Coachwhip ray vs Tiger

Urogymnus granulatus compared with Panthera tigris

Key Differences

  • Coachwhip ray is Vulnerable while Tiger is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank Coachwhip ray Tiger
Kingdom same Animalia (Animals) Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same Chordata (cordados) Chordata (cordados)
Class Elasmobranchii Mammalia (mamíferos)
Order Myliobatiformes (Myliobatiformes) Carnivora (carnívoros)
Family Dasyatidae Felidae (Cats)
Genus Urogymnus Panthera (Big Cats)
Species Urogymnus granulatus Panthera tigris

Evolutionary Relationship

Coachwhip ray and Tiger share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (cordados)

Conservation Status

Coachwhip ray

VU — Vulnerable

Tiger

EN — Endangered

Population: ~4.5K

Trend: Increasing ↑

Physical Characteristics

Attribute Coachwhip ray Tiger
Diet Carnivore
Average Lifespan 20 years
Average Length 3.0 m
Average Weight 220.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Coachwhip ray

Tiger

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 6 distinct biome types spanning the Neotropic and Oceanian realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Colombia and Ecuador. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Coachwhip ray

The coachwhip ray, Urogymnus granulatus, is a large elasmobranch in the family Urogymidae found across the Indo-Pacific region, ranging from the Red Sea and East Africa through South and Southeast Asia to northern Australia and the western Pacific islands. It inhabits shallow coastal waters including coral reef flats, sandy lagoons, seagrass beds, and estuarine habitats, where it forages for benthic invertebrates and small fishes buried in the substrate. The coachwhip ray is characterized by an oval disc and a long, whip-like tail with one or more venomous spines at its base, giving the species its common name. The disc reaches up to 1.4 meters in width, making it one of the larger members of its family. Urogymnus granulatus is ovoviviparous, giving birth to live young after internal development, and has low reproductive rates that make populations slow to recover from exploitation. The species is classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN due to significant declines caused by intensive coastal fisheries across its range, particularly in South and Southeast Asia where it is commonly caught as bycatch or targeted for its valuable meat, skin, and gill plates in local markets. Habitat degradation from coastal development and coral reef decline compounds the threat to wild populations.

Tiger

O maior felino selvagem da Terra, o tigre pode superar 300 kg e habita florestas do Extremo Oriente russo ao Sudeste Asiatico. E um predador solitario de emboscada com seu caracteristico pelo listrado de laranja e preto que fornece camuflagem na luz filtrada. Esta em Perigo Critico, com menos de 4.000 individuos restando em estado selvagem devido a caca predatoria e o desmatamento.

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