Updated date:

Jan 12, 2014

150 Pictures of Tigers - Sleeping, Swimming, with Cubs, and More!

Author:: MoonByTheSea

Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via FlickrElena licking tiger cub Luva at the Zürich Zoo in Switzerland — Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

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Pictures of Tigers

The tiger is the largest cat species and is recognizable by its characteristic orange fur and black stripes. Like humans and fingerprints, no two tigers have the same pattern of stripes. Researchers believe that tigers’ stripes serve as camouflage, concealing them in forest shadows as they hunt their prey.

Once numbering over 100,000 at the beginning of the 20th century, the tiger has become an endangered species with 3,000-4,000 currently living in the wild, mainly in northeastern China, Korea, Russia, and parts of India and the Himalayan region. This dramatic population reduction is a result of habitat destruction and poaching for fur and body parts. Most tigers live in zoos, with the largest captive populations in the United States (about 4,700) and China (about 4,000).

In descending order of population, the six subspecies of tiger living today are the Bengal tiger, the Indochinese tiger, the Malayan tiger, the Sumatran tiger, the Siberian tiger, and the South China tiger. The Bengal tiger, also called the Indian tiger, is the most numerous subspecies. They have coats ranging from yellow to light orange in color and stripes that are either dark brown or black. Males weigh 180-260 kg (400-570 lb), with females a bit smaller.

Bengal tiger at Raubtierpark Subingen
Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

Bengal tiger at Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary in India
Vijaymp, CC-BY-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Bengal tiger lying in the grass and yawning at Raubtierpark Subingen
Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

Bengal tiger at Ranthambhore National Park in India
Koshyk, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr

Bengal tigers in Karnataka, India
Paul Mannix, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr

Indochinese tigers are smaller and darker than Bengal tigers, and they live in forests in mountainous or hilly regions. These Indochinese tigers are at Tierpark Berlin.
Lotse, CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Indochinese tiger at Tierpark Berlin
Lotse, CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Malayan tigers are found on the Malay Peninsula and are similar in appearance to Indochinese tigers. These are two Malayan tigers at the Cincinnati Zoo.
bobosh_t, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr

Malayan tiger
Rennett Stowe, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr

The Sumatran tiger, found only on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, is the smallest tiger subspecies. Males weigh just 100-140 kg (220-310 lb). This photo is of a Sumatran tiger at the Melbourne Zoo.
__Wichid__, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr

Sumatran tiger yawning at the Frankfurt Zoo in Germany
Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

The Siberian tiger, also called the Amur tiger, is the largest living cat, with some males weighing as much as 177 kg (390 lb). This Siberian tiger is at the Buffalo Zoo.
Dave Pape, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Siberian tiger yawning (Buffalo Zoo). Siberian tigers have thicker coats, a paler golden color, and fewer stripes than other subspecies.
Dave Pape, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Elena, a Siberian tiger at the Zürich Zoo in Switzerland
Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

Elena
Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

Male Siberian tiger at the Bronx Zoo
Evanphoto, CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Siberian tiger at Aalborg Zoo, Denmark
Malene Thyssen, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Malene, CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Male Siberian tiger at Leipzig Zoo in Germany
Appaloosa, CC-BY-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Siberian tiger at the Leipzig Zoo in Germany
Appaloosa, CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Siberian tiger at Tierpark Berlin
Agadez, CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Two young male Siberian tigers at the Leipzig Zoo in Germany
Appaloosa, CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Young Siberian tiger
Appaloosa, CC-BY-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A tiger at Franklin Park Zoo, Massachusetts, USA
By Eric Kilby from USA (YAWN Uploaded by Snowmanradio), CC-BY-SA-2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

By claudiogennari (Tiger attak... Uploaded by Japan Maik), CC-BY-2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Tiger at Zoo Dortmund in Germany
Mbdortmund, CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Brocken Inaglory (self-made (Sharpened, contrast corrected by: Arad)), CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons — Brocken Inaglory (self-made(Sharpened, contrast corrected by Arad)),CC-BY-SA-3.0,viaWikimediaCommons

Tiger performing the Flehmen response, which helps them detect scents
chadh, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr

Sander van der Wel, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr

Pictures of Tigers’ Faces

Bengal tigers, the most numerous tiger subspecies, have the longest canines of any large cat. Their canines can be as long as 10 centimeters (4 inches)! You can see these teeth up close in some of the photos below. Also notice that stripes around tigers’ eyes tend to be symmetrical, but stripes around the face are often asymmetrical.

