MALAYAN TIGER (Panthera tigris jacksoni)

One of six living subspecies of tiger, the Malayan tiger wears the characteristic striping pattern of black stripes on orange and white that provides excellent camouflage in the forest. Using its quiet stalking ability, a tiger will ambush large prey, often pouncing on it from the rear. Other than females with their young, tigers are solitary and come together only to mate. Each tiger defends its own territory from others of the same gender. Territories must be large to provide enough prey for a tiger to eat. As more and more forests disappear, tigers struggle to maintain a territory with sufficient prey.

• A tiger may travel up to 20 miles a night in search of prey.
• Unlike most cats, tigers seem to enjoy swimming and soaking in water.
• A tiger’s roar can be heard up to two miles away.
• One out of every 10,000 tigers will lack the orange coloring. These white tigers are not albinos; they simply express a recessive gene.

Fact File

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• Length: 7.6 to 9.3 ft
• Weight: 220 to 400 lbs
• Lifespan: 15 yrs in wild
• Habitat: Forest
• Prey: Deer, wild pigs, and cattle
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• Status: Species at Risk (IUCN—Endangered)

Indochinese Tiger (Panthera tigris corbetti)

The Indochinese Tiger (Panthera tigris corbetti) is more commonly known as the Indochinese, or Malayan tiger, and was recognized as a subspecies as recently as 1968 from a tiger discovered in the vicinity of a coastal town in Central Vietnam. Corbetti is a smaller, darker, and less boldly striped tiger than the Bengal subspecies found in India. Males can reach a length of 9 feet and may obtain weights in excess of 400 pounds. Female Indochinese Tigers like other female tiger subspecies, are smaller then their male counterparts. Females achieve a head to tail length of eight feet and weigh approximately 250 pounds.

In 1930, it is estimated the Indochinese Tigers population in Malaysia alone was over 3,000 animals. Due to the rapid spread of firearms and the opening of forests for agriculture, human settlement, and mining, these numbers have drastically declined. Cambodia supports a large percentage of this population, with 50% forest cover remaining.

Corbetti inhabits the forest hills and mountainous, rugged terrain in this area. Current plans are underway to sell off much this unprotected territory to logging companies. It is estimated that there are only 1200 to 1800 Indochinese Tigers are left in the wild with an additional 60 animals being maintained in American and Asian zoos under the auspices of captive breeding programs.

The largest wild populations of Indochinese Tigers now live in Thailand. They also inhabit southern China, Myanmar (Burma), Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. Within this range, corbetti inhabits the remote forests hills and mountainous terrain of the region. Much of this terrain lies between the borders of multiple countries with extremely limited access. Due to the restricted status of these areas, biologists have only recently been granted permits to study this rare feline in the field. As a result, very little is known about the status of this subspecies and its behaviors in the wild.

The Indochinese tiger needs protection in order to survive and continued implementation of sound conservation efforts to save the species from becoming extinct in the wild. Let us all hope that the various captive management programs are successful in their attempts to save this unique subspecies of tiger. Without human intervention and global protection, the Indochinese Tiger will surely become extinct.

Scientific Name: Panthera tigris corbetti
Range: Southern China, Myanmar (Burma), Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
Average Weight:
Female: 100kg - 130kg (221 - 287 pounds)
Male: 150kg - 195kg (330- 430 pounds)
Size (Length):
Female: 2.31m-2.64m (7'-7"- 8'-8")
Male: 2.57m-2.84m (8-5"- 9'-4")
Diet: All tigers are carnivorous. Indochinese tiger's prey consists mostly of antelope, wild boar, wild pigs, and a variety of other hooved mammals indigenous to their territory areas.
Gestation Period: 100-119 Days (Averaging 103 Days)
Cub Maturity: 18 months - 2 Years
Cubs Per Litter: (Usually 2-3 cubs) Cubs are born blind and weigh 2-3 pounds. 18-26 month intervals.
Lifespan: 14-16 Years
Predators: Man
Social Structure: Solitary, except during mating season. Male territory may sometimes overlap.
Territory Size: 257km (160 miles)
Population (Wild): 1,000 - 1,800
Captive (SSP): 50-70 in Zoos worldwide
Conservation Status: CITES Appendix 1. (All wildcats are listed on CITES Appendix I or II).

