Tiger
In the past, the tiger's range was widespread in Asia, from the Caucasus and the Caspian Sea to Siberia and Indonesia.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ2Etq_0rJuIg1gvdezdiqc9mnUWQzCFmqQVWFspCqvPIHcyzKZemhn9QS8U26ZIGlwuWZwq6j4z3SQd1x9J7mr8eaZc4Tf8LiagqTE7fZxaYeH5CiGU8XCLYG39Q2AadSztwIBrZuTZ8/s400/7_animals_bigcats.jpg)
During the 19th century, these cats completely vanished from western Asia,
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9wETyWddvfqKBcfyJyaOKnplnIIgpepoTBpEK77sha1CvlELf5zq6xk33HYS8cwwaXZAc2kYAsnxztZlNvuWpmwYuUT1HbT3dAIj4G9DYAeTRBVSLg0TwKzjBEJzP6fPEOVyR74iLPxM/s400/6_animals_bigcats.jpg)
and became restricted to isolated pockets in the remaining parts of their range.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_hVJVuNghO4ZEre1LTJ39QiVMFMKskRlOCTYvz8u6t8LSwz4VbaPYONAmq0RzfSeKbTq-t8qdwOL-beeZWkemxcvlm5MfwTu8dV9uFV-99UkcQ5NQyKsmBofebH85EiJr0PqAHANNhHw/s400/5_animals_bigcats.jpg)
Today, their range is fragmented, and extends from India in the west to China and Southeast Asia in the east.The northern limit is close to the Amur River in south eastern Siberia. The only large island inhabited by tigers today is Sumatra.
The tiger (Panthera tigris) is a member of the Felidae family, the largest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera.
The word "tiger" is taken from the Greek word "tigris".
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh78_XARaEzzmT0ooLkvJQcZaPBs9LwnrbgVc0v_NqeAWZSELHEP0itU3PUPauOXtqX7SnddVl6A95bu-6O2VloHaAyHThMrs5YLxygoQo6ol58IbhXKFx86WlFGb0mAag1OJF9g0EfPio/s400/1_animals_tiger.jpg)
In the past, the tiger's range was widespread in Asia, from the Caucasus and the Caspian Sea to Siberia and Indonesia. During the 19th century, these cats completely vanished from western Asia, and became restricted to isolated pockets in the remaining parts of their range. Today, their range is fragmented, and extends from India in the west to China and Southeast Asia in the east. The northern limit is close to the Amur River in south eastern Siberia. The only large island inhabited by tigers today is Sumatra.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVluGRgQov7SKuMkAP3h1A6_Qd_jY8i_3WsnY1N4iCdudlD31P6erOj_0PDTz5KkeJsJ3uC7ZZN14KaINFf6QTLrSMxqowJ6Zeej1-lr2RwIx6C0aKpZ8jGBRVKqwo_vTwmKxn6aFj1Xc/s400/2_animals_tiger.jpg)
Tigers vanished from Java and Bali during the 20th century, and in Borneo are known only from fossil remains.