This video discusses the biology and behavior of tigers, also known as the "true kings of the jungle." The host, Danielle, begins by explaining that there are only two subspecies of tigers: the mainland Asian tiger and the Sunda island tiger. She discusses the size and weight of tigers, with males weighing up to 300 kilograms and measuring up to 3.9 meters long. Tigers are ambush hunters and primarily eat ungulates, but will eat anything they can catch, including fellow predators. Danielle also talks about the unique characteristics of tigers, such as their stripes, which serve as camouflage in their jungle habitats.
The video also touches on the conservation status of tigers, which are endangered due to habitat loss and poaching. Danielle mentions that there are less than 3,000 tigers left in the wild, and that they are heavily poached for their fur and body parts, which are used in traditional medicine.
The host also shares some interesting facts about tigers, such as their ability to swim long distances and their unique mating habits. She also discusses the phenomenon of "human-eating tigers," which are typically older tigers that can no longer catch other prey.
The video concludes with a discussion of a conservation effort in the Sundarbans region, where tigers are known to prey on humans. The host mentions that a conservation group has distributed masks with faces on them to be worn on the back of the head, which helps to deter tigers from attacking humans.
1. There are only two subspecies of tigers: Panthera tigris tigris (mainland Asian tiger) and Panthera tigris sondaica (Sunda Island tiger).
2. The study found that there wasn't enough information to prove that various populations of tigers were different enough to be classified as distinct subspecies.
3. Tigers are the largest species of cat in the world.
4. The mainland Asian tiger, which includes the Siberian tiger, can measure up to 3.9 meters long, including their tail.
5. Male mainland Asian tigers can weigh up to 300 kilograms.
6. Males are much bigger than females, weighing on average 70 kilograms more.
7. Mainland Asian tigers are much larger than their island-dwelling cousins, the Sumatran tiger.
8. The Sumatran tiger weighs at most 140 kilograms, half the weight of a Siberian tiger.
9. Bergman's law states that animals that live in colder climates tend to grow larger than animals in warmer climates.
10. Tigers primarily eat ungulates like deer and bovine but will eat anything they can catch.
11. Tigers have pretty good endurance, allowing them to chase prey longer than their sprinting cousins.
12. In their prime, tigers could be found across Asia, from the Pacific to the Black Sea.
13. Their current range is just 7% of their historic range.
14. Tiger range has declined by 41% in the last decade.
15. Tigers are endangered.
16. Around 73,000 years ago, massive volcanic eruptions almost pushed tigers to extinction.
17. A small group of tigers survived to repopulate the continent, but they lost a lot of genetic diversity.
18. Tigers are members of the Panthera genus.
19. Despite their similarities in size to lions, tigers are actually more closely related to snow leopards and jaguars.
20. Tigers are ambush hunters.
21. They have huge fangs, the longest of any big cat, measuring up to 9 centimeters long.
22. Their preferred method for killing prey is to clamp their powerful jaws around their prey's throat, asphyxiating them.
23. This strategy allows them to kill prey weighing up to one ton, including the water buffalo.
24. Human-eating tigers are a real thing, mostly older tigers who can't catch other prey.
25. In the Sundarbans, a vast coastal forest located mostly in southern Bangladesh along its border with India, young, healthy tigers prey on humans, killing approximately 50 people every year.
26. The World Conservation Union started distributing and wearing masks with faces on them on the back of their heads to prevent tiger attacks.
27. This tactic has been incredibly successful and reduced the number of attacks on those wearing the masks to zero.
28. Tigers use a similar strategy, with white spots on the back of their ears resembling eyes.
29. Many butterflies and birds have markings that look like eyes to deter predators from attempting to sneak up on them.
30. Tigers are solitary, usually only needing to mate.
31. Mating can happen year-round, with gestation lasting three to four months.
32. Cubs weigh around 1 kilogram at birth and will feed off their mother's milk for around six months.
33. Adult tigers will provide a lot of nourishment to their cubs, even letting them eat before they've eaten.
34. Occasionally, males will kill the cubs to make their mother interested in mating again.
35. When juvenile males are old enough to set out on their own, they initially will set up camp fairly close to their mothers.
36. When they're older, they'll move out and find territory unclaimed by other tigers or challenge an older male for their territory.
37. This is the most dangerous point in a tiger's life.
38. Tiger territory is huge, with some males having territory of up to 294 square kilometers.
39. They mark their territory with scent using their urine and anal glands to let other tigers know to stay out.
40. Female tiger territory is typically much smaller, with some females having territory of around 84 square kilometers.
41. Tigers are excellent swimmers and can swim up to 7 kilometers in a single go and up to 29 kilometers in a day.
42. Tigers occasionally will mate with lions, but it usually only happens in zoos.
43. If the male is the lion and the female is a tiger, it's called a liger, and if the female is a lion and the male is a tiger, it's called a tigon.
44. Both ligers and tigons are infertile.
45. Ligers can measure up to 3.5 meters long and weigh up to 450 kilograms.
46. This is due to the fact that male lions have a growth-promoting gene, while female lions don't.
47. Some Bengal tigers have a recessive gene that makes them white.
48. White tigers have been increasingly inbred in order to create more white tiger cubs.
49. Tigers are heavily poached for their fur as trophies for rich people and their body parts are used a lot in traditional medicine.
50. There are now less than 3,000 tigers left in the wild.