All animals → Tiger

Tiger

Panthera tigris · easy

The tiger is the largest cat alive, and among the most adaptable: the same species lives in Sundarbans mangrove, Indian dry forest, Southeast Asian rainforest and the snow of the Russian Far East. Amur tigers at the northern edge grow heavier and paler; those in the tropics are smaller and more richly marked.

The stripes are not only on the fur. Shave a tiger and the pattern remains on the skin, because it is set in the follicle distribution. Every animal's arrangement is unique, which is why camera-trap surveys can count individuals rather than estimate.

Unusually for a cat, tigers swim readily and well, crossing rivers and cooling off in them during hot weather. They hunt alone, stalking close before a short explosive rush, and can drag a carcass heavier than several people could lift between them.

The species lost most of its historical range within a century, to habitat conversion, prey depletion and killing for skins and for use in traditional medicine. Several subspecies were driven extinct outright. India now holds the large majority of what remains, and coordinated protection has stabilised or increased numbers in parts of the range — the first sustained reversal in a long decline.

Where it lives

Worml lists the tiger as native to 12 countries — Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam. Its habitat is tropical forest, mangrove, grassland and boreal forest.

Ranges here are reduced to whole countries for playability and exclude introduced populations — see about the data for what that simplification leaves out.

In the game

Tiger is rated easy. To solve the round you need to find any 6 of its 12 listed countries. How scoring works →

Play today's puzzle →