Less than a century ago, there were approximately 100,000 tigers roaming the Earth. Today, there are less than 5,000 that exist anywhere. Tigers, Latin name Panthera Tigris, are the largest cats in the world. The largest tiger ever recorded was a 1,025 Siberian male. Tigers exhibit a night vision 6 times greater than humans, due to a retinal adaptation which reflects light back to the retina.
Tigers can also see in color.
A tiger's life span in the wild is estimated at 10 years. Tigers in zoos can live almost twice as long. Tigers' claws retract, their scratches on trees serve as territorial markings. Cubs are born blind and weigh 2 to 3 pounds. At 18 months, they begin to make their own kills.