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Read Peter Jackson's expert answers to your questions on the following topics:
Tiger size
Tiger types
Tiger travel
Cat aggression
Cat DNA
Cheetah classification
Lion differences
Cat speed
Tiger tolerance
Tiger defenses
Q: On Tiger TypesWhat are the eight types of tigers?
A: Eight subspecies of tigers have been recognized for many years, as follows:
1. Siberian/Amur tiger (
Panthera tigris altaica)
2. South China tiger (
P.t. amoyensis)
3. Indo-Chinese tiger (
P.t. corbetti)
4. Bengal tiger (
P.t. tigris)
5. Sumatran tiger (
P.t. sumatrae)
6. Javan tiger (
P.t. sondaica)
7. Bali tiger (
P.t. balica)
8. Caspian tiger (
P.t. virgata)
Javan, Bali and Caspian tigers are considered extinct, as there have been no confirmed sightings for many years.
Recent DNA studies of tigers have led to the recommendation that all tigers in mainland Asia — Siberian, South China, Indo-Chinese and Bengal — should be considered as one subspecies (P.t. tigris), with the Sumatran tiger (P.t. sumatrae) as a second subspecies. The Sumatran tiger was separated from other Asian tigers about 100,000 years ago, when rising sea levels left Sumatra isolated from the mainland. Javan, Bali and Caspian tiger DNA samples were not available for investigation in the study.
Q: On Tiger TravelDo tigers travel together in packs?
A: Only lions, which inhabit mainly in open country, live in packs known as prides and make joint attacks. Tigers live in areas of forest and tall grassland and, except for females and cubs, are usually solitary. Male tigers have occasionally been seen with their own cubs and the mother of their children, but males are known to kill cubs that are not theirs. Male lions also kill cubs when they take over a pride from existing males.