Sumatran tiger
Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

Siberian tiger
Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

Sumatran tiger at a zoo in Spain
Mnemorino, CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Steve Evans (originally posted to Flickr as South India), CC-BY-2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Closeup of a golden tiger, also called golden tabby tiger or strawberry tiger. Golden tigers are not a distinct subspecies; their color is the result of a rare genetic variation. There are fewer than 30 golden tigers in the world, all in captivity.
Dcoetzee, CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication, via Wikimedia Commons

The white tiger is a genetic variation of the Bengal tiger. Like golden tigers, white tigers are not a distinct subspecies. Though extremely rare in the wild, white tigers are popular in zoos because of their unique coloring.
Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via FlickrWhite tiger — Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

Vassil, CC0-1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication, via Wikimedia Commons White tiger at the Zoo of Amnéville in France — Vassil, CC0-1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication, via Wikimedia Commons

Pictures of Tigers Sleeping

Tigers spend most of their time sleeping and resting. On average, they spend about 16 hours per day sleeping, twice as much as humans! Why do tigers spend so much time sleeping? Tigers live in a continual cycle of hunting, eating, and resting. A tiger’s hunt for prey uses a lot of energy, and only about one in every 10-20 hunts is successful. So, when they're not hunting, you'll usually see tigers resting and conserving energy.

Sleeping female tiger at Filmtierpark in Germany
Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

Tiger sleeping at Ouwehands Dierenpark Rhenen in the Netherlands
Doggettx, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr

Tiger sleeping at the Detroit Zoo
Scott_Calleja, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr

Tiger taking a nap at Filmtierpark in Germany
Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

Tiger taking a nap at Secret Garden Las Vegas
Jennifer R. Graevell Photography, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

Tiger sleeping by the water at the Zürich Zoo
Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

A white Bengal tiger sleeping
Esparta, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr

A tiger sleeping at the Everland Theme Park South Korea.
Nagyman, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr

A tiger sleeping at Disney's Animal Kingdom in Florida
Cropped by me; Original by Raul654, CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Another tiger sleeping at Disney's Animal Kingdom in Florida
Raul654, CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Alifeyzullah at Turkish Wikipedia, CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A white tiger sleeping at Busch Gardens safari park in Tampa, Florida
Cary Michael Bass, CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A pair of Siberian tigers napping at Zoo Landau in Germany
4028mdk09, CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Malayan tigers sleeping at the Cincinnati Zoo
bobosh_t, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr

Pictures of Tiger Cubs

A female tiger gives birth to a litter of about 2-3 cubs. She gives birth to her cubs in a sheltered den, such as a thicket or cave, and she rears her cubs alone. Cubs are born blind and helpless and don’t open their eyes until they are 1-2 weeks old. At age 3-6 months, cubs travel with their mother as she roams her territory, and she teaches them how to hunt. Cubs don’t separate from their mothers until they are about 2–2½ years old.

Tiger cub at the controversial "Tiger Temple" in Kanchanaburi province, Thailand
Pavel Sigarteu, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr

Malayan tiger cubs playing
Malcolm, CC-BY-SA-2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Siberian tigers at Tierpark Berlin
Softeis, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Lion cub at the Philadelphia Zoo
By Willow Grove, PA, USA (Flickr), CC-BY-2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Tiger cub in Berlin Tierpark
Softeis, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Siberian tiger cub at the Leipzig Zoo in Germany
Appaloosa, CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Siberian tiger cubs at the Leipzig Zoo in Germany
Appaloosa, CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

White tiger cub at the Amnéville Zoo in France
Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

White tiger cub at the Moscow Zoo
Ksenia Krylova,CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The next set of photos shows Siberian tiger cubs at the Buffalo Zoo in New York.

