The fur consists largely of pale orange colorations around the head, legs, and back, plus additional white colors around the eyes, snout, cheeks, and inner legs. The Siberian tigers have a thick coat of fur to protect them from the frigid climates of their native habitat. The size of the tiger can vary widely, but the largest specimens can be around 11-feet long and have a weight of close to 700 or even 800 pounds, which makes these animals nearly the size of a grand piano. The Siberian tigers are the largest and most powerful subspecies of tigers in the world - and among the most powerful animals of any species anywhere.
The tiger is more distantly related to the wildcats, domesticated cats, and cougars in other genera within the felid family. It likely branched off from the rest of the genus a few million years ago, perhaps somewhere in Central Asia. The tiger is part of the same genus as the lion, jaguar, and leopard. Although they are technically the same species, these groups are separated geographically by thousands of miles across Asia. There has been some debate about how many subspecies of the tiger truly exist, but a genetic analysis supported the idea that there are perhaps as many as six distinct subspecies in total. The Siberian tiger is currently classified as a subspecies of the tiger, which makes it closely related to the Caspian tiger, Bengal tiger, and Malayan tiger. The word ‘altaica’ is derived from the name of the Altaic language group, which is spoken across Central and Eastern Asia. However, the Greeks apparently borrowed the word from other languages, like Persian. The word ‘tigris’ means tiger in ancient Greek.
The scientific name of the Siberian tiger is Panthera tigris altaica. Siberian tigers require huge amounts of natural territory to roam, which makes them particularly susceptible to human encroachment and habitat loss.The stripes on a tiger help camouflage the tiger, so it can sneak up on and kill prey with one powerful blow.Like a human fingerprint, no two tigers have the exact same stripe pattern.The Siberian tiger is an important mythological symbol to some native cultures in the region it resides.Other common names for the Siberian tiger include the Amur tiger, Manchurian tiger, and Korean tiger.Meticulous conservation efforts and protection from local governments will be required to bolster current population numbers. But because of the value placed on its luxurious fur and the supposed medicinal properties of its parts, the animal is under constant threat of extinction from human activity. Specially adapted for the frigid climate in which it resides, it is a sophisticated predator capable of taking down almost any other animal, no matter its size. With its immense size and powerful body, the Siberian tiger prowls the dense forests of Eastern Asia in search of prey. A regal symbol of strength, power, and fortitude, the Siberian tiger is one of the fiercest predators in the world.