Social Behavior of the Tiger

Tigers are the largest cats currently in existence. There are eight subspecies, all of which live in the forested areas of Asia. Tigers live exclusively on meat. They are mainly solitary animals, but despite their solitude they have a unique social structure.

  1. Territoriality

    • Each tiger maintains a large territory. This territory ranges in size from eight square miles to more than 200 square miles, depending on how prey-rich the area is. Males have territories that are larger than the territories of females. Tigers never share their territories with other tigers of the same sex, except for mothers with their cubs. Males overlap their territories with the territories of several females so that they can meet to mate.

    Familiarity

    • Although most tigers, especially males, fiercely protect their territories against other tigers of the same sex, occasionally tigers display more tolerance toward one another. Tigers that are related often recognize each other, probably by smell, and will sometimes share meals. Male tigers also sometimes share their kills with female tigers with cubs. Unlike most other big cats, the males actually allow the females and cubs to eat first.

    Mating and Cubs

    • Since a female's territory may overlap with the territories of several males, she can choose which male to mate with. When males fight over a female, the female mates with the winner. After approximately 100 days, the female gives birth to one to seven cubs. Usually, there are two or three. The cubs nurse until they are 6 months old and leave their mother when they are 2 years old. Many cubs, especially females, take territories adjacent to their mother's territory.

    Other Interactions

    • Tigers prefer to avoid other tigers rather than fighting them. However, male tigers will fight fiercely over the right to mate with a female. Tigers often hiss or growl to tell other tigers that they are not welcome, while they purr or growl to show that the other tiger is welcome or to show that they want to mate. A tiger also gives messages to other tigers by using scent marking and scratch marks at the boundaries of its territory.