Siberian Tiger Panthera tigris altaica

Siberian (or Amur) tigers are the world's largest cats. They live primarily in eastern Russia's birch forests, though some exist in China and North Korea. There are an estimated 400 to 500 Siberian tigers living in the wild, and recent studies suggest that these numbers are stable. Though their northern climate is far harsher than those of other tigers, these animals have some advantages. Northern forests offer the lowest human density of any tiger habitat, and the most complete ecosystem. The vast woodlands also allow tigers far more room to roam, as Russia's timber industry is currently less extensive than that of many other countries.

Tigers are the largest of all wild cats and are renowned for their power and strength. There were once eight tiger subspecies, but three became extinct during the 20th century. Over the last hundred years, hunting and forest destruction have reduced overall tiger populations from hundreds of thousands to perhaps 3,000 to 5,000. Tigers are hunted as trophies and also for body parts that are used in traditional Chinese medicine. All five remaining tiger subspecies are endangered, and many protection programs are in place. Poaching is a reduced—but still very significant—threat to Siberian tigers.

Tigers live alone and aggressively scent-mark large territories to keep their rivals away. They are powerful hunters that travel many miles to find prey, such as elk and wild boar, on nocturnal hunts. Tigers use their distinctive coats as camouflage (no two have exactly the same stripes) and hunt by stealth. They lie in wait and creep close enough to attack their victims with a quick spring and a fatal pounce. A hungry tiger can eat as much as 60 pounds (27 kilograms) in one night, though they usually eat less.

Despite their fearsome reputation, most tigers avoid humans; however, a few do become dangerous maneaters. These animals are often sick and unable to hunt normally, or live in areas where their traditional prey has vanished.

Females give birth to litters of two to six cubs, which they raise with little or no help from the male. Cubs cannot hunt until they are 18 months old, and remain with their mothers for two to three years, when they disperse to find their own territory.

Bengal tiger

The Bengal tiger, or Royal Bengal tiger , equals a race of tiger mainly obtained in India and Bangladesh. They are also obtained in regions of Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and south Tibet. The Bengal tiger is among the biggest and the just about a lot of of the tiger race, with approximately 1,411 wild tigers being accounted by the Government of India's National Tiger Conservation Authority.

Onetime got hold throughout the Indian subcontinent, the Bengal tiger's instinctive habitat has drastically cut down due to their expanding interactions with mankind. Most tigers in India, home to almost 50% of the Earth tiger population, are broke up into numerous small separated populations building them defenseless to extinction.

It's traditionally been believed the 2nd biggest race after the Siberian tiger. They are the basal tiger race, existing in a variety of habitats, including grasslands, semitropical and equatorial rain forests, scrub forests, wet and dry deciduous forests, and mangroves. The Bengal race P. tigris tigris is the national animal of Bangladesh, although at the species grade, the tiger Panthera tigris is the national animal of India .

How many types of tigers are there in the world and what are their names and where do they reside?

SIX TYPES OF TIGERS

There are currently 6 subspecies of tigers. The different subspecies are found in areas of Asia, India and Russia. The largest subspecies is found in snowy areas of Russia. The smallest and darkest subspecies is found farther south, in the jungles of Indonesia. Tigresses (females) are always smaller than males.

SIBERIAN OR AMUR TIGER - the largest of the tiger subspecies, males can be as long as a station wagon. These tigers also have the palest orange coat and the fewest stripes.

BENGAL OR INDIAN TIGER - This is the most common subspecies of tiger.

INDOCHINESE TIGER - These tigers are about 20% smaller and are darker than Bengal tigers.

MALAYAN TIGER - This subspecies was proved to be a "true subspecies", living in Thailand and Malaysia in 2004. A group from the U.S. National Cancer Institute, the Laboratory of Genomic Diversity, studied the tiger and discovered the new classification. The Malayan tiger is one of the smallest subspecies of tigers, along with the Sumatran tiger.

SOUTH CHINA TIGER - These tigers are slightly smaller than the Indochinese subspecies. In the 1950s the Chinese government ordered that these tigers be destroyed because they were viewed as pests. Today, there are less than 30 South China tigers left in the wild. Thankfully, the Chinese have taken steps toward a plan to protect the remaining South China tigers.

SUMATRAN TIGER - Even though the Sumatran is one of the smallest tiger subspecies, it still is a pretty big cat and is the length of a school cafeteria table!

Royal Bengal Tiger [Wild Animals in India]

The Royal Bengal tiger, the national animal of India is an incredible sight. With its orange hide marked with dark stripes, its white underbelly, long tail, huge paws and fearsome teeth, the Royal Bengal Tiger of India is justifiably called the "King of the Jungle." It is the largest of the Big Cats. There are several subspecies of Tiger of which the Siberian Tiger is the largest.

