BY: NASHANETTE RODRIGUEZ
TIGERS
PURR-FECTLY BIG CATS
"Tigers are big and beautiful animals. They are strong and powerful, too. Tigers are the biggest cats in the world."
A TIGER'S HOME
"Tigers live in the forest. They spend a lot of time in the water, too. They live in hot places like Indonesia. They live in cold places like Russia."
"Tigers that live in cold places are bigger than other tigers. They also have thicker fur to keep them warm."
BUILT FOR HUNTING
"Tigers are fierce hunters. Their bodies are built for catching prey."
COAT
"A tiger's stripes camouflage it in tall grass and dry leaves. It's prey may not see the tiger until it's too late."
TEETH
"Four large teeth help tigers kill prey quickly."
EYES
"A tiger's terrific eyesight helps it hunt at night."
PAWS
"Big paws with soft pads help a tiger walk quietly. Sharp claws hook into prey and don't let go."
TAIL
"A long tail helps a tiger keep it's balance when moving quickly."
BACK LEGS
"Big muscles help a tiger dash or leap at it's prey."
MEAT EATER
"Tigers are carnivores, animals that eat meat. Their favorite foods are large, hooved animals such as buffalo, deer, and wild pigs. A hungry tiger can chow down 80 pounds of meat in one meal. That's about 320 hamburgers!!!"
TIGER TURF
"Besides hunting, tigers spend a lot of time marking their territory. They are not good at sharing!!!! Tigers make long scratch marks on trees. They also rub their faces on trees and leave smelly scents. This tells other tigers to stay away."
CUBS
"A female tiger usually has two or three cubs at one time. The cubs weigh about four pounds at birth. The mother raises the cubs by herself. Male and female tigers come together only to have cubs. Otherwise, adult tigers live alone. The cubs drink their mother's milk. After three or four months, they start to eat meat. Tiger cubs play games. They chase, leap, and pounce. They are learning how to be good hunters. When they are two years old, young tigers leave their family to find their own territories."
TIGERS IN TROUBLE
"Tigers are endangered. About 100 years ago, there were 100,000 tigers in the wild. Today there are less than 3,500. There are five different kinds of tigers today. They are the Bengal, South China, Indochinese, Sumatran, and Siberian tiger. Three other kinds of tigers have already become extinct."
HELPING TIGERS
"Though tigers are in trouble, there is good news. New forest areas for tigers have been found. Also, people are planting trees where forests have been cut down. You can help, too. Tell your family and friends about what you've learned. We can all work together to keep tigers on our planet!!"