Tigers (Panthera tigris) are the largest species of cat in the world, recognizable by their distinctive vertical stripes and powerful build. While many animal species have specific, gendered names, the nomenclature for the tiger is often less formal. Some terms are specific to the animal’s sex or age, but the most accepted labels are straightforward. Understanding these specific terms helps clarify communication among researchers and conservationists.
Terminology for Adult Tigers
The most common and universally accepted term for an adult male tiger is simply a “male tiger.” Unlike some domestic or farm animals that have unique words for the adult male, the tiger’s primary name is the species name itself. This straightforward naming convention is used across most scientific literature. Male tigers are notably larger and heavier than females, with some Siberian males weighing over 600 pounds.
The female tiger has a more distinct and commonly used gender-specific term: the “tigress.” This word is widely employed by biologists and the public to differentiate the female from the male. Female Bengal tigers are smaller than males, typically weighing closer to 400 pounds. The term “tigress” is one of the few gendered words consistently applied to the species.
In some specialized contexts, such as historical husbandry or certain zoo records, the male tiger may occasionally be referred to as a “tom.” This term is a holdover from naming conventions applied to smaller felines, like domestic cats. The use of “tom” for a tiger is not standard and is significantly less common than using the species name, “male tiger.”
Names for Young Tigers and Tiger Groups
The accepted term for young tigers is a “cub.” A mother tiger usually gives birth to a litter of two or three young after a gestation period of approximately 103 to 105 days. Cubs remain dependent on their mother, often staying with her until they are nearly two years old. The word “whelp” is an alternative, though far less frequently used, term for a young tiger.
Tigers are known for their largely solitary existence, with adults establishing and defending their own large territories. Because of this behavior, a group of adult tigers is rarely observed together in the wild outside of mating or territorial disputes. When a grouping of tigers is encountered, the collective noun used to describe them is an “ambush.”
The term “streak” is also a recognized collective noun for tigers, used interchangeably with “ambush.” In some sources, “streak” is specifically used to describe a mother and her young, which is the most common form of a tiger group. The collective nouns are primarily historical or linguistic curiosities, as the animals spend most of their lives alone.