Tigers, called big cats, are the largest carnivores. In terms of their size and body weight, they are second only to elephants. Previously, scientists counted many more varieties of these animals than they have survived today. The most numerous among the class of tigers is the Bengal group.
Habitat
Striped cats belong to the Asian breed. Now there are 6 surviving subspecies of the tiger. Since ancient times, these predators have inhabited almost all continents of the globe. Tigers lived in Russia, in particular in some regions of the Far East, in the People's Republic of China, India and Indonesia, as well as in Southeast Asia. Now, with the decline in the number of tigers, their range has also changed.
Tigers often end up in captivity as pets in zoos, national parks and reserves. Today, a total of 13,000 of these predators live in captivity around the world.
Tigers choose their habitat in the wild, wet jungles, swampy areas with an abundance of thickets of plants. The bright color helps the tiger hide among thickets and stones to track down prey. In the dense vegetation of the jungle and the Ganges delta, the tiger becomes almost invisible to the surrounding animals.
Choosing a place of residence
He chooses the habitat based on the amount of potential prey, following the migration of "food" the tiger can go several hundred kilometers from the rookery.
Tigers also thrive in mountainous areas with sprawling forests and rivers. Some groups of these carnivorous cats love to feast on fish and alligators, which they catch from water bodies.
Each tiger marks its hunting and residence territory.
High in the mountains, tigers are rare, most often they climb there only in search of prey in the cold season. It is worth noting that frost and cold do not frighten these predators, since their thick skin and thick fur do not allow them to freeze, they can lie in the snow for a long time.
Forced migration of tigers
Small groups of tigers are found in North Korea, some breeds are found in Asia. And earlier they inhabited mainly Central Asia, as well as Turkey and the Caucasus, predators willingly settled along Lake Balkhash and along the shores of the Caspian and Japanese seas. Thickets of tugai served them as an excellent refuge. Animals cannot do without water for a long time, so the close location of the reservoir is important for them.
Tall reeds allow the animals to stand upright while hunting. This is very convenient as they do not have to crawl and sneak. Concentration of attention allows them to leap with lightning speed and overtake their prey right from behind the bushes. However, poachers and the development of road networks in these regions have forced the tigers to move elsewhere.