Zoological name: Panthera tigris tigris

Range: The Royal Bengal Tiger is found in the wild across India in protected forests, and in Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Estimated population: It is estimated that there are around 3,250 - 4,700 Royal Bengal Tigers in the wild with over 330 in captivity, including zoos and animal parks.

Physical characteristics: Royal Bengal Tigers can have an incredible size ranging in length from under 6 feet to over 9 feet, while the length of its tail can be over 3 feet. Adult male tigers are larger than female tigers. The color of the Royal Bengal Tigers pelt can range from orange to tan with white beneath. The pattern of stripes on a tiger's skin is unique to each tiger. The patterns are used to identify and enumerate tigers based on tiger sightings in wildlife national parks in India. Tigers can shed their short thick fur in summer and it grows in thickness in winter. The Siberian tiger, the largest of the tigers, lives in a snow covered landscape, protected by its thick fur. Tigers have large, padded paws, with retractable claws. The paw print or pugmark of each tiger is also unique and is therefore used for identification and tracking by wildlife officials. Tigers have a large head, big ears and thick whiskers. The strong jaw of the tiger is used to bite the throat or neck of the tiger's prey. Tigers have incredible vision, their sight is enhanced by a reflecting layer behind the retina called the tapetum, whereby light is reflected back onto the retina, enabling tigers to see six times better than humans.

White tigers: All white tigers in captivity in the world today are the descendants of one white tiger, Mohan caught by the Maharaja of Rewa in 1951. A White Tiger is the same as a Royal Bengal Tiger except for a genetic mutation that causes the change in the color of their fur and eyes. White tigers have blue eyes and brownish stripes.

Habitat: Tigers prefer thick grass, dense jungle and undergrowth in which they can hide and wait for their prey. The stripes on the hide of the tiger act as an incredible camouflage and help the tiger conceal itself in tall grass and vegetation. In the dry jungles of wildlife parks in Ranthambore and Sariska in Rajasthan India, tigers are often seen in the ruins of monuments and temples in the park. Tigers unlike other cats, like water and in the hot summer are often seen sitting or lying in pools of water to stay cool and are good swimmers.

Diet: Royal Bengal Tigers are carnivores and hunt for prey. Their prey includes deer, wild buffalo, elephants, wild pigs and cattle in areas of human encroachment. Aged, sick or injured tigers that are unable to hunt swift-footed prey have been known to turn man-eater.

Behavior: Royal Bengal Tigers are usually solitary. Tiger couples have sometimes been seen, however a family group commonly consists of a mother and her cubs that live with her for around 2 years. Male tigers are known to fight over territory. A male tigers territory usually overlaps the territory of more than one tigress. Tigers mark their territory by urinating and spraying scent from a specialized gland. A tigress retires to a den to bear her litter, which usually consists of 2-4 cubs. In the wild, tigers live from 8- 15 years. In zoos, tigers have been recorded as living up to 26 years.

Status: Royal Bengal Tiger is an endangered species. Their numbers were recorded as below 2000 in the 1970's, after which Project Tiger was initiated in India in 1973 in wildlife national parks and sanctuaries of India. There has been a steady increase in the population of tigers in India where they are protected in 27 tiger reserves, wildlife national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. The threat of poaching due to the demand for tiger bones and body parts in traditional Chinese medicine remains a pressing issue. The loss of habitat as well as human population pressure on wildlife reserves in India is another concern.

Project Tiger Wildlife Sanctuaries: Tourists can see the incredible Royal Bengal Tiger in the following Wildlife National Parks on India wildlife tours:

Bandipur-Nagarhole (Karnataka), Corbett (Uttaranchal), Kanha (Madhya Pradesh), Manas (Assam), Melghat(Maharashtra), Palamau (Jharkhand), Ranthambhore (Rajasthan), Similipal (Orissa), Sunderbans (West Bengal), Periyar (Kerala), Sariska (Rajasthan), Buxa (West Bengal),Indravati (Chattisgarh), Nagarjunsagar (Andhra Pradesh), Namdapha (Arunachal Pradesh), Dudhwa-Katerniaghat (Uttar Pradesh), Kalakad-Mundanthurai (Tamil Nadu), Valmiki (Bihar), Pench (Madhya Pradesh-Maharashtra), Tadoba-Andhari (Maharashtra), Bandhavgarh (Madhya Pradesh), Dampha (Mizoram), Bhadra (Karnataka), Pakhui-Nameri (Arunachal Pradesh-Assam), Bori, Satpura, Pachmari (Madhya Pradesh).