tiger docu 4For other uses, see Tiger (disambiguation).
Semi-protected
Tiger
A Bengal Tiger (P. tigris tigris) in India's Bandhavgarh National Park.
A Bengal Tiger (P. tigris tigris) in India's Bandhavgarh National Park.
Conservation status
Endangered (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus: Panthera
Species: P. tigris
Binomial name
Panthera tigris
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Historical distribution of tigers (pale yellow) and 2006 (green).[2]
Historical distribution of tigers (pale yellow) and 2006 (green).[2]
Synonyms
Felis tigris Linnaeus, 1758[3]
Tigris striatus Severtzov, 1858
Tigris regalis Gray, 1867
The tiger (Panthera tigris) is a member of the Felidae family; the largest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera.[4] Native to much of eastern and southern Asia, the tiger is an apex predator and an obligate carnivore. Reaching up to 4 metres (13 ft) in total length and weighing up to 300 kilograms (660 pounds), the larger tiger subspecies are comparable in size to the biggest extinct felids.[5][6] Aside from their great bulk and power, their most recognizable feature is the pattern of dark vertical stripes that overlays near-white to reddish-orange fur, with lighter underparts. The largest subspecies of tiger is the Siberian tiger.
