Environmental Science Tigers Endangered Species Project - Free Essay Example

Tigers are becoming extinct. The scientific name of this species is Panthera tigris. Tigers occupy various habitats including tropical forests and grasslands. A tigers habitat needs three main requirements. They need shelter, food, and water. Most tigers are found in Asia. Larger species, such as the Siberian tiger, tend to live in colder areas. All tigers are carnivores. Tigers mainly eat various deer, wild pigs, water buffalo, and antelope. To kill their prey, tigers will clamp down on an animals neck with their jaws and suffocate the animal. Ninety percent of the time tigers fail to catch their prey. Tigers are active in the night. In fact, at night, tigers vision is better. It is often to hot in the day, so they wait till night. The tigers rely on the sounds of the forest to hear potential pray. On average, tigers are 4.8 to 9.5 feet long and weigh 165 to 716 lbs. Tigers rarely hunt in pairs. The primary threat to the survival of tigers is the habitat loss. Tigers mark their territory by scratching marks into trees with their claws. Today, an estimated total of around 3,000-4,500 exist in the world. Tigers are fantastic swimmers. They are able to catch potential pray because of this. Another interesting thing about tigers is their teeth. Their teeth can be very long. Some tigers have teeth as long as 3 inches. Males have larger territories than females. An adult males territory will usually over run the females. The endangered species is designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction. The ESA was signed into law by president Richard Nixon on December 28, 1973. The Endangered Species Act has almost 2,000 domestic species on the list for protection. Tigers mating seasons normally occur from November to April. A Tigers litter size is typically 3 to 4 cubs. A Tigers lifespan is 10 to 15 years. Tigers have lost 93% of the land they occupy. Tigers habitats have been destroyed because of human activities. People and tigers are always competing for space. As forests shrink and the prey becomes insufficient, tigers are forced to move beyond their territory, in look for a new territory to claim as their own.