Existing tiger species
Amur or Siberian tigers
photo: Joeke Pieters
Amur tigers (Panthera tigris altaica) can reach almost 3.3 meters in length. The weight of males is up to 300 kg, and they are larger than females. This subspecies of tiger has a skull that is much larger than other species. The color of the Amur tiger is paler in winter, and with the arrival of the warm season it becomes brighter and more saturated. The fur is thicker and coarser than that of other tiger species due to the low temperature of the range where it lives. Amur tigers are capable of knocking down animals that weigh several times more than them. They tend to hunt elk and wild boar.
Bengal tigers
The Bengal tiger (lat. Panthera tigris tigris or Panthera tigris bengalensis) can be seen in India. It is the most numerous of all tiger species with over 2,500 individuals in the wild. This tiger species can weigh around 230 kg for an adult male and 140 kg for a female. Bengal tigers also have very long tails and heads that are larger than other species. They are excellent hunters and feed on a wide range of prey, including deer, antelope, pigs and buffalo. Also, during times of shortage of basic food, they hunt monkeys, birds and other smaller prey.
Indochinese tigers
The species of tiger known as the Indochinese tiger (Panthera tigris corbetti) is found in several Asian countries. The species is darker in color and smaller in size than Bengal tigers, but they are capable of reaching a maximum weight of 200 kg for males and 150 kg for females. Indochinese tigers prefer to live in forested areas. There are not many such tigers anymore. The government estimates the species' population to be only 350 individuals. Indochinese tigers are suffering from food shortages as wild pig and deer numbers are also declining.
Malayan tigers
The Malayan tiger (Panthera tigris jacksoni) can only be found in the south of the Malay Peninsula. This tiger was only recognized as a separate species in 2004. It is the smallest species on the mainland and the second smallest tiger species. Males weigh on average 120 kg, and females about 100 kg. Note that the Malayan tiger has cultural significance as it is on the country's coat of arms and is also the logo of Maybank, a Malaysian bank.
Sumatran tigers
photo: Hagen Schneider
Sumatran tigers (lat. Panthera tigris sumatrae) are a very rare species that lives only on the island of Sumatra. Habitat destruction is still considered the main threat to the Sumatran tiger. The Sumatran tiger's stripes are closer together than other tigers. This allows him to be invisible in tall grass. One of the Sumatran tiger's best tactics is to stalk its prey in the water. It is an extremely fast swimmer, so it is easily able to intercept larger prey in the water that it would not be able to handle on land.
Chinese tigers
Chinese tigers (lat. Panthera tigris amoyensis) are most at risk of extinction.
This tiger species is often listed among the ten most endangered species in the world. In the early 1950s, the Chinese tiger population was estimated to number 4,000. And already in 1996, only 30-80 of these unique animals remained.
Lifestyle and nutrition
Tigers live in forests, trees and shrubs and grassy thickets (jungles, mountain broad-leaved and cedar-broad-leaved forests, reed thickets). They prefer forests with slopes, steep and high cliffs, stone niches and caves. It rises into the mountains to 1500-2000 meters above sea level. For the existence of this predator, it requires the presence of comfortable lairs, an abundance of food and the proximity of watering places.
The tiger hunts wild bulls, bears, deer, elk, wapiti, roe deer, musk deer, and wild boars. If it encounters a leopard or a wolf, it will bite it to death and eat it. In times of hunger, it eats everything it finds: plants, berries and fruits, pine nuts, insects, amphibians, snakes, turtles, birds, rodents, hares, jungle cats, foxes, badgers and monkeys. Sometimes he fishes. Carrion is eaten in extreme cases. In the south of its range, the tiger does not touch adult elephants and rhinoceroses.
