Chromosomes are arranged in pairs and there are 19 pairs in a tiger, or 38 chromosomes altogether. One usually dies at birth. They live on their mother's milk for 6-8 weeks before the female begins taking them to kills to feed. They begin making their own kills at about 18 months of age. Young tigers leave their mother's range at anywhere from a year and a half to three years of age, depending on whether the mother has another litter.
Females tend to stay closer to the mother's range than males.
Chart of tiger weights and measurements. The foot pads vary in size with age, resulting in inaccurate estimates when used in censuring wild populations. There could hardly be a more appropriate time to assess the tiger's past and present status. At the turn of the century, eight sub-species of tiger were found from the Caspian Sea to Bali. Experts across tiger range states have provided forecasts for the fate of the species' future by the next Chinese Year of the Tiger in 12 years.