Panthera tigris tigris

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Vernacular names
English : Bengal Tiger
French : Tigre du Bengale

Classification
Class : Mammalia
Order : Carnivora
Family : Felidae
Notes : 8 other subspecies known. There has been many taxonomic revisions, some splitting the tiger in two species (Indonesian versus mainland) and other only recognizing two subspecies. So far, like most of the other official online resources, we choose to follow the older taxonomy with 9 subspecies (including 3 extinct ones).

Identification
Body length of 290 cm, tail length of 109 cm, weight of 325 kg. Unmistakable species with its reddish brown coat and vertical black stripes. This subspecies is lightly colored and is the biggest, getting smaller in the south of range.

Range and habitat
This subspecies occurs in parts of India and Bangladesh. Species also found on Mainland south-east Asia and on Sumatra, extinct in many parts of its range now. Lives in lowland humid tropical rainforests.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : ENDANGERED
CITES : Appendix I
Status : This species is legally protected and highly endangered because of persecution, poaching and habitat loss. Some populations are nearly extinct and three subspecies are totally extinct already.
Ex-Situ Programs : SSP in America, EEP in Europe

Observation

 

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