INTRODUCTION MEET THE SIBERIAN TIGER A female Siberian tiger and her cubs rest in the forest As the mother sleeps her cubs leap and chase one another The cubs are practicing for when they become fully grown hunters Siberian tigers belong to a group of animals called mammals Other groups of animals include insects fish amphibians reptiles and birds Siberian tiger cubs practice their hunting skills by roughhousing with one another
All mammals share several features They are vertebrates animals with backbones They are warm blooded so their bodies stay warm in a range of temperatures They have hair or fur on their bodies And mammal mothers make milk for their babies Yet no two mammals are exactly alike Siberian tigers have traits that set them apart These big cats are strong and powerful They eat meat and are good at tracking it down They use camouflage to help them survive
CHAPTER 1 WHAT DO SIBERIAN TIGERS LOOK LIKE Siberian tigers are the largest cats in the world Other members of the cat family include African lions cheetahs and domestic cats A male Siberian tiger can reach 12.8 feet 3.9 meters in length and weigh 660 pounds 300 kilograms Females are smaller than males A Siberian tiger's powerful limbs help it move quickly in the snow
DID YOU KNOW Siberian tigers are also known as AMUR TIGERS Other types of tigers include Bengal tigers Indochinese tigers and Sumatran tigers Striped fur covers the Siberian tiger's body The fur is reddish orange on most of the body It is creamy white on the belly the chest and a few other places The thick fur keeps the Siberian tiger warm and the stripes help camouflage the tiger in the forest The pattern of stripes differs for every tiger The stripes even differ on each side of the tiger's body Siberian tigers are built for hunting Their large furry feet help them stalk prey quietly Their sharp teeth and long claws help them catch and kill prey The powerful tiger can take down large animals such as deer elk and wild boar A Siberian tiger steps softly as it stalks its prey
