Tigers, which are well-known for their power and strength, are the largest members of the cat family. There are now five sub-species of tiger and these are all endangered species. Tigers hunt buffalo, deer and other large mammals. In order to catch their prey, tigers are capable of short bursts of high speed running.
Speed at Which Tigers Run
Despite weighing hundreds of kilograms -- up to 500 pounds -- tigers can reach top speeds of 49 to 65 kilometers per hour (35 to 40 miles per hour). They can sustain this speed only over short distances. In addition, they can leap 9 to 10 meters (30 to 33 feet) which makes their leap size just short of a mountain lion's.
References
About the Author
Samuel Markings has been writing for scientific publications for more than 10 years, and has published articles in journals such as "Nature." He is an expert in solid-state physics, and during the day is a researcher at a Russell Group U.K. university.