Tiger
The tiger is the most powerful living cat species on the earth and the largest and heaviest living of the cats in the world. Physical traits of the tiger vary according to subspecies, but generally male tigers can weigh between 400 and 700 lb and females between 260 and 400 lb. The males can reach 8 or 9 feet in length and the females between 7 and 9 feet. Tigers generally have brown or black stripes with orange fur, with the exception of the white tiger (which is not a subspecies of tiger, but a Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) with low skin pigmentation). Like finger-prints are unique to humans, tiger stripes are unique to tigers and can be used to identify individuals.
The main cause of deline is poaching and loss of habitat due to human population expansion and activities such as logging. Tigers are often killed illegally for their fur or their bones which are used in Chinese medicine. Also tiger populations were nearly wiped out up until the 1930s due to hunting for sport. The tiger is now legally protected and there are many conservation organizations dedicated to the preservation of this species.
