iran, Afghanistan, India, China, and southeast Asia, including three Indonesian islands, is severely diminished today. The remaining subspecies all survived at least into the mid-20th century three of these are also considered extinct. One, the Trinil, became extinct in prehistoric times. The original source may have been the Persian "tigra" meaning pointed or sharp and the Avestan "tigrhi" meaning an arrow, perhaps referring to the speed with which a tiger launches itself at its prey.There are 10 recognized tiger subspecies. These derive from the Old French "tigre", itself a derivative of the Latin word "tigris" and the Greek word "tigris". The specific epithet, "tigris", as well as the common name, tiger, come from the Middle English "tigre" and the Old English "tigras", both used for the animal. The derivation from Greek "pan-" and "ther" may be folk etymology. The word "Panthera" is probably of Oriental origin and retraceable to the Ancient Greek word "panther", the Latin word "panthera", the Old French word "pantere", most likely meaning "the yellowish animal", or from "pandarah" meaning "whitish-yellow". In 1929, the British taxonomist Reginald Innes Pocock subordinated the species under the genus "Panthera" using the scientific name "Panthera tigris". In 1758, Linnaeus first described the species in his work "Systema Naturae" under the scientific name "Felis tigris". A wild specimen, having no natural predators, could in theory live to a comparable age. The oldest recorded captive tiger lived for 26 years. ![]() The tiger also has fairly stout teeth the somewhat curved canines are the longest among living felids with a crown height of up to 90 mm. However, due to variation in skulls of the two species, the structure of the lower jaw is a more reliable indicator of species. The skull of a lion has broader nasal openings. The skull is similar to that of the lion, though the frontal region is usually not as depressed or flattened, with a slightly longer postorbital region. These false "eyespots", called ocelli, apparently play an important role in intraspecies communication. The small, rounded ears have a prominent white spot on the back, surrounded by black. The pupils are circular with yellow irises. They have a mane-like heavy growth of fur around the neck and jaws and long whiskers, especially in males. ![]() The tiger's stripes are also found on the skin, so that if it were to be shaved, its distinctive coat pattern would still be visible. The tiger is one of only a few striped cat species it is not known why spots are the more common camouflage pattern among felids. Their function is likely for camouflage in vegetation such as long grass with strong vertical patterns of light and shade. The pelage is dense and heavy coloration varies between shades of orange and brown with white ventral areas and distinctive vertical black stripes, whose patterns are unique to each individual. Tigers have muscular bodies with powerful forelimbs, large heads and long tails.
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