Wild

The reproductive behavior of the tiger

Just like a lion, a tiger radiates strength. Tiger cubs are cute and many people fall for their charms. However, the cubs mature quickly thanks to the mother’s upbringing. Of course, the tigress has to accept the boy.The reproductive behavior of the tiger

The more often she sheds, the more likely she will not reject the fry. How does everything work? What mating ritual do the tigers have? What reproductive behavior precedes this? How are the pregnancy and delivery?

The reproductive behavior

sexually mature?

Tigers are sexually mature when they are four or five years old. A tigress is present a little earlier and is therefore sexually mature when she is three or four years old. A tiger mates all year round. Depending on what kind of tiger it is, they do have peak moments, of course. These moments fall in late winter or early spring.

Several females, several times

Because the tiger always lives alone, it mates with several females and only stays with the female during the period when the tigress is in heat. This is about 20 days long. He then thinks of the tigress several times a day.

When several tigers are interested in a tigress, a fight will take place. This also happens according to certain rituals. For example, one tiger will try to intimidate another by showing its teeth, moving whiskers, and making dangerous eye contact. The conflict usually ends in a few strokes.

The mating ritual

Before mating

A tigress is fertile several times in a year, but the period that she is is only about three to seven days. When a tigress is in heat, she leaves a urine trail and scratches trees to let the tiger know she wants to mate. To draw attention to her even more, she will also make noises. The tiger will respond with a short, deep roar. When no male comes to her, she goes in search of a tiger herself. She does this because a tiger’s territory is quite large.

While mating

During mating, the tiger takes her by the neck. After mating, the tigress acts hostile to the tiger who soon abandons her. The tigress has to raise the cubs herself. Meanwhile, the tiger is looking for a tigress again. A tigress is only ready to mate again after about twenty months.

Pregnancy and upbringing

Pregnancy and parturition

With a tiger, you can only see that she is pregnant for the last week and a half. A tiger pregnancy lasts about 115 days. When she gives birth to her young, she does so just like the lioness in a safe place. Also here several young are born.

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The number varies from 2 to 3. At birth, the cub’s roar after 30 minutes, and the cubs are blind. After two weeks, this blindness disappears and everything goes very quickly. When the cubs are born, they weigh between 800 grams and one and a half kilos.

The upbringing

The young are suckled with milk and after a month and a half pieces of meat are added. Three months later they only eat meat. When they are about two years old, they can already kill large prey. When the tiger has killed prey and it is too far from the nest, the tigress will eat everything and then regurgitate it at the nest.

That way she brings the undigested flesh to her cubs. The curious thing about the tigers is that the first litter will usually be rejected. At the second litter things normally go a little better and from the third, the mother no longer rejects the young.

A tiger will quickly teach her young to be independent and so will sometimes show her teeth if they do not adopt this reproductive behavior. That is why the young leave their hiding place for the first time after two months and start hunting after six months. When the young are three to four years old, they leave their mother.

Julia Henriques

Julia Henriques, a pet blogger with 5 years of experience, retired from a 35-year banking career to become the editor of the Pet Rescue Blog in 2019. She's passionate about her pet dog Joy, whom she's had since 2016, and now shares her expertise on pet care and natural healthcare options. Julia resides in Chicago with her partner Marc and their rescued Samoyed, Tarka.

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Julia Henriques
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