Day 29: Tiger

The tiger is the largest member of the felid (cat) family. There were once nine subspecies of tigers: Bengal, Siberian, Indochinese, South Chinese, Sumatran, Malayan, Caspian, Javan and Bali. Of these, the last three are extinct, one is extinct in the wild, and the rest are endangered. The Siberian tiger is the largest subspecies and males weigh from around 400-675 lbs, while the Sumatran tiger, the smallest living subspecies, weighs in from around 220-310 lbs. Females of all tiger subspecies are smaller than males.Tigers occupy a variety of habitats from tropical forests, evergreen forests, woodlands and mangrove swamps to grasslands, savannah and rocky country. They are mostly nocturnal and are ambush predators that rely on the camouflage their stripes provide. Tigers use their body weight to knock prey to the ground and kills with a bite to the neck. The Siberian tiger is the largest subspecies and males weigh from around 400-675 lbs, while the Sumatran tiger, the smallest living subspecies, weighs in from around 220-310 lbs. Females of all tiger subspecies are smaller than males.