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PORTRAIT OF A PREDATOR While the tiger is most often thought of as a denizen of the tropical jungle, its actual origins are in the cold, snowbound areas of northern Asia, perhaps as far north as the lower Arctic. At some time in the ancient past, the tiger migrated south, throughout eastern Asia and the Indian subcontinent, and west to Turkey and Iran. It has lived in habitats of great ecological diversity and has evolved into a number of dis- tinct subspecies with individual modifications. Tigers from the original northern habitat— the Siberian subspecies—are the largest tigers and have a considerably thicker coat to con- serve body heat in the frigid winters of their

homeland. Farther south, the tiger becomes smaller, its coat thinner. The Siberian tiger measures up to 13 feet (4 meters) in length, while the Bengal of India has an average length of 10 feet (3 meters). The island tigers of Sumatra and Bali, still farther south, have an average length of 8 feet (2.5 meters). Although tigers living in tropical habitats have a much lighter coat than their Siberian cousins, the animals’ northern origins are still felt in hot climates. The Bengal tiger tries to spend blazing hot days lying in shade or in cooling water. If forced to move around in the midday sun, the tiger pants heavily, its tongue hanging out. Curiously, the Siberian tiger’s typical tawny and black striped coat is more appropriate for the jungle topography of the south, where it can blend in with the grass and undergrowth for camouflage, than for the white winter landscapes of the far north.

Following page: The Bengal, or Indian, tiger once populated vast areas of the Indian subcontinent, with a range extending from Pakistan to western Burma. Though now reduced to little more than 5,000 animals, it is the most numerous of the surviving tiger subspecies.

The massive Siberian tiger is the largest of all cats. This subspecies is also believed to be the one from which all other tiger types developed as they migrated from their original northern habitats and eventually populated large parts of Asia.

The tiger is one of the world’s most feared predators. Even in a relaxed moment, the cat’s glittering eyes warn of deadly menace, and the tautness of the crouched, powerful body suggests the animal’s stealth, speed, and power.

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