Size: Measured in a straight line between pegs few Indian tigers exceed 10 ft. (300 cm,) in
length. The average is 9 ft. 6 (275-290 cm.); females, 8 ft. 6 in (260 cm). Average
weight, male 400-500 lb. (180-230 kg.); females about 100 lb. (45 kg.) less. Tigers from
the Himalayas generally show a slight superiority in size over tigers from Madhya Pradesh
and Southern India.
Local Names:
Hindi:
Bagh, Sher.
Marathi:
Wagh.
Tamil & Telugu:
Poolee.
Malayalam:
Kaduwa.
Kannada:
Hoolee.
Burmese:
Char.
Distinguishing Characters: The Indian Tiger is a rich-coloured striped animal with a short coat. There
are of course Individual variations among the tigers of various areas.
Distribution: Over the wide area of its range, 6 races of the tiger have been distinguished. The Indian
race, designated as the typical Tiger, is found practically throughout India from the
Himalayas to Cape Comorin, except in the deserts of Rajasthan, Punjab, Kutch and
Sind. Its range also extends into Burma.
THE LEOPARD - Panthera Pardus (Linnaeus)
Size: The average total length is 7ft. (215 cms.) females about 6ft.(185 cms.). An
exceptionally large male may reach 8ft. (245 cms.). Weight 150 lb. (68 Kgs.) female about
110 (50 Kg.). These are maximum weights, ordinary weights are 115 lb. (52
Kgs.) and 85 lb.(39 Kgs.), There is a lot of variation in size in various parts of India.
Local Names:
Hindi:
Tendwa, Chita, Sona Chita, Chita Bagh.
Marathi:
Karda, Asnea, Singhal, Bibalya Wagh.
Tamil:
Chiruthai.
Malayalam:
Pulli Poolee.
Telugu:
Chinna Puli.
Kannada:
Chirchu, Chirata, Siwangi, Keeraba.
Burmese:
Thit.
Distinguishing Characters: A typical leopard from the Indian peninsula is a sleek
short-haired animal with a fulvous or bright fulvous coat market with small close-set
black rosettes, there is however considerable colour variations. Animals from the desert
zone are paler. Leopards from Kashmir have soft deep-furred grey buff coats with small,
thick-rimmed rosettes.
Distribution: The Indian leopard range over the whole country and extends into Burma and
Ceylon. Leopard's from Sind, Kashmir and Baluchistan are regarded as distinct races, so is
the leopard found in Sikkim and Nepal, Pocock has named and described eleven races of
leopard's found in Asia. According to him three of these races occur in India.