There are generally considered to be eight subspecies of Tiger (Panthera tigris), three of which are now extinct. The remaining subspecies include the Bengal, Indo-Chinese, South China, Amur, and Sumatran tigers. Pressures from illegal killing, a shrinking food supply, and habitat loss led to the extinction of the Bali, Javan, and Caspian subspecies, and continue to threaten the survival of the remaining subspecies.
Tigers live in a variety of habitats from the temperate forests of the Russian Far East, to the mangrove swamps of the Sunderbans of Bangladesh and western India, to the tropical forests, grasslands, and marshes of India and Indonesia. Historically, they were also found near the Caspian Sea in Turkey and Iran, and on the islands of Bali and Java in Indonesia.
Tiger, (Panthera tigris), is the largest member of the cat family (Felidae), rivaled only by the lion (Panthera leo) in strength and ferocity. The tiger is endangered throughout its range, which stretches from the Russian Far East through parts of North Korea, China, India, and Southeast Asia to the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The Siberian, or Amur, tiger (P. tigris altaica) is the largest, measuring up to 4 metres (13 feet) in total length and weighing up to 300 kg (660 pounds). The Indian, or Bengal, tiger (P. tigris tigris) is the most numerous and accounts for about half of the total tiger population. Males are larger than females and may attain a shoulder height of about 1 metre and a length of about 2.2 metres, excluding a tail of about 1 metre; weight is 160–230 kg, and tigers from the south are smaller than those of the north.

Natural History
The tiger has adapted to a great variety of environments, from the Siberian taiga, where nights can be as cold as −40 °C (−40 °F), to the mangrove swamps of the Sundarbans, where the temperatures reach more than 40 °C (104 °F). Tigers haunt the ruins of buildings such as courts and temples and are at home in habitats ranging from dry grassland to rainforest. Grasslands, mixed grassland-forests, and deciduous rather than densely canopied forests support maximum population densities, as these habitats maintain the highest number of prey species. Having evolved in the temperate and subtropical forests of eastern Asia, the tiger is less tolerant of heat than other large cats, which may explain why it is an adept swimmer that appears to enjoy bathing. Under stress it may climb trees.

TIGER FACTS
Tigers are Nocturnal animals
It is not necessarily true that all Tigers are nocturnal but yes, they do prefer engaging in most of their hunting activities at night. The reason behind this is that Tigers prefer avoiding human conflict during daylight and also patrol around their territory at night.

Tigers love to swim and play in the water
Unlike the domestic cats, its larger version enjoy spending time in the water and they love to swim for hours. Since cubs, female Tigers encourage or help learn the art of hunting, they even have the ability to kill in the water. And as adults, it is said that they can swim for several kilometres and even have reported one to swim for 30 km in just a day.

Tigers can mate with other big cats
Tigers can also mate with other big cats, for example, if a male Tiger mates with female Lion, the hybrid born animal is known as Tigon. They are the largest cat species and can grow bigger than Liger which is a mix breed of male Lion and female Tiger. The height of a Liger is about 4.5 feet while on all four legs and about 6 feet tall when standing.

Tigers have antiseptic saliva
A lesser known fact of Tigers is that they have antiseptic saliva, so whenever you get a bruise and want to disinfect them, visit the doctor Tiger, just kidding! Usually what they do is, they tend to lick the area in order to prevent any infection.

Tigers can sprint at 60 km/hour
Not the fastest runner in the animal kingdom but the fact that Tigers have very strong legs makes them sprint more or less at 60 kilometres per hour, but it is only possible for short distances.

Tigers stripes are also found on their skin
Most of you may not know this but, most of the cat species have stripes on their fur as well as on their skin. It is actually true that similar to human fingerprints, the unique pattern of stripes on Tigers acts like their identity. Even if you shave off the fur of Tigers or house cats, you would still see the stripes.

Tigers are humble
Tigers are one of the most humble species unlike Lions (no offence). Often it is seen in the wildlife that the male Tigers allow the female and cubs to eat first.

Tigers prefer to hunt by Ambush
One of the most common knowledge to any wildlife lovers, wild animals enjoy a surprise kill but not as much as Tigers. Due to their stripe camouflage, they hide behind thick bushes and attack their victim from behind. It is also said that Tigers are less likely to attack when we see them, in fact, most of the villages in India wear a face mask on the back of their head just to trick the Tigers.

