Common characteristics of tiger

Tigers have historically lived in a wide variety of climates and habitats from Turkey east to China and from Siberia south to the Indonesian islands. They are the largest of the cats living on earth today.

After about 103 days of gestation, female tigers of all the subspecies produce a litter of between 1 and 5 cubs (2-3 is average). At 8 weeks, cubs start learning to hunt with their mother. By 6 months they have learned the basics of killing animal. It will be about 1 ½ years before they can really hunt and sustain themselves on their own.

Because these cats are so large, they require large species of prey animals. As you imagine, tigers naturally travel over large areas in search of prey. As the human population of the world and fragmentation of forests and wild lands continues, tigers are colliding with humans and losing the battle for wild places with enough large prey animals to sustain them. Tigers are also being killed for their spectacular fur coats and for Asian medicinal products.