One of the family members of the cat family, tigers, are counted as the largest tiger species among the family. However, currently, the total number of tigers has been falling down by around 95%. According to the facts provided by The World Wildlife Fund, the total percentage of tigers surviving on the earth is around 40% only. They are one of the charismatic species of the cat family, which are adorable as well as dangerous too. Again, with the reduction in the number of species, there are currently only 6 sub-species available on the earth whose population count is in danger too. Here is the list of Types of tigers.
What is a Tiger, Scientific name & Family name?
The tiger is one of the largest species among Felidae and is basically classified as Panthera. They come with pale yellow to dark orange shades with black or brown strips. The scientific name of the tiger is Panthera tigris and the family name is Felidae which consists of other animals like leopards, tigers, lions, cheetahs, and cats. The Tigers are basically found all around the world except in countries like Antarctica and Australia.
Top 10 List Of Tiger Types:
1. Siberian Tiger:
These are muscular, powerful forelimbs and large heads. These are the features of the Siberian tiger endangered species. The male tigers can grow to around 10.5 feet, reaching a weight of around 660 pounds. While the female ones come at 8.5 feet and weigh around 200 to 370 pounds. They are also known as Ussurian and Manchurian tigers. They are mostly found in areas like Ocelli and Northeast China, as well as the Province of Russia.
- Scientific Name: Pantheratigrisaltaica
- Colour: Pale orange to brown with white chest
- Population in Present: 480 to 540
- Life Span: Around 20 to 25 years
2. Bengal Tiger:
Popular by the name Indian tigers, this is among the largest subspecies of tigers which is mostly found in areas like India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh. They are the rarely observed white tigers in the wildlife. They live in the regions that are wet and dry deciduous forests, temperate forests, mangrove forests, and grasslands. The male tigers are around 270 to 310 cm and weight of 175 to 260kgs, while the female is 240 to 265cm in size and 100 to 181kg in weight.
- Scientific Name: PantheratigrisTigris
- Colour: Yellow to Orange coat with black or brown strips
- Population in Present: 2500
- Life Span: 8 to 10 years
Read: Different Species of Bears
3. Indochinese Tigers:
Also known as Corbett’s Tigers, these extinct tiger species are widely found in areas like Vietnam, Thailand, Burma, Laos, and Cambodia. A little small and dark compared to the Bengal Tigers, they come in narrow and short strips. The male Indochinese tigers come with an average size of 9 feet and a weight of 400 pounds. And the females are 8 feet in size while 250 pounds in weight. These types of tiger species mostly live in forests, hills and mountain regions.
- Scientific Name: Pantheratigriscorbetti
- Colour: Orange to brown
- Population in Present: 1500 tigers
- Life Span: 15 – 26 years
4. Malayan Tigers:
Malayan tigers are the different types of tigers known as the subspecies of the Indochinese tigers. Much similar to them, they are a little smaller in size. Malayan tigers mostly live in subtropical and tropical forest regions in countries like the Southern side of Thailand along with Peninsular Malaysia. Also known as Jackson, the males are of 120kgs on average while the females are 100kgs. The size of the male tigers is 259 cm, while the female comes with a size of 239 cm.
- Scientific Name: Pantheratigrisjacksoni
- Colour: Orange with black stripes
- Population in Present: 250
- Life Span: 20 years
5. South China Tigers:
Widely found in the eastern and central part of China, the South China tigers are endangered types of tigers in the world. These tigers are found in the mountain regions of Hunan, Guangdong, and Fujian Provinces. Coming to the size of the male and female tigers, they both come with the same size of 87 – 100 inches, while the weight of male tigers is 127 to 177kg and female is 100 to 118kgs. The South China tigers are said to be the offspring of six animals only.
- Scientific Name: Pantheratigrisamoyensis
- Colour: Orange, black and white
- Population in Present:
- Life Span: 15 to 20 years
6. Sumatran Tigers:
Compared to all types of tigers, Sumatran tigers are the subspecies which are found only in the coastal lowland forests of Sumatran Island located in Indonesia. They are quite small in size, similar to the Jaguars or the leopards. They are an endangered species like other animals on the island, with male sizes 87 to 98 inches and females in 85 to 91 inches. The weight of male tigers is 220 to 309 pounds, while the female is 165 to 243 pounds.
- Scientific Name: Pantheratigrissumatrae
- Colour: Reddish yellow to dark orange
- Population in Present: 500
- Life Span: 20 to 25 years
7. Bali Tigers:
Bali tigers are one among the extinct tiger types listed. They still exist in the books, however, have vanished from the actual world. They were widely found in the forest regions of Bali, an island in Indonesia. Counted among the smallest types of tiger in the world, the males came with a weight of 90 to 100kgs while females had 65 to 80kgs of weight. This beautiful species of the tiger was destroyed due to hunting. The Bali tigers are counted as an important part of Balinese Hinduism.
