Mangrove swamps
In the Sundarbans of India and Bangladesh, tigers walk through muddy forests where trees grow right out of the water.
AI picture📏 Tigers by the numbers
Tap a card to see how it compares to you!
🦓 Super stripes
- No two tigers have the same stripes, just like no two people have the same fingerprints.
- Tigers have stripes on their skin too, not just their fur!
- Stripes help tigers hide. In tall grass and shadows, the stripes break up their shape, so animals can't see them coming.
- Look behind a tiger's ears and you'll find white spots. Scientists think they may help cubs follow their mom through the forest.
👀 Try it: Can you spot the tiger hiding in the grass?
🌏 Where do tigers live?
Wild tigers live only in Asia. They can live in lots of different places, as long as there is water to drink, animals to eat, and places to hide. India has more wild tigers than any other country!
Snowy forests
In Russia and China, Amur tigers grow thick, fluffy coats to stay warm in freezing winters.
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Rainforests
On the island of Sumatra and in places like Malaysia and Thailand, tigers live in hot, rainy jungles with hornbills and monkeys.
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Grasslands & forests
In India and Nepal, tigers roam forests and meadows of tall grass. Each tiger has its own territory, an area it calls home.
Real photo🐅 Kinds of tigers
All tigers are one species, but tigers from different places look a little different.
Bengal tiger
The most common tiger. Lives in India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan.
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Amur tiger
Also called the Siberian tiger. One of the biggest tigers, with extra-thick fur for the snow.
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Sumatran tiger
The smallest tiger, with darker fur and stripes close together. Lives only on the island of Sumatra.
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White tigers
Not a different kind! They are very rare Bengal tigers born with white fur. Almost all of them live in zoos.
Real photoOther tigers live in Southeast Asia (like Indochinese and Malayan tigers). Sadly, some kinds, like the Javan, Bali and Caspian tigers, are now extinct, which means there are none left.
👀 Super senses & secret tools
- Night vision: Tigers see about six times better than people in the dark. That helps them hunt at night.
- Whiskers: Long whiskers help tigers feel their way in the dark, like fingertips on their face.
- Silent paws: Soft, padded paws let tigers sneak up without a sound.
- Hidden claws: Tigers pull their claws in when they walk to keep them sharp. That's why tiger paw prints have no claw marks!
- Sandpaper tongue: A tiger's tongue is covered in tiny hooks for cleaning fur.
🏊 Tigers love to swim!
Most cats hate getting wet, but tigers love water. On hot days they lie in rivers and ponds to cool off. They are strong swimmers and can paddle across wide rivers.
💡 Think about it: Why might a big furry animal living somewhere hot want to sit in water?
🍼 Tiger families
- A mother tiger usually has 2 to 4 cubs at a time.
- New cubs are tiny, about as heavy as a bag of sugar, and their eyes stay closed for the first week or two.
- Mom hides her cubs in a safe den, like a cave or thick bushes.
- Cubs play-fight with each other. It's practice for being grown-up tigers!
- Cubs stay with mom until they are about 2 years old. Then they go off to find their own home.
- Grown-up tigers mostly live alone.
🍖 What do tigers eat?
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Deer are a tiger's favorite meal.
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Wild pigs are on the menu too.
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Big tigers can even catch wild buffalo.
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A hungry tiger can eat about 80 pounds of food in one night. That's as much as 300 hamburgers!
Tigers are carnivores (meat-eaters). They hunt alone, mostly at dawn, dusk, and night, by sneaking up quietly. Hunting is hard work: most tries don't work, so tigers have to be patient!
❓ The Tiger Quiz
How much do you know? Answer the questions one at a time.
🧙 Ask the Animal Wizard
The Animal Wizard knows all about tigers. Type a question and press Ask! Curious about a different animal?
You can ask up to 10 questions in a chat.
The Animal Wizard uses AI, so it can make mistakes. If something sounds surprising, check with a grown-up!
🎬 Tiger videos
Watch these with a grown-up. They open on YouTube.
Tiger | Amazing Animals
Nat Geo Kids
Top 7 Facts About Tigers
WWF UK
Did You Know: Tigers Like to Swim
Britannica Education
Handraising Newborn Twin Tiger Cubs
BBC Earth Kids
Tiger Cubs Swimming for the First Time
BBC Earth
Mother Tiger Learns to Care for Cubs
BBC Earth
Tiger Cubs at the National Zoo
Smithsonian's National Zoo
Sumatran Tiger Cubs Explore
San Diego Zoo
💚 How can we help tigers?
Tigers are endangered. That means there are not many left. Their forests are being cut down, and some people hunt them even though it's against the law.
Good news: In places like India and Nepal, people are protecting tigers, and the number of wild tigers is growing! 🎉
- 📚 Learn and share: tell your friends and family three tiger facts.
- 🎨 Celebrate Tiger Day on July 29 by making a tiger poster.
- 🌳 Save trees: use both sides of the paper and recycle.
- 🦁 Visit zoos that help protect wild tigers.