Tigers

Tigers

Enjoy these fun tiger facts for kids.  Learn about different  types of tigers, how  big they are, how fast  they run, how they hunt and more. Check out  the wide range of interesting facts about tigers  and their cubs.

The tiger is the biggest species of the cat family. Tigers can reach a length of up to 3.3 metres (11 feet) and weigh as much as 300 kilograms (660 pounds). Subspecies of the tiger include the Sumatran Tiger, Siberian Tiger, Bengal Tiger, South China Tiger, Malayan Tiger and Indochinese Tiger. Many subspecies of the tiger are either endangered or already extinct. Humans are the primary cause of this through hunting and the destruction of habitats. Around half of tiger cubs don’t live beyond two years of age. Tiger cubs leave their mother when they are around 2 years of age. A group of tigers is known as an ‘ambush’ or ‘streak’. Tigers are good swimmers and can swim up to 6 kilometres. Rare white tigers carry a gene that is only present in around 1 in every 10000 tigers. Tigers usually hunt alone at night time. Tigers have been known to reach speeds up to 65 kph (40 mph). Less than 10% of hunts end successfully for tigers Tigers can easily jump over 5 metres in length. Various tiger subspecies are the national animals of Bangladesh, India, North Korea, South Korea and Malaysia. There are more tigers held privately as pets than there are in the wild. Tigers that breed with lions give birth to hybrids known as tigons and ligers.