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    20 Things You Didn't Know About Tigers

    Get ready for International Tiger Day on July 29th and brush up on some Tiger facts!

    catk
    by catk

    Community Contributor

    1.

    Via SEAMLESSGIFS.TUMBLR.COM

    There are 6 different living subspecies of Tiger. All of which are endangered: Bengal, Indochinese, Siberian (Amur), Sumatran, Malayan and South Chinese.

    2.

    COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM / Via en.wikipedia.org

    Three subspecies of tiger are already extinct: the Bali, Javan and Caspian.

    3.

    Via LITTLEANIMALGIFS.TUMBLR.COM

    Habitats of Tiger subspecies vary greatly- from the tropical rainforests of Sumatra to the taiga of Siberia.

    4.

    Brian McKay / Via flickr.com

    Tigresses can have liters of up to seven cubs, but usually only 2-3 survive.

    5.

    Via REDDIT.COM

    Tiger cubs must learn to hunt very quickly in order to survive. They will hunt with their mother as early as 8 weeks old, and will be ready to go out on their own by age 2.

    6.

    Via SDZSAFARIPARK.TUMBLR.COM

    Tigers' stripes are like fingerprints- no two tigers have the same pattern!

    7.

    Sandra Wildeman / Via flickr.com

    White tigers are Bengals with a rare gene mutation, found only in about 1 out of every 10,000.

    8.

    Via LITTLEANIMALGIFS.TUMBLR.COM

    Tigers are excellent swimmers! They can often be found relaxing in water to keep cool.

    9.

    Via LITTLEANIMALGIFS.TUMBLR.COM

    Tigers are one of the top predators, and are able to take down prey over twice their size!

    10.

    Via TUMBLR.COM

    Tigers' claws are excellent aids in hunting. They keep them retracted when stalking prey, and their curved shape and length of up to nearly 4 inches helps them maintain a strong grasp on their kill.

    11.

    Via REDDIT.COM

    If that gibbon thinks he's safe in the tree he has something else coming to him! Tigers are great at climbing trees... just not so good at getting down!

    12.

    Sadly there are more Tigers in captivity than in the wild. They do not make good pets, as they suffer from severe psychological disorders when not given enough space and food. Oh yeah, and they can kill you...

    13.

    Via LITTLEANIMALGIFS.TUMBLR.COM

    That's right... These adorable Tiger cubs will grow up to be ferocious MAN-EATERS! Okay, that is highly unlikely, but Tigers have killed more humans than any other wild animal. But it is as a result of provoking and human encroachment into their territory.

    14.

    Steve Cottrell / Via flickr.com

    Their title as man-eater has given them a bad reputation as a result, but in reality humans are a bigger threat to Tigers than they are to us. We are pushing every remaining subspecies to extinction.

    15.

    Ryan Moehring/USFWS / Via flickr.com

    The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora made the trade of Tiger parts illegal, but hunting for use in traditional medicine still poses a huge threat to tigers' survival.

    16.

    Via TUMBLR.COM

    Large scale tiger hunting for pelts peaked about 50 years ago, just before laws were enacted to prohibit it. Unfortunately, the black market in China continues to be a huge problem and tiger farms even exist to manufacture these illegal products.

    17.

    Via HEADLIKEANORANGE.TUMBLR.COM

    Habitat loss is also a major threat to Tigers. Humans continue to clear forests for uses such as agriculture, pulp and paper, and palm oil plantations.

    18.

    Via KANE52630.TUMBLR.COM

    Want to help? You don't have to be a Planeteer to help protect Tigers!

    19.

    Via TUMBLR.COM

    International Tiger Day is Wednesday July 29th! Conservation organizations around the world will be trying to increase Tiger awareness. Help by spreading the word!

    20.

    Sandra Wildeman / Via flickr.com

    There are fewer than 400 Sumatran Tigers left in the wild, but you can protect REAL acres of their habitat! Rainforest Trust, a nonprofit dedicated to purchasing rainforests to protect their biodiversity, is currently working in Sumatra to protect some of the last remaining habitat for critically endangered Sumatran Tigers.

    Via c2.thejournal.ie

    BONUS!!! ...Ligers are REAL! But only in captivity. And they tend to have serious genetic defects. Napoleon didn't know what he was talking about.

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