Tiger

Tiger
Base Information
Classification	Carnivore
Terrain	Forests & Mountains
Locomotion	Walker
Size	large
Speed	Fast
Strength	Strong
Social Structure	Lone
Weapons	Claws and Teeth
Armor	None
Body Structure
Symmetry	bilateral
Head/Torso	Head with brain/senses
Limbs & Manipulators	2 fore legs, 2 rear legs
Tail	1 tail
Skeleton	Bony interior
Internal Fluids	Blood
Skin	Hair
Natural Weapons	Claws and Teeth
Body Shape
Size	large
Stance	Horizontal
Length/Height	2.5-4.0 meters
Body Profile	Typical
Weight	90-300 kilograms
Details
Edibility	Yes
Training Difficulty	Yes
Source
Homeworld	Terra (Solomani Rim 1827)
Multi-world	Yes
Canon	Yes
Reference

The Tiger is a creature lifeform that is not a sophont.

• This was a native of Terra

Description (Specifications)

The Tiger is a carnivore once native to Terra (Solomani Rim 1827).

It is understood that all extant Tigers are the result of early Genetic Engineering and re-introduction following the extinction of the species on earth just prior to the Solomani expanding into space.

The tiger was the largest extant cat species in immediately pre-space Terran ecology and a member of the genus Panthera. It was most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange-brown fur with a lighter underside. It was an apex predator, primarily preying on ungulates such as deer and wild boar. It was a territorial and generally a solitary but social predator, requiring large contiguous areas of habitat, which support its requirements for prey and rearing of its offspring.

The destruction of the Tiger was one of the most controversial and high-profile ecological issues at that time and its re-introduction (and dissemination on other worlds) was prioritised by the Solomani policy makers.

Physiology & Ecology

The tiger has a muscular body with powerful forelimbs, a large head and a tail that is about half the length of its body. Its coat is dense and heavy, and colouration varies between shades of orange and brown with white ventral areas and distinctive vertical black stripes that are unique in each individual. The stripes are advantageous for camouflage in vegetation with strong vertical patterns of light and shade.

There is a notable sexual dimorphism between males and females, with the latter being consistently smaller than males. The size difference between males and females is proportionally greater in the large tiger subspecies, with males weighing up to 1.7 times more than females. Males also have wider forepaw pads than females, enabling sex to be identified from tracks. It has been hypothesised that body size of different tiger populations may have been correlated with climate, or by distribution and size of available prey species.

The tiger is mainly diurnal. It does not often climb trees but cases have been recorded. It is a strong swimmer and often bathes in ponds, lakes and rivers Individuals can cross rivers up to 7 km wide and can swim up to 29 km in a day. The tiger is a long-ranging species, and individuals disperse over distances of up to 650 km (400 mi) to reach tiger populations in other areas.

In the wild, tigers mostly feed on large and medium-sized mammals, particularly ungulates weighing 60–250 kg.

Tigers have long claws and teeth of up to 90mm long. A Sabre-toothed variety has teeth of up to 300mm long.

Individual Tigers are dangerous, they may attack if threatened or from ambush in any case. They will attack surprised creatures of up to six times their own size.

Life Cycle & Reproduction

The tiger mates all year round. A female is only receptive for three to six days and mating is frequent and noisy during that time. The female gives birth in a sheltered location such as in tall grass, in a dense thicket, cave or rocky crevice. The father generally takes no part in rearing. Litters consist of two or three cubs, rarely as many as six. Cubs weigh from .78 to 1.6 kg each at birth, and are born with eyes closed. They open their eyes when they are six to 14 days old. Their milk teeth break through at the age of about two weeks. They start to eat meat at the age of eight weeks. At around this time, females usually shift them to a new den. They make short ventures with their mother, although they do not travel with her as she roams her territory until they are older. Females lactate for five to six months. Around the time they are weaned, they start to accompany their mother on territorial walks and are taught how to hunt

Tiger cubs stay with their mother for about two years, before they become independent and leave their mother's home range to establish their own.

Diet & Trophics

Tigers are Carnivores hunting from Ambush, primarily preying on ungulates such as deer and wild boar.

Their only predators are Sophonts, or still larger predators on those planets where they have been introduced.

History & Background (Dossier)

Tigers were native to Terra (Solomani Rim 1827) and were one of the last creatures to be forced extinct on Terra prior to the move of the Solomani into space. As a consequence of a long-running attempt to prevent that extinction, extensive genetic material was saved, and with the release of Human population pressure on the Tigers habitats caused by the exodus from Terra - and the discovery and creation of appropriate habitats on other worlds - Tigers were one of the first of Terra's creatures to be recovered and re-introduced by various companies. GenAssist was prominent in this programme and used this re-introduction in fund raising for its other projects.

Derived Products (Goods)

Tigers are widely distributed across Solomani inhabited/settled worlds where they are often seen as targets for photo-tourism, and they have been introduced elsewhere for hunting purposes.

Travellers' Aid Society Advisory

Tigers are a Dangerous creature. They have a TAS red advisory and are considered dangerous.

Worlds & Sectors (Astrography)

This creature can primarily be found in the following areas:
Charted Space

Species Notes

There are three main colour types: The classic black-and-orange striped variety; a grey-and-white variety and a tan variety. The "Chameleon-Tiger" is a genetically engineered variety that can alter the colour of its coat to match the background, but these have to be raised in protected hunting-parks due to their susceptibility to disease.

Homeworld

The homeworld of this creature is:

• Terra (world)

World Listing: 1105

This creature is known to be found in the following systems and worlds:

No world articles for Tiger

References & Contributors (Sources)

This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Mongoose Publishing or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.

• Contributor: BackworldTraveller