Dave Pape, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Siberian tiger cub at the Buffalo Zoo — Dave Pape, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Dave Pape, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Two Siberian tiger cubs at the Buffalo Zoo — Dave Pape, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Dave Pape, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Two Siberian tiger cubs with their mother at the Buffalo Zoo — Dave Pape, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The next set of photos is of Siberian tiger cubs at the Zürich Zoo in Switzerland. A male named Lailek and two females named Luva and Liska were born on May 15, 2011 at the zoo.

Tiger cubs Liska and Luva snuggling
Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

Two cubs playing with a fir tree
Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via FlickrZürich Zoo in Switzerland — Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

Liska and Luva drinking at a pond
Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

Tiger cub Luva sleeping
Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

Tiger cub Luva
Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

Cubs jumping after mom
Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

Liska (left) and Luva (right) drinking together at a pond
Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via FlickrCubs playing at the Zürich Zoo — Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

Lailek (left) and Luva (right) resting by a pond
Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

Tiger cubs Liska and Lailek resting
Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via FlickrCub taking a drink at a stream at the Zürich Zoo in Switzerland — Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

Mother Elena was playing with one of her cubs and the cub put his paw into her mouth
Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

Lailek play attacking his sister Liska
Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via FlickrLailek play attacking his sister Liska at the Zürich Zoo in Switzerland — Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

Liska entering the water
Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

Tiger cubs playing aggressively (Don't worry, none of the cubs got hurt!)
Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

Mother Elena licking her cub Luva
Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

Lailek taking a drink
Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

Lailek lying on his mother's back
Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

Cub eating with mom
Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

Cubs playing
Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

Cubs playing in the water
Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via FlickrTiger cubs playing in the water at the Zürich Zoo in Switzerland — Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

Liska eating a fish that her mother caught for her
Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

The next set of photos is of Sumatran tiger cubs at the Frankfurt Zoo in Germany.

Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via FlickrTiger cub at the Frankfurt Zoo in Germany — Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via FlickrTiger cub lying on the ground at the Frankfurt Zoo in Germany — Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via FlickrSumatran tiger cub yawning at the Frankfurt Zoo in Germany — Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via FlickrSumatran tiger cubs at the Frankfurt Zoo in Germany — Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

Pictures of White Tigers

Though some people mistakenly believe that the white tiger is its own subspecies, it is actually a rare genetic variation of the Bengal tiger. The white tiger’s color is a recessive trait caused by a lack of red and yellow pigments that produce the tiger’s normally orange color. White tigers are occasionally spotted in the wild, but they are more common in captivity. There are several hundred white tigers in captivity around the world, most of which have been deliberately bred. In addition to their unusual color, white tigers tend to be a bit larger than normal tigers.

A white tiger at West Midlands Safari Park in England
ahisgett, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr

ahisgett, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr West Midlands Safari Park in England — ahisgett, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr

White tiger yawning at the Singapore Zoo
kabils, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr

White tiger at the Singapore Zoo
kabils, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr

Two white tigers at Zoo Safaripark Stukenbrock in Germany
Christine und David Schmitt (flickr.com), CC-BY-2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A pair of White Bengal Tigers at the Haifa Educational Zoo in Israel
Zvi Roger, CC-BY-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

White tigers playing in the water (Singapore Zoo)
Ankit Mehta at Incomposition, CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

White tigers showing affection (Singapore Zoo)
PlasticTV, CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A pair of affectionate white tigers (Singapore Zoo)
chensiyuan, CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Two white tigers (Singapore Zoo)
Nachoman-au, CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

White tiger at the New Delhi Zoo, India
Santosh Namby Chandran, CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Two white tigers resting at Bannerghatta National Park in India
Amol.Gaitonde, CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Original uploader Céréales Killer at French Wikipedia (Transferred from fr.wikipedia to Commons), CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons — Céréales Killer at French Wikipedia(Transferred from fr.wikipedia),CC-BY-SA-3.0,via WikimediaCommons

Pictures of Tigers in Water

Tigers and jaguars are the only cats that enjoy swimming and resting in water. Tigers are such strong swimmers that they can swim up to 29 kilometers (18 miles) in a single day. Tigers will go into the water to hunt prey, swim for fun, or cool off on a hot day.