• In captivity tigers have lived more than 20 years; in the wild they rarely exceed 15.

The species typically lives for 15 to 20 years, with a maximum recorded lifespan of 26 years and 4 months, and a theoretical lifespan ranging from 13 years and 2 months to 26 years and 4 months. Sexual maturity is reached between 3 and 5 years of age; the eyes open between 1 and 2 weeks. The young begin to walk between 2 weeks and 4 days and 4 weeks, while the "Embryo" stage sees the fetus develop inside the mother for approximately three and a half months. A cub is born blind, weighing around one kilogram, and lives with its mother who feeds it milk. The "Cub" stage continues as the young tiger grows, and the "Adult" stage, when the animal becomes fully formed, hunts independently, can reproduce, and lasts from 4 to 20 years.