TIGER

 The tiger (Panthera tigris) is the largest extant cat species. The global wild tiger population was estimated between 3,062 and 3,948 individuals. Major reasons for population decline are habitat destruction, habitat fragmentation and poaching. The global wild tiger population was estimated to number between 3,062 and 3,948 mature individuals.

These six subspecies are endangered and still alive.

BENGAL TIGER  

  Scientific name : Panthera tigris tigris

  Other name : Royal Bengal tiger, Indian tiger.

  Native : Indian subcontinent(India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan).

  Characteristic : 

  • The Bengal tiger ranks among the biggest wild cats. 
  • The coat is yellow to light orange, with stripes ranging from dark brown to black.
  • The belly and the interior parts of the limbs are white.
  • The tail is orange with black rings.

  • The white tiger is a recessive mutant of the tiger.

SIBERIAN TIGER

   Scientific name : Panthera tigris tigris

   Other name : Amur tiger, Manchurian tiger, Korean tiger, Ussurian tiger,

   Native : North Asia(Russia, China, Korea).

   Characteristic :  

  • The tiger is reddish-rusty, or rusty-yellow in colour, with narrow black transverse stripes.
  • The ground colour of Siberian tigers' pelage is often very pale, especially in winter coat.
  • The fur of the Siberian tiger is moderately thick, coarse,denser, silkier, softer and sparse in winter.
  • It has an extended supple body standing on rather short legs with a fairly long tail.
  • Larger body similar to bengal tiger. 

SOUTH CHINA TIGER

   Scientific name : Panthera tigris tigris

   Other name :  Amoy tiger.

   Native : Southern China(Fujian, Guangdong, Hunan and Jiangxi provinces).

   Characteristic :

  • The South China tiger is the smallest tiger.
  • Their carnassials and molars are shorter than in the Bengal tiger
  • Their coat is lighter and more yellowish and the paws, face, and stomach appear more white. 
  • The stripes are narrower, more numerous and more sharp-edged. 

INDOCHINESE TIGER


   Scientific name : Panthera tigris corbetti

   Other name : Corbett's tiger

   Native : Southeast Asia(Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos).

   Characteristic :

  • The Indochinese tiger's skull is smaller than that of the Bengal tiger.
  • The ground colouration is darker with more rather short and narrow single stripes. 
  • In body size, it is smaller than Bengal and Siberian tigers.

MALAYAN TIGER  

                                                  

  Scientific name :  Panthera tigris malayensis and Panthera tigris jacksoni

  Other name : Southern Indochinese tiger

  Native : Peninsular Malaysia.

  Characteristic :

  • Malayan tigers appear to be smaller than Bengal tigers.
  • There is no clear difference between the Malayan and the Indochinese tigers.

SUMATRAN TIGER 

  Scientific name :  Panthera tigris sumatrae

  Native : Indonesian island of Sumatra.

  Characteristic :

  • The Sumatran tiger is one of the smallest tigers.
  • It is darker in fur colour and has broader stripes than the Javan tiger. 
  • Stripes tend to dissolve into spots near their ends, and on the back, flanks and hind legs are lines of small, dark spots between the regular stripes. 
  • The frequency of stripes is higher than in other subspecies.
  • Males have a prominent ruff, which is especially marked in the Sumatran tiger. 
These three subspecies are extinct.

CASPIAN TIGER


   Scientific name : Panthera tigris virgata

   Other name : Balkhash tiger, Hyrcanian tiger, Turanian tiger, and the Mazandaran tiger.

   Native : Central Asia and the Middle East( Iran, China, Turkey, Afghanistan).

   Characteristic : 

  • The stripes were narrower, fuller.
  • The colour of its stripes was a mixture of brown or cinnamon shades. 
  • Pure black patterns were invariably found only on head, neck, the middle of the back and at the tip of the tail.

JAVAN TIGER 

   Scientific name : Panthera tigris sondaica

   Native :  Indonesian island of Java.

   Characteristic : 

  • The Javan tiger was small compared to other subspecies.
  • It usually had long and thin stripes.
  • Its nose was long and narrow, occipital plane remarkably narrow. 

BALI TIGER



  Scientific name : Panthera tigris balica

  Native : Indonesian island of Bali.

  Characteristic :

  • The Bali tiger was  the smallest tiger in the Sunda islands.
  • The skulls is the narrow occipital plane, which is analogous with the shape of tiger skulls from Java.

  • In the 20th century, only seven skins and skulls of tigers from Bali were known to be preserved in museum collections.

 

 

 

  

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