Description of the Tiger
Tigers have muscular bodies with powerful forelimbs, large heads and long tails.The pelagr is dense and heavy; colouration varies between shades of orange and brown with white ventral areas and distinctive vertical black stripes, whose patterns are unique to each individual.The oldest recorded captive tiger lived for 26 years. A wild specimen, having no natural predators, could in theory live to a comparable age.
SIZE
Tigers are the most variable in size of all big cats, much more so than lions. Males vary in total length from 250 to 390 cm (98 to 154 in) and weigh between 90 to 306 kg (198 to 675 lb) with skull length ranging from 316 to 383 mm (12.4 to 15.1 in). Females vary in total length from 200 to 275 cm (79 to 108 in), weigh 65 to 167 kg (143 to 368 lb) with skull length ranging from 268 to 318 mm (10.6 to 12.5 in).
Colour Variation
A well-known allele found only in the Bengal subspecies produces the white tiger.Genetically, whiteness is recessive: a cub is white only when both parents carry the allele for whiteness.Even apparently healthy white tigers generally do not live as long as their orange counterparts.
Another recessive gene creates the "golden" or "golden tabby" colour variation, sometimes known as "strawberry".Golden tiger have thicker than usual light-gold fur, pale legs, and faint orange stripes.