Tigers have a diverse diet
The Tigers have a varied diet and can feast on anything that comes its way, be it, a wild boar, deer/antelope, rodent, bear, bird, rhino, crocodile, buffalo and even their own group of cats like leopards. They even eat fish!

Tigers can imitate the call of other animals
Tigers imitate the call of other animals. Hunting by mimicry is an added advantage to animals; it has been said that Tigers make a ‘pook’ sound similar to that of sambhar that draws these innocent animals into the trap and get ambushed.

Tigers do not normally see humans as prey
Tigers tend to attack humans only when they feel threatened. But on a serious note, we cannot deny that fact, there have been reports on Tigers killing people in rural places, so it is best to stay away from their territory. If you come across such situations, it is best to walk backwards, constantly eyeing the Tiger, as mentioned earlier, as they mostly kill in ambush.

An elephant’s trunk weighs 400 pounds, but it can pick up things as small as a single grain of rice.
Elephants use their trunk for everything! Drinking, eating, smelling, and communicating are all done by the trunk
Elephants can recognize themselves in the mirror. They join humans, apes, and dolphins as the only animals with self awareness.
They are afraid of bees. Farmers even use beehives to deter elephants from coming onto their land. Some farms in Asia and Africa are using bees instead of life-threatening electric fences.
Elephants can have babies until they’re 50 years old. Similarly to humans, giving birth at that age is rare, but some elephants have even given birth in their 60s.
Elephants are pregnant for 22 months — it’s the longest gestation period of any mammal.
Elephants are born blind. They also suck their trunks for comfort, like humans suck their thumbs.
They weigh upto 260 pounds at birth.
The oldest elephant lived to be 86
They “hug” their trunks to say hello to each other.
Elephants can spend 16 hours a day eating.

Elephants are the largest land mammals on earth and have distinctly massive bodies, large ears, and long trunks. They use their trunks to pick up objects, trumpet warnings, greet other elephants, or suck up water for drinking or bathing, among other uses. Both male and female African elephants grow tusks and each individual can either be left- or right-tusked, and the one they use more is usually smaller because of wear and tear. Elephant tusks serve many purposes. These extended teeth can be used to protect the elephant’s trunk, lift and move objects, gather food, and strip bark from trees. They can also be used for defense. During times of drought, elephants even use their tusks to dig holes to find water underground.
Two genetically different African species exist: the savanna elephant and the forest elephant, with a number of characteristics that differentiate them both. The African savanna elephant is the largest elephant species, while the Asian forest elephant and the African forest elephant are of a comparable, smaller size.
Asian elephants differ in several ways from their African relatives, with more than 10 distinct physical differences between them. For example, Asian elephants’ ears are smaller compared to the large fan-shaped ears of the African species. Only some male Asian elephants have tusks, while both male and female African elephants grow tusks.
Led by a matriarch, elephants are organized into complex social structures of females and calves, while male elephants tend to live in isolation or in small bachelor groups. A single calf is born to a female once every four to five years and after a gestation period of 22 months—the longest of any mammal. Calves are cared for by the entire herd of related females. Female calves may stay with their maternal herd for the rest of their lives, while males leave the herd as they reach puberty. Forest elephants’ social groups differ slightly and may be comprised of only an adult female and her offspring. However, they may congregate in larger groups in forest clearings where resources are more abundant.
Elephants need extensive land areas to survive and meet their ecological needs, which includes food, water, and space. On average, an elephant can feed up to hours and consume hundreds of pounds of plant matter in a single day. As a result, as they lose habitat, they often come into conflict with people in competition for resources.

Our planet is home to five species of rhinoceros – the black rhino and the white rhino, which live in Africa. The Sumatran, Javan and Indian (or greater one-horned) rhino, which inhabit the tropical forests and swamps of Asia.
These brilliant beasts are known for their awesome, giant horns that grow from their snouts, hence the name “rhinoceros’, meaning “nose horn”. Javan and Indian rhinos have one horn, where as the white, black and Sumatran rhinos have two.
These incredible creatures are some of the biggest animals in world. The largest of the five species is the white rhino, which can grow to 1.8 m tall and can weigh a massive 2500 kg, that’s the weight of 30 men.
Despite their huge size and strength, these bulky beasts don’t prey on other animals for food. They are herbivores, and instead like to munch on lots of grass and plants at night, dawn and dusk.

