Tigers ( Panthera tigris ) are the largest of the cat species and generally lead a solitary existence, only coming together for mating or when a mother raises her offspring. This independence means that the responsibility of continuing the lineage falls entirely on the female after conception. Given their endangered status, the cycle of courtship, birth, and maternal care is a specific process that ensures the survival and development of the next generation.
Finding a Mate
A female tiger, or tigress, signals her readiness to breed by entering a period of estrus, or heat, which occurs roughly every three to nine weeks and lasts for only three to six days. When receptive, the tigress begins to broadcast her condition using chemical and vocal signals to attract a male whose territory overlaps with hers.
The female marks her home range with urine that is chemically different from her typical scent markings. She also uses loud vocalizations, such as roars and moans, to communicate her availability across long distances. Once a male arrives, the pair engages in a brief courtship ritual, but the bond is temporary, lasting only for the mating period.
Copulation is a brief act, but it is repeated frequently over a period of five or six days. The female tiger is an induced ovulator, meaning the physical act of mating stimulates the release of an egg for fertilization. Following this intense period, the male and female quickly separate, and the mother is left to manage the pregnancy and cub-rearing alone.
Gestation and the Denning Period
The gestation period for a tigress lasts approximately three and a half months, or between 93 and 114 days. During this time, the pregnant female’s appetite increases to support the growth of the fetuses, and she rests more frequently. In the final days of pregnancy, she finds a secure and secluded den site.
The den is often a natural shelter, such as a cave, a hollow in dense vegetation, or a rocky crevice, chosen to provide protection from predators and the elements. The availability of nearby prey and water sources is a determining factor, as the mother must hunt while her cubs are confined. A tigress typically gives birth to a litter averaging two or three cubs, though a range of one to seven is possible.
Newborn cubs are born altricial, weighing between 785 and 1,610 grams. For the first several weeks, the mother is protective, leaving the den only for short periods to hunt and drink. She immediately cleans and nurses the cubs, stimulating their circulation and bowel movements by continuously licking them.
Raising Cubs to Independence
The cubs’ eyes begin to open between six and fourteen days after birth, though their vision takes a few more weeks to clear fully. They remain dependent on their mother’s milk, which she provides for the first two months. During this initial period, the mother may consume the cubs’ feces to eliminate scents that could attract predators to the den site.
Cubs gain enough strength to leave the den and begin following their mother around two months of age, which is also when they start to consume small amounts of meat from her kills. By six months, they are fully weaned, but they remain reliant on their mother for food and protection. The period between eight and ten months marks the start of their hunting apprenticeship, as they begin to accompany their mother on hunts.
The mother teaches survival skills, often through play with siblings, which hones movements like stalking, pouncing, and ambushing. She allows her cubs to practice on prey she has captured, teaching them the final steps of a successful hunt. Independence is reached when the young tigers are proficient hunters, typically between 17 and 24 months of age, after which they disperse to establish their own home ranges. Males tend to travel farther than their female siblings.