The tiger, scientifically known as Panthera tigris, is the biggest species of extant cat and a member of the Panthera genus. There are many types of Tigers, some of which have become extinct while others are endangered.
This article highlights nine different tiger species, three of which have become extinct while the other six are in danger of extinction. Let us know about them in detail in this article.
Types of Tigers| Endangered Species:
The magnificent Tiger is one of nature’s most magnificent creations. Tigers contribute significantly to the natural environment. The scientific classification is Panthera tigris. It is believed that tigers originally inhabited nearly all of eastern and southern Asia, western and central Asia, and the region surrounding the Caspian Sea.
Even though there are more people and they are moving into tiger habitats, the tigers’ historical range is only 7% of what it used to be.
Despite their stripes and size, tigers are not all the same. Tigers, for example, have unique foot patterns, just like people do with their fingerprints. There are nine different kinds of tigers in the world, but only six live in the wild.
A list of extinct and endangered species has been published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Three subspecies of tigers are now on the list of extinct species. Other six subspecies of tigers, like South China, Malayan, Bengal, Sumatran, Indochinese, and Amur, are listed as endangered or critically endangered.
Malayan Tiger
Malayan tigers (Panthera tigris jacksoni) are critically endangered because their numbers are falling and there aren’t many adults left.
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) says that between 250 and 340 Malayan tigers are still alive today. Malaysia had about 1,000 tigers in the 1950s. In 2014, there were about 3,000 in the wild.
Because of development, most of their land was left empty, and they could no longer get to their forest, their mates, or their food sources.
The Malayan Tiger and the Indochinese Tiger, which inhabit the same territory, have little physical differences. Since 2004, Malaysian tigers have been exclusively recognised as distinct subspecies.
According to a 2010 study, there were no obvious physical variations between the two subspecies, indicating that the DNA differences were the most significant.
Sumatran Tiger: Types of Tigers
Sumatran tigers are the smallest type of tiger (Panthera tigris), but that doesn’t make them lovely. The average man weighs about 310 pounds and is about 8 feet tall. Few people, especially women, are as small as 165 pounds, though.
Is the Sumatran tiger significantly smaller than other tigers?
These cats are members of a subspecies that adapted to their reduced size due to their low energy requirements; they are surviving by hunting smaller prey animals such as wild chickens and pigs.
Sumatran tigers are also known as Sunda tigers because they were formerly located only in a tiny region of Indonesian islands known as Sunda. Today, there are only about 400 left, and they all live in the forests of Sumatra.
It is very important to protect these types of tigers to keep the delicate balance of other species that are in danger. The Sumatran tiger is a great example of how many different kinds of animals live in the area.
Destruction of its habitat for palm oil and Acacia plantations is just one of many threats to this subspecies.
Even though the Indonesian government is trying to protect tigers more, there is still a market for tiger products and parts in Indonesia and the rest of Asia.
Indochinese Tiger:
Tigers of the Indochinese (Panthera tigris corbetti) species live in Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and the southwestern part of China. But not much is known about the status of this species, which is fast on its way to becoming critically endangered.
It was the Indochinese tigers who ruled the land in the 1980s and 1990s. Still, their numbers dropped exponentially by 70% in 2010 because hunters killed so many of their prey.
IUCN says that only 352 tigers are still alive. From its head to its tail, the Indochina tiger is about 8 to 9 feet long. It likes all kinds of climates, whether they are tropical or subtropical.
Having a large area to cover, they can easily move to different climates and places.
More than small prey, their habitats are threatened by poaching and the growing number of people
Types of Tigers from Indochina live in many places. More and more often, their parts are used in traditional remedies and medicines. At the same time, their habitat is threatened by roads and development.
In the Dawna Tenasserim territory, Thailand and Myanmar have the most of these tigers, with about 250 of them living there.
Bengal Tiger: Types of Tigers
Bengal tigers (Panthera tigris Tigris) are known for their orange coats with black stripes and a few white spots on their backs. Their ears are black, and their backs have a few white spots. Up to 500 pounds and six feet long, they can reach a height of six feet.
They have some of the longest teeth of any big cat. About 2,500 Bengal tigers are thought to still live in Nepal, India, Bhutan, and Bangladesh. Even though it doesn’t look as bad as it does for South China or Malayan tigers, the Bengal tiger does face some problems.