The tiger hunts at any time of the day. It hunts for ungulates by hiding or from ambush. At the same time, the tiger, despite its enormous size, displays great caution, dexterity, and the ability to camouflage. It moves quietly through the forest and easily climbs steep slopes and rocks. Rarely climbs trees. The tiger has great strength. When attacking, it bites and breaks the vertebrae of even large animals. A tiger easily carries prey weighing 100 kg. With such a burden, he can jump over an obstacle as tall as a man. And while chasing prey, jumps reach 4-5 meters. The tiger cannot run for long - he gets tired. The tiger swims well. When hunting near the water, it throws large fish, turtles and small crocodiles to the ground with blows of its paws. Having caught a large animal, it eats around it for 5-10 days, and then looks for new prey. In one sitting it can eat 30-40 kg of meat. A tiger usually has enough wapiti or wild boar for a week, and a large elk or bear - for 10 days. After eating, he drinks a lot, and then rests or sleeps.
Before the next hunt, he washes himself thoroughly, trying to cleanse himself of the smell that might give him away during the hunt. On average, one tiger kills up to 60-70 large animals per year. It endures a long hunger strike without consequences for the body, due to a thick layer of fat (up to 5 cm) on the sides and stomach. In hungry years, the tiger attacks livestock and animals.
Outside the breeding season, it leads a solitary lifestyle. Each animal has its own individual area from 1500 to 4200 km2. Its size depends on the abundance of prey. The male's site is located next to the female's site. The tiger actively protects its hunting territory.
Extinct tiger species
Bali tigers
Some species of tigers are extinct, among them is the Balinese species of tigers (lat. Panthera tigris balica) . As the name suggests, the range of this tiger species was limited to the island of Bali, Indonesia. Before its extinction, the Bali tiger was the smallest tiger species. This species is still considered important in Balinese Hinduism.
Caspian tigers
The Caspian tiger (lat . Panthera tigris virgata), also known as the Transcaucasian tiger, used to be found in sparse forests. It was discovered in the south and west of the Caspian Sea. At least, it was still found in the wild until the early 1970s. The closest living species to the Caspian tiger is the Amur tiger.
Ancient subspecies
Today, science knows about two fossil subspecies of the tiger:
- Panthera tigris acutidens is a primitive subspecies of the tiger. Lived in East Asia 800-12 thousand years ago. Body length including tail 4 m, height at withers 120 cm, weight reached 400 kg. The remains of an animal of this subspecies are in the Leiden National Museum of Natural History in the Netherlands.
- The Trinil tiger may have been the ancestor of the modern Indonesian subspecies. Lived approximately 1.66 million years ago on the islands of Java and Sumatra.
Liger
Liger is a hybrid that is the result of mating between a male lion and a tigress. The lion contributes a gene that promotes growth, because of this, ligers can grow much larger than their parents and have a length of 3-3.5 m, and a weight of 360 kg to 450 kg or even more. They do, however, reflect the appearance and behavior of both parents. As a result, the liger has spots and stripes imprinted on its sandy fur. Male ligers have a 50% chance of growing a mane, just not as luxurious as a lion's. While the resulting liger is certainly beautiful and interesting to study, the males of this hybrid are sterile, even when their females are usually fertile.
On the Topic: 18 ANIMAL HYBRIDS YOU'VE NEVER SEEN
Tigon
The tigon , which is the result of breeding between a male tiger and a lioness, is a less common hybrid. Naturally, tiger hybrids cannot; they are found in the wild and can only be seen in zoos or circuses. Tigons are usually no larger than average in size.
Reproduction
Amur tigers become sexually mature at the age of 4-5 years. There is no specific time of year for the mating season. When a female comes into heat, she leaves urine marks and scratches on trees. Since these tigers live in fairly large territories, the females often leave on their own in search of males.
Mating process
They become ready for mating on days 3-7 of estrus. Mating occurs many times; the male and female remain close together for some time. Then the male leaves the female and goes off in search of a new partner.
