Tiger and cubs, rare "snow" tiger. (
Panthera tigris)
Although the Snow Leopard is an entirely seperate species from the leopard, the Snow Tiger is simply an ordinary tiger with white coloration. They are extremely rare, as only one out of every 100,000 tigers has the white coloration.
The tiger's body is built in such a way to aid in its hunting techniques. Longer hindlimbs than forelimbs are an adaptation for jumping, while strong and powerful forelimbs and shoulders aid in dragging down large prey. Like all cats, tigers have sharp retractile claws. These help this predator to hold onto its prey once the initial attack is made.
Another adaptation to hunting is the tiger's large and powerful jaw, which includes relatively flattened canines. The jaw's power makes the tiger's bite deadly.
The stripes on a tiger act in the same way that a fingerprint does on a human. Each stripe pattern is unique to that particular individual.
The main source of food for tigers is large, hooved mammals, but they will eat anything they can catch. Where wild prey is scarce, tigers will readily prey on livestock if it is available. The moderately dense covering in which tigers and their prey live aids in the success of their hunting technique. Tigers are stalk and ambush predators, and they use the dense covering to conceal themselves and sneak up on their prey. When the tiger is close enough to its prey, it suddenly rushes at it and attempts to kill it. Only 1 in 10 or 20 attacks is successful. The tiger uses its powerful body to knock the prey off balance. The attack is normally made from the side or rear of the victim, and the objective is to get the prey off of its feet and to deliver a fatal bit to the back of the neck or throat. The tiger may keep his grip several minutes after death. When the tiger is ready to begin eating its kill, it drags the carcass into a dense covering and begins eating the rump. A considerable amount of meat can be consumed at one time (20-35kg), however, if the kill is to sustain an individual over several days, the amount eaten is generally less (15-18kg/day). Female tigers with young have to kill more often to feed their young and themselves as well.
In general, the social system of the tiger is not very complex. The mother and her young are the basic social unit. Tigers generally hunt alone; however, there have been instances when a high degree of social tolerance has been demonstrated (MacDonald, 1987). Sometimes tigers are seen in groups in the wild at bait kills, as well as in zoos occupying the same exhibit.
(Source: http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/panthera/p._tigris$narrative.html)
Odd fact: When you shave a tiger, striped skin can be found underneath.
Thats all of the wild cat species-but there is still more to come. Next post will be about interspecies hybrids.
If you want to help save wild cats, please go to
http://bigcats.care2.com/ . Clicking on one of the animals generates a donation towards saving its habitat, paid for by the corperate sponsors of the site. You can only click on one cat, once per day. Other clicks will not be counted. It only takes a second, and it is free. Be sure to check out the other free-click areas of the site as well.
There is also another free click link that I edited into this thread. Go to the post with the Iberian Lynx and you should find it.