Biggest Tiger In The World Ever Recorded: Fun Facts For Kids

Tigers belong to the family of wild cats.

They have been the most feared predators of the jungle for as long as anyone can remember. Interesting facts about the different species of tigers are always fun to know.

Tigers belong to the animal kingdom, and their scientific name is Panthera tigris. Their class is Mammalia, which means that the tiger (Panthera tigris) is warm-blooded, has hair or fur on its body, and has a more complex brain than other animals.

Mammals are also mostly vertebrates. Another feature of mammals that tigers have is that they reproduce young ones instead of eggs. Young mammals often depend on their mother's milk for nourishment.

Tigers are often clubbed under the title of big cats along with panthers, leopards, and cheetahs. Big cats acquired this title due to their cat-like appearance and manners.

It is also believed that the tiger (Panthera tigris) and other big cats are descendants of cats from ancient times. Cats in the past used to be very big in stature, and had a predatory nature, and hunted for their prey.

The tiger is said to be an evolved version of the ancient cat. While it adapted to the constantly changing environment, it still kept a few of the features of an ancient cat.

Another animal falling under the category of big cats is the lion. The male lion has a big mane of hair and fur, which makes it look intimidating.

The family of a lion is called a pride. The lion is the proclaimed king of the jungle. While the lion likes to be surrounded by other lions, tigers like to stay alone.

Unlike in the family of lions where the male lion rests and the female lion called a lioness hunts, in the tiger family, both females and males hunt for prey. Usually, the lion and the tiger hunt in their own territories.

The tiger and the lion are not each other's prey, rather they are predators of other prey such as deer, cows, and goats.

But sometimes, they might get into a fight with each other. Even though tigers are big and powerful, if one of them is caught alone by lions, a tiger will definitely lose because lions prefer to fight in a group.

In the modern world, an animal like a tiger is not only found in the wild, but there are sanctuaries and zoos where we can go and witness them in their natural habitats. There are even petting zoos where people are allowed to touch tiger cubs who are pretty adorable.

But we should always remember to never make an animal uncomfortable even if it is in a zoo. Unfortunately for them, tigers are commonly kept in captivity in zoos.

They are also held in captivity in circuses along with other animals.

They are starved and conditioned to obey their masters and entertain the people who come to watch the show. In a zoo, tigers are kept inside cages and away from wildlife where they actually belong.

Once you finish reading this article about tigers, you might also enjoy reading about the longest living dog breed and biggest cat breeds here at Kidadl.

List Of Large Tiger Types

A tiger is quite a big animal. The body of a tiger is made according to its predatory nature to help hunt for food and protect itself from other predators. They are considered to be the iconic big cats of the wild. Here are some tiger subspecies.

The subspecies of tigers with the highest population currently are Bengal tigers. Bengal tigers are also popularly called Royal Bengal tigers.

The Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) is a species that is mostly found in the Indian subcontinent countries such as India, Bhutan, Nepal, and Bangladesh. The population of the Bengal tiger is the highest in India.

The total population of this tiger is between 3,000-4,000, as of 2021. They mostly have the typical color combination as that of other tiger species with black stripes, an orange body, and a white underbelly.

However, a recessive coloration gene causes the body color to become cream or white instead of the usual orange. This has been noted by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

Another subspecies of tiger are the South China tiger. Panthera tigris amoyensis is the scientific name of this subspecies. South China tigers are found in the eastern and central regions of China.

This subspecies of tiger is listed as Critically Endangered on the Red List. Moreover, the World Wildlife Fund has estimated South China tigers to be Functionally Extinct. As per the World Wildlife Fund, only 47 South China tigers are alive in 18 zoos, and those too are all in China.

The actual number of wild tigers of this subspecies is unknown. It is believed that there were around 4,000 tigers some 40 years ago.

But according to the Save Tiger Fund, they were called pests by the government and hunted. Although some evidence of the South China tigers' existence was found in the remote mountains of Hunan, Fujian, and Guandong provinces of South China, there have been no tigers seen by anyone as the records of the Save Tiger Fund state.

The Malayan tiger is another subspecies of tiger that is called Panthera tigris jacksoni in scientific terminology. The subspecies of Malayan tigers were only distinguished from the Indo-Chinese tiger subspecies in 2004.

The Malayan tiger is classified as a different subspecies and not an Indo-Chinese tiger because of the size difference between them. The Malayan tiger is slightly smaller than the Indo-Chinese tiger. These tigers are mostly found in Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia.

They typically live in the tropical and subtropical forests of moist broadleaf of these countries. The name 'jacksoni' was added to this subspecies in honor of Peter Jackson, the former Chairperson of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Cat Specialist Group.

Indo-Chinese tigers are scientifically called Panthera tigris corbetti. They are also called Corbett's tigers, referring to Jim Corbett, a British hunter and journalist. Indo-Chinese tigers are located in Thailand, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.

