Ep.45: Tigers – 6 Subspecies
Intro
Hello and Welcome to this episode of the podcast, "The Mnemonic Tree", where we add a single mnemonic leaf to our Tree of Knowledge.
Today’s episode is on what I think is the prettiest cat on earth the tiger. From the Felidae family and the genus Panthera, tigers are extremely well camouflaged in their environment with their orange coat and dark stripes. Each one is as unique as a snowflake and unfortunately under constant threat of poaching and habitat destruction. So, lets get the word out to protect and love these iconic creatures of the planet.
Today’s mnemonic is on the six subspecies of tigers.
So, with that being said, we will begin with a summary from Wikipedia.
Wikipedia Summary
The tiger (Panthera tigris) is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus Panthera. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on ungulates, such as deer and wild boar. It is territorial and generally a solitary but social predator, requiring large contiguous areas of habitat to support its requirements for prey and rearing of its offspring. Tiger cubs stay with their mother for about two years and then become independent, leaving their mother's home range to establish their own.
The tiger was first scientifically described in 1758. It once ranged widely from the Eastern Anatolia Region in the west to the Amur River basin in the east, and in the south from the foothills of the Himalayas to Bali in the Sunda Islands. Since the early 20th century, tiger populations have lost at least 93% of their historic range and have been extirpated from Western and Central Asia, the islands of Java and Bali, and in large areas of Southeast and South Asia and China. What remains of the range where tigers still roam free is fragmented, stretching in spots from Siberian temperate forests to subtropical and tropical forests on the Indian subcontinent, Indochina and a single Indonesian island, Sumatra.
The tiger is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. As of 2015, the global wild tiger population was estimated to number between 3,062 and 3,948 mature individuals, with most populations living in small isolated pockets. India currently hosts the largest tiger population. Major reasons for population decline are habitat destruction, habitat fragmentation and poaching. Tigers are also victims of human–wildlife conflict, due to encroachment in countries with a high human population density.
The tiger is among the most recognisable and popular of the world's charismatic megafauna. It featured prominently in the ancient mythology and folklore of cultures throughout its historic range and continues to be depicted in modern films and literature, appearing on many flags, coats of arms and as mascots for sporting teams. The tiger is the national animal of India, Bangladesh, Malaysia and South Korea.
Extracted from: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger]
Mnemonic
Tigers – Six Subspecies Mnemonic – SIBS Suckle Mother
(Picture six baby tigers suckling on their mother)
1. Siberian Tiger
2. Indochinese Tiger
3. Bengal Tiger
4. South China Tiger
5. Sumatran Tiger
6. Malayan Tiger
Five Fun Facts
1. Tigers are relatively solitary apart from the relationship between a mother and her cubs. The tiger is territorial, covering between 8km to 95km.
2. The tiger is the biggest cat and the biggest tiger is the Siberian Tiger weighing approximately 300kg with the biggest one recorded at 384kg!
3. They may be big, but they can still move, reaching speeds up to 65 kms/hour.
4. Unlike your house cat, Tigers love to swim and to also cool off in the water.
5. A tiger’s roar can be heard from as far away as three kilometres.
6. Bonus Fact: Every tiger is unique and has its own pattern of stripes. So, they should remove the word “copycat” from the dictionary!
And also, the main reason tigers have stripes is not to be more attractive to the opposite sex. It’s because they don’t want to be … … spotted!
Three Question Quiz
Q.1. True or False. There were originally nine subspecies of Tigers?
Q.2. Fossil remains of tigers found in parts of China are believed to be how old? Options are 1 million years old or 2 million years old
Q.3. The tiger is the national animal of four countries. Name two?
Bonus Q. Which is bigger, a tiger or a lion?
Mnemonic Recap
Tigers – Six Subspecies Mnemonic – SIBS Suckle Mother
(Picture six baby tigers suckling on their mother)
1. Siberian Tiger
2. Indochinese Tiger
3. Bengal Tiger
4. South China Tiger
5. Sumatran Tiger
6. Malayan Tiger
Three Question Quiz Answers
Q.1. True or False. There were originally nine subspecies of Tigers?
A. True. The Caspian, Bali, and Javan tigers have all unfortunately become extinct
Q.2. Fossil remains of tigers found in parts of China are believed to be how old? Options are 1 million years old or 2 million years old
A. 2 million years old
Q.3. The tiger is the national animal of four countries. Name two?
A. India, Bangladesh, Malaysia and South Korea
Bonus Q. Which is bigger, a tiger or a lion?
A. A tiger
Word of the Week
draconian
[ drey-koh-nee-uhn, druh- ]
adjective
rigorous; unusually severe or cruel.
Example
The draconian treatment of tigers for medicinal products such as tiger bone wine and tiger bone ointment is abhorrent and should be stopped immediately.
Extracted from: [https://www.dictionary.com/]
Website: https://www.themnemonictreepodcast.com/
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References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger
https://www.natgeokids.com/au/discover/animals/general-animals/10-tiger-facts/
https://www.beano.com/posts/tiger-quiz