The claws are 80 to 100 mm in length. No one knows exactly why tigers are striped, but scientists think that the stripes act as camouflage, and help tigers hide from their prey. The Sumatran tiger has the most stripes of all the tiger subspecies, and the Siberian tiger has the fewest stripes. The tiger's head often carries the Chinese mark of wang or king on the forehead. A tiger's tail is 3 to 4 feet long, about half as long as its body.
Tigers use their tails for balance when they run through fast turns.
They also use their tails to communicate with other tigers. Although tigers usually live alone, tiger territories can overlap. A male tiger's territory usually overlaps those of several female tigers. They also leave scratch marks on trees. After eating a lot, they often do not eat again for several days.