They used to be formerly found in China too. Compared to Bengal tigers, Indo-Chinese tigers are darker and smaller, with narrower and shorter stripes. Not much is known about this subspecies of tigers due to their habitats usually being in the remote forests of mountain terrains.

Another tiger subspecies is the Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae). They are only found on Sumatra, an Indonesian island. They are also classified as Critically Endangered species on the Red List.

Out of all the tigers, Sumatran tigers have the darkest coat color. They often have closely spaced or doubled broad black stripes. One of the differences between Siberian tigers and Sumatran tigers is that they have striped forelegs.

Indonesia has strict laws to protect the Sumatran tiger, with punishments ranging from severe jail time to lofty fines. Even then, these wild tigers are hunted, and their skins are sold in the black market for high prices. A conservation plan is underway thanks to the Indonesian Zoological Parks' Association (PKBSI).

There are three extinct subspecies of tigers recorded by the authorities. These are Javan tigers (Panthera tigris sondaica), Bali tigers (Panthera tigris balica), and Caspian tigers (Panthera tigris virgata).

The Bali tiger became Extinct in the '40s, and the last spotting of these tigers was in the '30s in western Bali, according to the IUCN. The Javan tiger used to be found in the Indonesian island of Java up until its extinction in the '80s.

Meanwhile, the Caspian tiger also called the Hyrcanian tiger and Turan tiger went extinct in the '70s. Wild Caspian tigers were found along the riverine corridors of the Caspian Sea in the west and south regions.

What is the biggest type of tiger?

Amur tigers are another subspecies, also popularly known as Siberian tigers. Aside from Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica), the Amur tiger is also called Manchurian, Northeast China tiger, and Ussurian tiger.

The Siberian tiger is renowned for being the biggest tiger subspecies of all.

Wild Amur tigers are found in two main populations, according to the Save Tiger Fund. One of them is the far east of Russia in Primorsky and Khabarovsk Krais, where there is a population of 450 tigers, and another small population is in Northeast China and at the Russia-China border where there are around 35 individuals.

In order to protect this species of wild tiger, recently representatives from the Jilin province of China and Primorsky province of Russia, which are areas around the north of the Korean Peninsula, signed an agreement to create a protected space around their common borders for the safety of these tigers which are listed as Endangered on the IUCN's Red List.

Breeding of Amur tigers is happening in zoos around the world. There are also hybrid tigers being created. This is being done to increase the population of tigers. Recently in Pittsburg Zoo, Siberian tiger triplets made their debut. Siberian tiger cubs are also found in the Bronx Zoo of the Wildlife Conservation Society, USA.

What is the size of Siberian tigers?

Tigers are considered to be the largest wild cats. Their size also makes them look like very intimidating creatures. The tiger (Panthera tigris) with the biggest size is the Amur tiger. The length of an animal is measured from its head to the tip of its tail.

Among the extinct tigers, the Caspian tiger was the biggest in size. A male tiger had a body length of 106-116 in (270-295 cm) and the female was 94-104 in (240-260 cm) in size.

Among the existing wild tiger species, the Amur tiger is considered to be the largest tiger. The male Siberian tiger is typically around 132 in (335.2 cm) in length.

Meanwhile, the Sumatran tiger is the smallest existing tiger out of all of them, with a male tiger's length measuring up to 96 in (244 cm).

What is the weight of Siberian tigers?

Since the Amur tiger is the largest of all tiger species, not only is it big in size, but it also weighs more than the other tigers. An Amur tiger that is only a few years old looks big enough to be mistaken for an adult tiger.

The weight of male Siberian tiger is around 660 lb (300 kg). The females of this tiger species weigh around 200-370 lb (91-168 kg). The average weight of a tiger cub, even the Siberian tiger cub, is around 3 lb (1.3 kg).

Meanwhile, the Sumatran tiger, in comparison to the Siberian tiger, is the smallest tiger species. The males of this species weigh 260 lb (118 kg) on average, and the females weigh 200 lb (91 kg).

The largest Siberian tiger ever recorded in history weighed a solid 845 lb (383.2 kg). Moreover, the biggest tiger ever killed was recorded in the 'Guinness Book Of Records' and found in India. It weighed 857 lb (388.7 kg) and was killed by a hunter from Philadelphia.

It is evident that both in terms of size and weight, the Siberian tiger is the biggest tiger species.

Did You Know...

Due to irresponsible behavior by humans and some natural causes, some species of tigers (Panthera tigris) are now classified as Endangered.

Young tigers that are born are called tiger cubs. They are small balls of fur that like to paw at anything they can get their paws on and have a very playful nature. Unlike some cat species, tiger cubs are very energetic.

While some zoos strive to keep the animals they have healthy, some don't treat them properly. A better option to see animals would be going on a safari instead of visiting a zoo.

While animals are kept in cages in a zoo, they are naturally present in the wildlife that a safari experience showcases. There are many reserves and sanctuaries that offer such opportunities.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our article about the biggest tiger, then why not take a look at the biggest chicken or biggest nose.