During the heat of the day, these magnificent mammals can be found sleeping in the shade or wallowing in muddy pools to cool off. They love to get mucky. Mud protects their skin from the strong sun (like a natural sunblock) and wards off biting bugs.
For the most part, rhinoceroses are solitary animals and like to avoid each other. But some species, particularly the white rhino, may live in a group, known as a ‘crash’. These crashes are usually made up of a female and her calves, although sometimes adult females (called cows) can be seen together, too.
Males (called bulls), on the other hand, like to be left alone, unless in search of a female to breed with. They’re very territorial and mark out their area of land with poop. In fact, rhinos often use poop piles to communicate with each other, since each individual’s dung smells unique.
They may rarely hang out with each other, but they spend a lot of time with their feathered friends. Rhinos are often seen with Oxpeckers (or ‘tick birds’) perched on their back, which live off the pesky parasitic insects living in the rhino’s thick skin. The birds’ loud cries also help alert their big buddies to potential danger.
Due to their huge bodies, strong horns and thick, armour-like skin, rhinos have no natural predators. Nevertheless, these brilliant beasts get frightened easily. When they feel threatened, they’re instinct is to charge directly at whatever has spooked them whether it be another animal or a harmless object.
Sadly, it’s estimated that there are only around 29,000 rhinos left in the wild, compared to 500,000 at the beginning of the 20th century. The main threat to these beautiful animals is illegal hunting, largely because their horns are used in traditional folk medicine, particularly in Asia.

Leopards are part of the cat family, Felidae. The scientific name for a leopard is Panthera pardus.
Leopards grow from 3 to 6.2 feet long. Their tail adds another 25 to 39 inches to their length. Males and females vary in weight. Females typically weigh 21 to 60 kilograms and males usually weigh around 36 to 75 kg.
The lifespan of a leopard is between 12 and 17 years in the wild, and up to 23 years in captivity.
Leopards are well known for their cream and gold spotted fur, but some leopards have black fur with dark spots.
Leopards are mostly nocturnal, hunting prey at night.
Leopards are carnivores, but they aren’t picky eaters. They will prey on any animal that comes across their path, such as Thomson’s gazelles, cheetah cubs, baboons, rodents, monkeys, snakes, large birds, amphibians, fish, antelopes, warthogs and porcupines.
Leopards are renowned for their agility. They run up to 58 km/h and can leap 20 feet horizontally and 10 feet vertically. They are also very strong swimmers.
Adult leopards are solitary animals. Each adult leopard has its own territory where it lives and although they often share parts of it, they try to avoid one another.
Leopards are astoundingly strong. They are pound for pound the strongest of the big cats. This means if all the big cats where the same size and weight, the leopard would be the strongest.
They are able to climb trees, even when carrying heavy prey, and often choose to rest on tree branches during the day. One reason why leopards sometimes take their prey up in the trees is to ensure lions or hyenas can’t steal them.
The leopard is the most elusive and secretive of the large felids. They are extremely difficult to trace and locate in the wild.
When female leopards are ready to mate they will mate with many of the dominate males near her territory. This takes away the risk of the cubs being killed by one of the rival dominate males because they will think that the cubs are theirs.
Leopards have a gestation period of approximately 3 months and typically give birth to a litter of 2 to 3 cubs.
Leopard cubs are born blind and are completely dependent on their mothers. Their eyes begin to open after about ten or more days and for the first few months their eyes are bright blue.
Leopard cubs will stay with their mothers for approximately two years, this is how they learn to hunt and survive on their own.
The name “leopard” comes from the Greek word leopardus, which is a combination of leon (lion) and pardus (panther).
Leopards don’t need much water. They survive from the moisture they get from eating their prey.
Leopards’ ears can hear five times more sounds that the human ear.
The leopard’s spots are called rosettes because they look like roses.
The leopard is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because leopard populations are threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, and are declining in large parts of the global range.
Some people believe that the bones and whiskers of leopards can heal sick people. Many leopards are killed each year for their fur and body parts and this is one reason why the leopard is an endangered animal. While they were previously found in the wild in a number of areas around the world, their habitat is largely restricted to sub-Saharan Africa with small numbers also found in India, Pakistan, Malaysia, China and Indochina.