Tigers have long fascinated people for their agility, super strength, and unique hunting methods. For centuries tigers have adapted to dominate the ecological niche of the rainforest. Many people especially kids would love to know just about anything tigers do in their natural habitat. That is why we are bringing you some of the most amazing and fun tiger facts for kids.
The Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) is the only big cat that lives in the forests of Russia. The tiger is adapted to living in the cold habitat. An isolated population is also found in the eastern Mongolia, Korea, and Russian Far East. There are only few Siberian cats living in the wild habitats with only 480-540 individuals surviving. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed Siberian tiger as a critically endangered species.
- Tigers are not only the biggest living cats they are also one of the largest carnivorous land mammals-second only to polar bears.
- Every tiger has unique stripes on her body. No single individual resembles the other in her stripes. It is just like human’s fingerprints.
- There are three extinct species: Bali tiger, Caspian tiger, and Javan tiger. White tiger is not a recognized subspecies; it is a pigment variant of Bengal tiger.
- Unlike any other cat tigers are remarkable swimmers. They can even chase the prey in water. This is one of her traits that make tiger the most deadly land predator.
- Big cats are crepuscular hunters in that they remain active during dusk or in the early hours of darkness. They possess keen eyesight with the help of which the animal see things quite clearly at night.
- While Siberian cats are the largest subspecies Malayan tigers are the smallest of the living cats. The South China tiger is possibly the rarest of all cats.
- Big cats do not live in Africa and they probably never saw some of the African animals such as ostrich. Tigers are Asian species.
- Cats prefer to make homes in dense forested habitats that also offer some water. They need to drink almost all day long and tigers never live too far from the water source.
- Unlike cheetahs big cats prey on medium-sized to large prey. She has the ability to take down prey nearly the size of her own. Tigers are purely carnivores.
- These cats are highly endangered species. In 1900 there were around 100,000 tigers surviving in the wild habitat but now there are as fewer as 6,000 remaining in the natural rainforest.
- The Siberian tiger is the only tiger subspecies which has many names. The cat is also called Amur tiger, Korean tiger, Ussurian tiger, and Manchurian tiger.
- Siberian cats are only slightly bigger than the Bengal subspecies. Bengal and Siberian tigers are the biggest of the living cats. The Siberian cat is the second biggest terrestrial mammal based on land.
- The Siberian cat has the biggest skull of all cats resembling lion’s skull in its size.
- Since they live in cold places, Siberian cats are insulated with dense fur. Besides, they have longer whiskers than that of Bengal tigers.
- The historical range of Siberian cats includes Lake Baikal, north-eastern China, and Manchuria. Currently the cat has become extinct in all these areas.
- Siberian tigers fancy making homes in coniferous-deciduous complex and Korean pine broadleaf forests. They make habitats in wooded forests because it allows them to hide into the woods.
- A cat also preys on Siberian roe deer, wild boar, sika deer, and Manchurian wapiti.
- The amur tiger population has increased from 331 to 540 in the last ten years. The primary reason is that now most tigers are raised in reserves and protected areas.
- They are great travelers. Siberian cats cover as much as 1,000 km (620 mi) of distance. The only barrier is the border between the countries.
- Amur tigers are solitary outside the breeding months. During mating season the male spends almost a week with the female after which both departs. The female leaves the urine marks on the tree showing her willingness to mate. She also marks her territory either by scratching tree or leaving urine deposits.