- Scientific Name: Pantheratigrisbalica
- Colour: Pale yellow to orange
- Population in Present: NIL
- Life Span: NA
Read: Deadliest Animals on Earth
8. Caspian Tigers:
Yet another type of tigers that is extinct, Caspian tigers, were last seen in the year 1970. Also known as Turan or Hyrcanian tiger, they were mostly found in the sparse forests located in the west and east of the Caspian Sea. The Caspian male tigers come in sizes 270 to 295 cm, while females are of around 240 to 260 cm. Again, their weights are 170 to 240 kg and 85 to 135 kg, respectively. When existing, they were the largest among the different tiger species.
- Scientific Name: Panthera Tigris virgate
- Colour: Dark orange
- Population in Present: NIL
- Life Span: NA
9. Javan Tigers:
These are the species which come in the category types of tigers with pictures. These tigers were found only in Javan Island. One of the extinct tigers, they were lastly observed in the year 1979 in the area of Mount Betiri. The Tigers came with a size of 100 to 140 kgs for males while females with 75 to 115 kgs. They mostly resided in the Mount HalimumSalak National Park, where efforts were made to save them, which was observed through some evidence.
- Scientific Name: Pantheratigrissondaica
- Colour: Dark orange
- Population in Present: NIL
- Life Span: NA
10. White Tigers:
White tigers, also known as bleached tigers, are a variation of the types of tigers in India. They are found in states of India like West Bengal, Bihar, Assam and Madhya Pradesh in the Sunderbans area. They fully grow at the age of 2 or 3 years. The males come with a weight of 200 to 230 kgs with a size of 3 meters. They come with two different kinds; one is stripped while the other is almost without any strips. They are also known as the White Bengal tigers.
- Scientific Name: Panthera Tigris
- Colour: White
- Population in Present: 200
- Life Span: 12 to 15 Years
Write About Hybrid Tiger Types:
When it comes to how many types of tiger species are hybrid, there are currently two hybrids available that are Liger and Tigon. Here are some facts about them.
- The concept of hybrid tigers was introduced in the 19th century
- The hybrid was carried out with lions and tigers as lions are effective breeds for tigers
- The Bengal and Amur subspecies are quite used for producing hybrid tigers
- Liger came into existence by a hybrid of male lion and tigress
- In the case of Liger, the male lion contributes to growth-promoting genes.
- Tigon is a hybrid result of male tiger and lioness, which is less common
Write About Tigers Other Colors (White & Golden Etc..) :
Yes, the Tigers can also be bifurcated on the basis of the colours they carry. Apart from the normal tigers, considering all tiger breeds, there are white, blue (Maltese) and golden tigers too. The types of white tigers include one that is pure white while the other comes with some orange touch on it. The golden tigers are also called golden tabby or strawberry. They don’t have any strips on their body and are also a part of the Bengal tigers and larger than them too.
Interesting Facts About Tigers:
- Tigers are considered to be the largest species of the cat family
- Merely getting one punch from the tiger can kill you
- Nearly all the tigers are nocturnal as they get engaged in hunting at night
- The cubs of the tigers are born blind, and out of them, only half are able to survive
- Tigers are amazing swimmers and enjoy playing in the water
- The general age of the tigers is around 20 to 25 years for all the species
- A group of tigers together is called a streak or ambush
- The saliva of the tigers contains antiseptic elements
- Tigers can run at a speed of around 60 kilometres per hour
- The Tigers are generally humble towards the group they live with and roar rarely
- The urine of the tigers comes with a smell similar to popcorn with butter
- Tigers are generally group hunters
- The Tigers are capable of imitating the voice of other animals
The Tigers are one of the strongest yet most adorable wild animal species. Nearly all the possible tiger breeds differ from each other in several ways. These big cats can not be compared even to the big jaguars, which are quite common in the world. Apart from the dangerous hunting habits, they are quite cute, fun-loving and adorable to play with. There are people who have tamed the tigers too. Yet, it is quite sad to know that their population is decreasing day by day due to various reasons.
Read: Different Types Of Fox Species
Frequently Asked Questions & Answers:
1. Why are tigers endangered animals?
Ans: The Tigers are one of the popular wild animals who are much enjoyed worldwide. However, the species is endangered or, say disappearing from the world. They are killed for the parts of the body, skin, etc., that is used by the people for various purposes. When the female tigers are hunted, the cubs wouldn’t survive. As a result, they die too. Again, they require a particular environment like grasslands, forests, etc., which are been cut off by the people.
2. What is the biggest & smallest tiger species in the world?
Ans: Tigers are considered to be the largest species of the cat family. However, comparing the species, the Amer or Siberian is considered to be the largest subspecies of tiger in the world. Similarly, the Sumatran species of tigers are considered to be the smallest species. Considering all the species of tigers, the males are found to be heavier compared to the female tigers. The biggest tiger comes with a weight of around 310 pounds.
3. What are the tiger species left in the world?
Ans: Currently, there are only 6 subspecies of tigers residing on the earth. The tiger species left on the earth are Royal Bengal Tigers, Sumatran tigers, Amur tiger, South China tiger, Indochinese tiger, and Malayan tiger. Apart from this, other hybrid tigers like white tigers, golden tigers, blue tigers, etc., are also alive on the earth. The species that are not visible now are Bali tigers, Javan tigers, and Caspian tigers.
