Tigers, whose scientific name is Panthera tigris, are the largest member of the feline family. There are a total of nine tiger species, only six of which are extant as the Bali, Javan, and Caspian tigers are all extinct. The South China tiger exists only in captivity. Over the last century, the numbers of tigers have fallen critically due to poaching and habitat loss. Most of these tigers are endangered. Therefore, better efforts to conserving these magnificent animals must be in place to increase their survival. Here are five types of tigers from around the world.
1. Bengal Tiger
Also known as the Royal Bengal tiger, Panthera tigris tigris is the second largest of the tiger family. While some of these tigers have a white coloration that is the result of a recessive gene, most species manifest the classic orange coats with black stripes and white accents. Their habitats include dry and wet deciduous forests, grasslands, and mangrove forests of the Indian subcontinent, but poaching and habitat loss have greatly contributed to their placement on the IUCN Red List as Endangered.
2. Siberian/Amur Tiger
Also known as the Amur, Panthera tigris altaica is the largest of the tiger family and bears a striking resemblance to the Bengal. Their fur is a paler shade of orange, with brown stripes instead of black and white necks, chests, and undersides. Although its range once spanned the Russian Far East to the Russia-China border and into northeast China, it now only inhabits the Sikhote-Alin mountain range and a small portion of the southwest Russian Far East.
3. Sumatran Tiger
Panthera tigris sumatrae is the smallest living tiger species. They occupy several types of terrain within the Sumatran islands. They reside anywhere from sea level to coastal lowland forest to mountain ranges in excess of 10,000 feet. While looking much like a classic tiger, small differences include slightly darker fur and distinctive stripes that separate it from its extinct cousins, the Java and Bali tigers. The IUCN lists them as Critically Endangered, with populations totaling less than 700 individuals.
4. Malayan Tiger
The Malayan tiger (Panthera tigris jacksoni) lives only in the moist subtropical areas in the southern tip of Thailand and the Malaysian peninsula. It is a separate species from the Indochinese tiger — a 2004 genetic analysis showed distinct differences. It is estimated that less than 200 individuals comprise the total population of this species. Therefore, it is Critically Endangered according to the IUCN.
5. Indochinese/Corbett’s Tiger
Panthera tigris corbetti is known as both the Indochinese tiger and the Corbett’s tiger, after the big cat hunter turned conservationist James Corbett who dedicated much of his life to researching and writing about wildcat species. This species makes its home throughout Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos in grasslands, forests, and hills. It is smaller and darker than other species on this list, with narrower, shorter stripes. They are Endangered since 2008, and nearing the threshold for Critically Endangered status due to hunting and habitat loss.
Featured Image from Jessica Weiller/Unsplash