In the last 10 years, poaching and the destruction of habitat have led to a 50% drop in the number of Bengal tigers. But suppose we don’t find a better way to protect the environment. Over the next three generations of tigers, we can expect a similar decline.
South China Tiger:
South China Tigers are scientifically known as Panthera tigris amoyensis. They are so uncommon that no one has seen one in the wild in over 30 years. As a result, they are the most critically endangered tiger subspecies.
There were supposed to be about 4,000 South China Tigers in the 1950s. By 1982, however, there were just 150-200 remained. the South China tiger and the Bengal tiger have only minor changes in the form of their heads and the length of their fangs.
But its coat has fewer and more spread-out stripes, and it is a slightly lighter shade of orange
Even though the survey found that more than 70% of people supported bringing South China tigers back into the wild, many people were worried about the idea.
Amur (Siberian) Tiger:
The greatest distinguishing quality of Amur tigers (Panthera tigris altaica) is their enormous size. These huge cats may weigh up to 660 pounds and reach a length of 10 feet, and their fur is pale orange with subtle brown stripes. Amur Jaipur was the largest Tiger ever captured in captivity, weighing 932 pounds and measuring 11 feet
Until the 1940s, Amur (Siberian) Tigers roamed northern China, Russia’s the Far East, and Korea, but were virtually extinct due to hunting. Once the population reached 40 individuals in the wild, the Russian Federation became the first nation to conserve the Siberian Tiger.
Types of Tigers| Extinct Species Of Tigers:
How Many Types of Tigers are Extinct?
There are three types of tigers that no longer exist: the Javan tiger [Panthera tigris sondaica], the Bali tiger [Panthera tigris balica], and the Caspian tiger [Panthera tigris virgata], and Six more types of tigers will go extinct soon. All of these subspecies of tigers are endangered and should be protected.
Bali Tiger
Panthera balica is the scientific name for this Tiger. It was first found in Bali, Indonesia. It is the Tiger subspecies that are thought to be the smallest. The average weight of a female tiger was 70 to 75 kilogrammes or 200 to 220 pounds. The average weight of a male tiger was 90 to 100 kilogrammes.
Due to hunting and poaching, the Bali Tiger went extinct because there were not enough of them in Bali. People hunted tigers for both food and clothing. They sell their fur and organs, and they also want to keep these hunters away from them.
The Bali Tiger was darker and had shorter fur than other subspecies of the same species. Also, because they didn’t have black stripes, they looked more solid gold. Their heads also had patterns that looked like bars, which made them stand out. Bali Tigers lived between eight and ten years in the wild.
The Caspian Tiger: Types of Tigers
Panthera tigris virgate, as well as the Caspian Tiger, the Iranian Tiger, and the Turan Tiger. They used to live near the Caspian Sea but later moved to Turkey, Iran, Central Asia, and the Xinjiang desert in China.
When put together with the Bengal Tiger, these were once the largest subspecies of tigers. On average, a man was more than two metres long. The stripes on the Caspian Tigers’ golden fur were light brown. During the winter, the skin might become dull and less clear.
After the Russians moved to Turkey at the end of the 1800s, they began to hunt the Caspian Tiger with no mercy. They also chased these predators’ prey and food sources, which caused many to die of hunger. In the 20th century, Caspian Tigers went extinct. Despite this, it was not investigated or confirmed due to a lack of interest.
The Javan Tiger:
In the 1970s, the Panthera tigris sondaica became extinct. As suggested by its name, Javan tigers were exclusively found on the island of Java.
Even though not much was done to save these tigers in 1947. The Javan Tiger could not be saved anymore. So, people in the area tried to stay safe by poisoning and hunting for money and rewards.
Their prey had also been killed until there was nothing left, which is what killed them. Java Tigers weren’t as big as other tigers because of this. Male tigers never got any bigger than 115 kilogrammes ( 250 pounds). At that time, women were even smaller than men.
These three subspecies are important to our civilization because they demonstrate how endangered tigers are right now.
Conclusion:
The tiger, Panthera tigris, is the largest species of living cat and a member of the Panthera genus. Tigers appear in a variety of shapes and sizes, with some becoming extinct while others becoming endangered. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has issued a list of extinct and endangered species (IUCN). Six tiger subspecies are categorized as endangered or severely endangered, including South China, Malayan, Bengal, Sumatran, Indochinese, and Amur. The Javan tiger, the Bali tiger, and the Caspian tiger are the three extinct tigers.