The tiger

The tiger is one of the species of the family Felidae and the smallest of the four large cats belonging to the genus Panthera (Latin: Panthera); The tiger, lion, and jaguar are all larger. Today, tigers are spread almost mainly in sub-Saharan Africa, and some areas in southern and eastern Asia, where there are fragmented populations in Pakistan, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, China, and southern Arabia, after its habitat previously included all countries extending from The Korean peninsula to southern Africa, i.e. regions of eastern, southern, central Asia, the Middle East, Turkey, and all parts of Africa. The reason behind the rapid decline of tiger numbers is due to hunting and loss of habitat as a result of the frequent urbanization in its often densely populated habitats. The tiger is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as close to extinction due to the above-mentioned risks, but despite this it is still more numerous than the rest of the other species of felines belonging to the genus Panther, which all face greater risks than those faced by tigers.

The tiger has relatively short legs, in addition to a long body and a huge skull, and it is very similar to the jaguar in terms of outward appearance, but it is smaller and less stocky. The fur of the tiger is speckled with pink spots that miss the central point in its middle that appears at the jaguar, and some tigers are born with a gene that causes them to have a dark color, and these tigers are either completely black or very dark, but it is still possible to see their spots when they stand in the sunlight, Both tigers and jaguars share this gene, and these dark animals are known as "black panthers".

The success of this species and its spread in various areas of the ancient world is attributed to its opportunistic hunting habits and its ability to adapt to different forms of climates and habitats, in addition to its ability to move at a distance of 58 kilometers (36 miles) per hour.[5] Tigers eat any type of animal that they can catch, as their prey ranges from the size of beetles to zebras. The preferred habitat of these animals ranges from rain forests to desert areas. The tiger plays an ecological role similar to that of cougars in the Americas.