Length of pregnancy in females
The duration of pregnancy is 95-112 days, after which 3-4 blind kittens are born, which the female feeds with milk. Their eyes open after 9 days, and at 2 weeks their teeth begin to grow. At 2 months, babies leave their shelter for the first time. The female begins to bring them meat, but milk feeding continues for about six months. After its completion, young tiger cubs begin to go hunting with their mother and learn to hunt on their own. This goes on for quite some time. Tiger cubs tend to play a lot and learn during this game. At the age of 1 year they begin to hunt on their own, and at 2 years they become able to cope with large prey. But still they live with their mother and hunt together until they reach puberty.
Facts 16-20
16. The tiger's penis does not stand straight when it is aroused, it is covered with bone and special teeth that help it remain connected to its partner during copulation.
17. Tigers prefer to hunt large prey from ambush. If you look a tiger in the eyes, it is unlikely to attack, as the element of surprise will be lost. In India, many people traditionally wear masks on the back of their heads while walking in the forest to prevent attacks from behind.
18. Tigers do not usually view humans as prey, but will attack if they are threatened. In most cases, a tiger will deliberately attack a person only when there is no other prey available or when habitat is lost.
19. A small number of tigers developed a taste for human flesh and became man-eaters. One tigress, having once protected her cubs from humans, began to feed exclusively on people. She is believed to be responsible for the deaths of 430 people.
20. Thanks to their instinctive characteristics of ambush hunting, even man-eating tigers do not attack entire human settlements; they approach from the outskirts and attack lonely people. They tend to hunt at night, when people are less likely to see him sneaking around.
Reproduction
The predator does not have a specific mating season. It could be any month. Late winter is preferred. The male mates with more than one tigress, so he does not create a family. He mates for 5-7 days, and then disappears from the life of the female.
It is curious that females at the time of heat purposefully wander around the endless domain of the male. They are looking for him to mate. This is the eternal call of nature, which is the key to procreation.
Cubs are born after 3.5 months. At the same time, the tigress retreats to the most impassable and remote place of the taiga. On average there are 2-3 cubs in a litter. Rarely 1, 5. Newborns are extremely helpless. They are blind and deaf. Their weight is less than 1 kg. They are completely dependent on their mother, who takes care of them for the first 2-3 years.
With proper care, babies quickly gain strength. Already at two weeks they begin to see and hear everything. A one-month-old tiger cub is already twice as heavy as a newborn. They are very active, inquisitive, and every now and then they get out of their den. They may try to climb trees.
From the age of two months, fresh meat appears in the cubs' diet. Mother's milk is used as food for up to six months. At six months, the cubs become the size of a small dog. They completely switch to meat.
The process of learning to hunt is carried out gradually. At first, the tigress simply brings fresh prey. Then it begins to lead to the killed animal. At two years old, tiger cubs reach 200 kg and begin to hunt themselves.
They quickly adopt their mother's experience. The tigress prefers to solve difficult problems on her own. The male does not take part in raising the offspring, but often lives nearby. When the kids turn 2.5-3 years old, the tiger family breaks up. Everyone lives independently.
These beautiful predators grow throughout their lives. They reach their largest size in old age. In nature they have no enemies. Unless a brown bear can overpower a tiger. Often these two giants come together in a bloody battle. It often ends with the death of the bear, which is eaten by the predator.
Facts 21-25
21. Tigers do not know how to purr to express delight and joy; they squint their eyes or close them. This is because losing their vision makes them defenseless, which is why tigers, like many other cats, purposefully do this when they feel comfortable and safe.
22. Tigers can run at a maximum speed of 60 km/h.
23. Tigers can jump 6 meters long and 5 meters high. Their muscular legs are so strong that they can stand on them even when they die.
24. The hunt of only one out of ten tigers is successful, so many tigers go without food for several days until a triumphant hunt occurs, as a result of which they can immediately gain 30 kg.
25. Although tigers can easily go without food for several days, they become hungry much more quickly due to their enormous size. A tiger will starve to death after 2-3 weeks without food, while a human can live up to 40 days without food.
