Tiger Subspecies

Tiger taxonomy:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus/species: Panthera tigris

The tiger is the largest of 36 living cat, or felid, species. Native to Asia, there are six living and three extinct subspecies of tiger:

Common name

Scientific name

Conservation status

Main native region(s)

Amur tiger

Panthera tigris altaica

Endangered

Russian Far East

Bengal tiger

Panthera tigris tigris

Endangered

India

Indochinese tiger

Panthera tigris corbetti

Endangered

Myanmar, Thailand, Lao PDR, Vietnam and Cambodia

Malayan tiger

Panthera tigris jacksoni

Endangered

Malayan Peninsula

South China tiger

Panthera tigris amoyensis

Critically endangered

Southeastern China; may currently exist only in Chinese zoos

Sumatran tiger

Panthera tigris sumatrae

Critically endangered

Sumatra

Bali tiger

Panthera tigris balica

Extinct

Bali

Caspian tiger

Panthera tigris virgata

Extinct*

Central Asia

Javan tiger

Panthera tigris sondaica

Extinct

Java

* Recent genetic research indicates a close relationship between the extinct Caspian tiger and extant populations of the Amur tiger, suggesting they may belong to the same subspecies.