The Types of Tigers That Are Endangered Animals

Only one species of tiger exists, but it has nine known subspecies that vary by range and small physical differences. Of these nine subspecies, three became extinct in the 20th century, and all six other species are at risk of joining them. None of the world's tiger subspecies is considered safe from extinction.

  1. South China

    • The South China tiger is one of the smaller subspecies. It grows to around 8 feet nose to tail, and it weighs between 240 and 330 lbs. Its orange fur has dark, almost black stripes, which are spread widely apart compared to the stripes of other subspecies. It is the subspecies most at risk, with 30 to 40 thought left in the wild and fewer than 20 in captivity. However, recent sightings in the wild are not confirmed, leading to fears that the South China subspecies might already be extinct in the wild.

    Amur Tiger

    • The Amur tiger, also known as the Siberian, is the largest of the six surviving subspecies. It grows to around 9 feet in length nose to tail, and it weighs between 400 and 600 lbs. It lives in just a few small ranges in Russia, Korea and China. The Amur tiger was hunted almost to extinction in the 1940s, with only 40 of these tigers remaining at one point. Conservation efforts have increased its numbers, but this subspecies is still considered endangered.

    Bengal Tiger

    • The Bengal tiger is one of the larger subspecies. It grows to around 9 feet nose to tail, and it weighs more than 500 lbs. It is the most widespread and numerous of the tiger subspecies, found throughout areas of southeast Asia as well as China. Habitat loss and conflict with humans has diminished this subspecies' numbers, and although it is the most common it still is endangered. Like all subspecies, the Bengal has the characteristic orange fur with dark stripes.

    Indochinese Tiger

    • The Indochinese tiger is another large subspecies. It grows to between 8 and 9 feet in length nose to tail, and it weighs 220 to 430 lbs. The subspecies is native to southeast Asia and parts of China, with an estimated wild population of less than 1,500. About 60 are in captivity in Asia and the United States. The Indochinese subspecies is listed as endangered because of its low numbers, and projects are in place to aid reintroduction of captive-bred animals.

    Malayan Tiger

    • The Malayan tiger was discovered as a subspecies only in 2004, having been previously classed as the Indochinese variety. The two subspecies are similar, although the Malayan is slightly smaller, and closer in size to the Sumatran tiger. This subspecies lives only in southern Malaysia and Thailand. Because of its limited range and large-scale logging there, this subspecies is endangered.

    Sumatran Tiger

    • The Sumatran tiger is the smallest subspecies. It grows to around 8 feet in length nose to tail, and it weighs between 242 and 308 lbs. The subspecies is found only on the island of Sumatra. Other island tiger subspecies, the Bali and Javan, are extinct. The Sumatran subspecies is listed as at critical risk because of large-scale local deforestation.