CUTE TIGER CUB!!!

How Can one even think of hurting such beautiful animals

TIGER + LION------"LIGER" (WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

The liger is a hybrid cross between a male lion (Panthera leo) and a tigress (Panthera tigris), hence has parents with the same genus but of different species. It is distinct from the similar hybrid tigon. It is the largest of all cats and extant felines.

Size and Growth : Imprinted genes may be a factor contributing to liger size.^[3] These are genes that may or may not be expressed on the parent they are inherited from, and that occasionally play a role in issues of hybrid growth. For example, in some dog breed crosses, genes that are expressed only when maternally-inherited cause the young to grow larger than is typical for either parent breed. This growth is not seen in the paternal breeds, as such genes are normally "counteracted" by genes inherited from the female of the appropriate breed.^[4]

The tiger produces a hormone that sets the fetal liger on a pattern of growth that does not end throughout its life. The hormonal hypothesis is that the cause of the male liger's growth is its sterility — essentially, the male liger remains in the pre-pubertal growth phase. Male ligers also have the same levels of testosterone on average as an adult male lion. In addition, female ligers also attain great size, weighing approximately 700 lb (320 kg) and reaching 10 feet (3.05 m) long on average, and are often fertile^{[citation needed]}. In contrast, pumapards (hybrids betweenpumas and leopards) tend to exhibit dwarfism.

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FUN FACTS.............

- A tiger can eat 60 pounds of meat in a single night.

- The Amur tiger is the largest of the species. They have more white in their coat than other tigers, with the exception below.

- White tigers are a color variation of the Bengal tiger. They are pretty rare in nature, but have been deliberately bred in zoos. White tigers have blue eyes and a pink nose.

- South China tigers are the ones at biggest risk of endangerment. They have stripes that are more widely spaced.

- Sumatran tigers are the smallest tigers and have the darkest coat of the tiger family.

- Tiger Day is the last Sunday in September.

Something about Tigers......

The tiger (Panthera tigris) is a member of the Felidae family; the largest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera. Native to much of eastern and southern Asia, the tiger is an apex predator and an obligate carnivore. Reaching up to 4 metres (13 ft) in total length and weighing up to 300 kilograms (660 pounds), the larger tiger subspecies are comparable in size to the biggest extinct felids. Aside from their great bulk and power, their most recognizable feature is the pattern of dark vertical stripes that overlays near-white to reddish-orange fur, with lighter underparts. The largest subspecies of tiger is the Siberian tiger.

Highly adaptable, tigers range from the Siberian taiga, to open grasslands, to tropical mangroveswamps. They are territorial and generally solitary animals, often requiring large contiguous areas of habitat that support their prey demands. This, coupled with the fact that they are endemic to some of the more densely populated places on earth, has caused significant conflicts with humans. Of the eight subspecies of modern tiger, two are extinct and the remaining six are classified as endangered, some critically so. The primary direct causes arehabitat destruction and fragmentation, and hunting. Their historical range, which once reached from Mesopotamia and the Caucasus through most of South and East Asia, has been radically reduced. While all surviving species are under formal protection, poaching, habitat destruction and inbreeding depression continue to be threats.

Nonetheless, tigers are among the most recognizable and popular of the world's charismatic megafauna. They have featured prominently in ancient mythology and folklore, and continue to be depicted in modern films and literature. Tigers appear on many flags and coats of arms, asmascots for spng teams, and as the national animal of several Asiaortin nations.

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"If the government doesn't take immediate, harsh steps, tigers will only be seen in posters and photographs"  

K Sen, Director Project Tiger

Wild sentiments on...

"The Tiger is the spirit of the Indian jungle, the symbol of India's Wilderness and its National Natural Heritage species, one we are pledged to preserve!"

These are exactly my sentiments, though  I am not a so called wildlife conservationist, only a common person. I honestly believe that if we, ordinary men and women join the movement to save the tiger, in an honest and sincere manner, we can possibly help the experts. I have chosen this electronic medium, as I can possibly reach the highest audience through this medium at the lowest per reach cost.

Source:Indianhospitality.com