Wildlife
The magnificent tiger, largest of the big cats, is a heavily muscled, powerful predator that stalks and ambushes large prey, camouflaged by its stripy coat. Unlike other cats, tigers are good swimmers and often cool off in lakes and streams during the heat of the day. Sadly, they have been pushed to the edge of existence through hunting and habitat loss, with three of the eight subspecies already extinct, and the other subspecies at high risk.
Did you know?
A tiger's stripes are like a human fingerprint, no two tigers have the same pattern.
Scientific name: Panthera tigris
Rank: Species
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Tiger quest
A BBC perspective on the thrill and frustration of filming tigers in the wild.
Tigers are undeniably captivating, but capturing them on film does pose real problems. In the early days of television, broadcasters relied on zoo animals to get the perfect shot, but filming tigers in the wild remains a challenge even today. Innovative and creative methods are constantly being devised to film the most ground-breaking and intimate footage. However, getting the perfect shot takes time, patience and a certain disregard for personal safety. If it wasn't for the dedication of the cameramen, scientists - and even the odd elephant - few of us would ever get to witness these elusive, powerful predators.
Time to play
Will future generations enjoy the sight of tiger cubs at play?
In Kanha National park, the young tiger cubs featured in Land of the Tiger are growing up fast. Their mother has done a good job of keeping them safe so far, but what of their future? The tiger is often seen as the symbol of Indian heritage, but changing culture has threatened the place the tiger holds in people's lives. The battle is on if our children are to be able to enjoy delightful sights like these satisfied, well looked after youngsters at play.
Don't get distracted
Chital deer are distracted by the rut and unaware of a tiger.
Chital deer are distracted by the rut and unaware of a tiger.
Holding on
Threats from human activity put the tiger's fate firmly in our hands.
Newsreader Fiona Bruce was chosen to champion the tiger's cause for Saving Planet Earth and was utterly captivated by the beautiful tigers of Bandhavgarh National Park, India. But with tiger numbers dwindling fast as a result of human activities, experiences like hers could sadly be a thing of the past. With their fate in our hands, will we allow that to happen?
Tiger plight
The planet's most potent conservation symbol.
Instantly recognisable, tigers are the iconic Asian species. Their distinctive striped coats help them slip into the undergrowth and almost disappear, and sadly they really are disappearing from the wild at an alarming rate. In the last century alone we have lost 95% of the world's tigers through direct poaching and loss of habitat. In Saving Planet Earth, David Attenborough introduced the tiger and gave an overview of the problems tigers face in today's world, before the rest of programme explored the issues in more detail.
Species range provided by WWF's Wildfinder.
The Tiger can be found in a number of locations including: Asia, China, Himalayas, Indian subcontinent. Find out more about these places and what else lives there.
The following habitats are found across the Tiger distribution range. Find out more about these environments, what it takes to live there and what else inhabits them.
Discover what these behaviours are and how different plants and animals use them.
Additional data source: Animal Diversity Web
Endangered
Population trend: Decreasing
Year assessed: 2008
Classified by: IUCN 3.1
The tiger (Panthera tigris) is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to 3.3 metres (11 ft) and weighing up to 306 kg (670 lb). Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts. They have exceptionally stout teeth, and their canines are the longest among living felids with a crown height of as much as 74.5 mm (2.93 in) or even 90 mm (3.5 in). In zoos, tigers have lived for 20 to 26 years, which also seems to be their longevity in the wild. They are territorial and generally solitary but social animals, often requiring large contiguous areas of habitat that support their prey requirements. This, coupled with the fact that they are indigenous to some of the more densely populated places on Earth, has caused significant conflicts with humans.
Tigers once ranged widely across Asia, from Turkey in the west to the eastern coast of Russia. Over the past 100 years, they have lost 93% of their historic range, and have been extirpated from southwest and central Asia, from the islands of Java and Bali, and from large areas of Southeast and Eastern Asia. Today, they range from the Siberian taiga to open grasslands and tropical mangrove swamps. The remaining six tiger subspecies have been classified as endangered by IUCN. The global population in the wild is estimated to number between 3,062 to 3,948 individuals, with most remaining populations occurring in small pockets that are isolated from each other. Major reasons for population decline include habitat destruction, habitat fragmentation and poaching. The extent of area occupied by tigers is estimated at less than 1,184,911 km2 (457,497 sq mi), a 41% decline from the area estimated in the mid-1990s.
Tigers are among the most recognisable and popular of the world's charismatic megafauna. They have featured prominently in ancient mythology and folklore, and continue to be depicted in modern films and literature. Tigers appear on many flags, coats of arms, and as mascots for sporting teams. The Bengal tiger is the national animal of Bangladesh and India.
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Take a trip through the natural world with our themed collections of video clips from the natural history archive.
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Flooded grassland
Mangroves
Marsh
Mountain grassland
Taiga
Broadleaf forest
Coniferous forest
Tropical coniferous forest
Tropical dry forest
Tropical grassland
Rainforest
Helpless young
Adapted to swimming
Camouflage
Carnivorous
Acoustic communication
Maternal care
Nocturnal
Predator
Cold tolerant
Adapted to running
Chemical communication
Territorial
Visual communication
Viviparous