Tiger Handpuppet 25cm - Cuddly Toy

Physical Characteristics
Tigers are the largest members of the cat family and are renowned for their power and strength, although only five subspecies of tiger exist in the world having been hunted to extinction by its only predator - man. Tigers use their distinctive black and orange/white striped coats as camouflage. The stripes on a Tiger are as unique as a fingerprint, no two tigers have the same markings. The tiger's average lifespan in the wild: 8 to 10 years Size: Head and body 5 to 6 ft with a tail measuring 2 to 3 ft .Weight: a powerful 240 to 500 lbs (109 to 227 kg).

Habitat
Wild tigers do not live in Africa, they are spread out across the Asian continent only and are thought to have originated from Southern China. However due to habitat destruction and hunting by man, the Tiger is now on the endangered species list.

Behaviour
Unlike the lion, the tiger prefers to live alone. Each tiger has its very own territory the border of which is marked by the tiger making scratches on tree trunks with its claws and scent-marking the area with a mixture of urine and perfumes from its special scent gland. Any other tiger that strays into the area recognizes these signs, and knows that it is in someone else's territory and travels warily. Unusually for a big cat, the Tiger enjoys water and is a very strong swimmer. On hot days Tigers can be found cooling off in pools and streams.

Breeding
Male and female adult tigers only come together for mating. Females give birth to litters of two to six cubs, which they raise with little or no help from the male. Cubs cannot hunt until they are 18 months old and remain with their mothers for two to three years.

Diet
Diet: Carnivore. Tigers usually hunt alone and at night when it is much cooler. The Tiger is not a fast runner and like most cats it stalks silently towards its prey using its striped coat as camouflage. The Tiger uses its exceptionally large canine teeth to stab its prey and one bite in the throat or the back of the neck is enough to kill a deer. A hungry tiger can eat as much as 60 pounds or meat in one night if they make a large kill. However only 1 in every 10 - 20 hunting attempts is successful.

Strange and Interesting Facts
A group of tigers is called a Streak and their footprints are called 'Pug Marks'.