Research overview: gestation and litter size in tigers

Tigresses carry their young for roughly three to three and a half months and typically give birth to two to four cubs in a sheltered den. This overview surveys data on tiger gestation length, litter size, and birth intervals from wild and captive populations. It considers how prey abundance and maternal condition influence litter size and cub survival, and how the loss of a litter shortens the interval to the next breeding. The review also discusses den selection, the altricial state of newborn cubs, and early maternal care. Understanding tiger reproductive parameters is central to population modeling and recovery planning, since reproductive rate strongly affects how quickly depleted populations can rebound.