• Home
  • WHO WE ARE
  • Mammals
  • Birds
  • Animal Groups
  • Reptiles
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
Wild Letter | The What's What In Wildlife
Logo
Mammals

What Do Tigers Eat?

Noah Walsh
No Comments
February 2, 2022
3 Mins read
close up of tiger

What do tigers eat?

In the wild, tigers mostly eat meat.

Their favorite prey is usually water buffalo and deer; they sometimes also eat boar, antelope, and even young elephants.

They will attack and kill any animal that they encounter if it is weaker than them, but in most cases they avoid humans.

As with all cats, tigers are obligate carnivores.

This means that they only subsist on meat and as obligate carnivores, they must eat meat to survive.

Most of the time tigers will kill large ungulates such as wild pigs, deer, and water buffalo.

This is because these animals usually weigh over 300 pounds and sometimes even up to 800 pounds.

Tigers have also been observed eating smaller animals such as monkeys, wild pigs, and porcupines.

They have been known to even attack and eat small animals such as dogs.

In captivity, tigers are fed mostly chicken, beef, and pork.

These meats come from dead farm animals that would otherwise be thrown away.

They also get a balanced diet of fruit and vegetables from farms, zoos, and veterinary offices.

Tigers in zoos are sometimes fed live prey such as rabbits, which they kill and then eat.

It is safe to say that although tigers may consume some fruit and vegetables when given the opportunity, their natural diet consists primarily of meat.

What Are a Tiger’s Eating and Hunting Habits?

what do tigers eat?
tigers in the wild / Frida Lanenrström via unsplash

Tigers have a few interesting eating habits.

For one, tigers never share food with other members of the same species.

This makes sense because if another tiger tried to eat from its kill.

Basically, they could potentially fight for dominance over the food.

However, tigers sometimes do not hunt alone; instead, they hunt in groups because it is easier to kill larger prey items when there are multiple tigers attacking them.

The success rate of a single tiger killing a large animal on its own is very low, but with three or four tigers it becomes much higher.

Tigers also do not chew their food because all they have are small teeth that are specifically designed to pull the meat off of bones.

They also do not have flat molars that are used to chew food, which is why they swallow their meat whole.

As stated above, tigers hunt for large mammals such as deer and water buffalo.

Sometimes though, tigers will live on a diet of strictly small prey.

This usually occurs when there is less prey in the wild.

Some habitats are known for having low numbers of larger prey animals, therefore tigers will attack smaller animals instead.

For example, in India, there are many marshlands that have very little vegetation and therefore it can be harder to find large prey items, so tigers live on a diet of mainly fish.

Tigers often swim out into deep water to catch fish because that is where the fish are.

Check out our other animal FAQs here:

  • Are Narwhals Extinct?
  • What Do Dolphins Eat?
  • How Big Are Bobcats?

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
mammals tiger wildlife
Shares
Written by

Noah Walsh

Noah is a loving person—whether it's humans, animals, or the planet as is. He does everything in his power to keep his faith and educate himself about the community and the environment, making him one of our trusty human encyclopedias!
Write Comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Previous Post

Are Bobcats Dangerous?

Next Post

What Do Sloths Eat?

Featured Posts
Mammals

Are Pigs Smarter Than Dolphins? The Surprising Answer

November 1, 2022
Mammals

How Does A Dugong Protect Itself? The Sea Cow’s Secret Weapon

October 28, 2022
Mammals

What Are Springbok Predators? The Hunters Of These Antelopes

October 26, 2022
You might also like
black and brown reptile on green grass
Reptiles

Are Dragons Real?

3 Mins read
January 13, 2022
largest animal on earth
Mammals

Largest Animal on Earth

3 Mins read
December 29, 2021
penguin on top of snow wildlife photography
Birds

How Many Species of Penguins Are There? A Guide on These Waddling Birds

5 Mins read
April 11, 2022
close up photography of buffalo
Mammals

What is a Buffalo?

4 Mins read
January 20, 2022
tilt shift lens photography of gray bird flying on top of gray rocks
Birds

Osprey: The Ultimate Guide to the Mysterious Bird of Prey

6 Mins read
September 28, 2022
small squirrel on tree trunk
Mammals

Where Do Squirrels Sleep?

3 Mins read
February 16, 2022
© 2022 Wild Letter. All Right Reserved.
Logo
  • WHO WE ARE
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
Logo
  • Home
  • WHO WE ARE
  • Mammals
  • Birds
  • Animal Groups
  • Reptiles
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
Our site uses cookies. Learn more about our use of cookies: cookie policy
I accept use of cookies