Just once looking at it, it is impossible not to admire this powerful, beautiful and graceful animal. The Amur tiger is the largest...

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21.05.2018 18:00

Just once looking at it, it is impossible not to admire this powerful, beautiful and graceful animal. The Amur tiger is the most big representative felines. It is also often called Far Eastern or Ussuri. This is explained by the fact that its habitat in our area is the Primorsky Territory, southeast Russia, the basins of the Amur and Ussuri rivers. To find out more interesting things about this animal, you need to find out everything that concerns its external characteristics and lifestyle.

Description of the tiger

The Amur tiger belongs to the class of mammals of the cat family, one of four representatives of the panther genus.

This predator is even larger than a lion. It is impossible to describe the Amur tiger without mentioning its weight and height. The weight of an adult animal reaches 200 kg, and in some cases it can vary within 250 kg. With such a mass, it has an equally impressive body length. The size of the Amur tiger ranges from 2.5 to 4 m, depending on gender and age. Its height at the withers varies from 100 to 110 cm.

Characteristics of external data

Despite its impressive appearance, the tiger's movements are silent and graceful. His quiet gait is ensured by soft and wide pads on his paws. Even making its way through thick grass, the animal will remain unnoticed. Also, thanks to them, the animal does not fall into the deep snowdrifts of the Ussuri taiga during the winter period.

The thick and fluffy fur of the Amur tiger is explained by the predator's habitat in a harsh climate. Mostly it is red in color, but the exception is the belly, chest and neck - they are white. His entire body is decorated with black stripes. The most interesting part of the characteristics of the Amur tiger is that no two animals are identical in color. Each individual has its own unique pattern of stripes. It is the black stripes that allow the animal to camouflage itself in the wild.


Habitat

Most Amur tigers live within the far eastern south of Russia, northeast China, and the southern and central Sikhote-Alin. The usual habitat of these animals is extremely unusual. Animals do not like to live too high, so they settle in areas of low mountains. They prefer to be between ridges, near sweeping river valleys, as well as in forest areas, where you can find oak and cedar. Luxurious, thick and warm wool allows you to adapt even to the conditions of severe winter. But if it is too long and harsh, tigers have to settle near populated areas in order to be able to feast on livestock.


Features of predators

Amur tigers do not live in packs, but alone. Each adult has its own habitat. One female can own a territory from 250 to 450 square meters. In males it expands to 2000 square meters. Each animal must mark its perimeter. He does this by scratching trees and also by releasing urine. Tigers avoid contact with people. Therefore, when hunting, they rarely go beyond their territory. Only in the event of an acute shortage of food and severe hunger does the animal begin to lose fear of humans and goes in search of food in nearby settlements. In such cases, an animal suffering from hunger will eat everything that comes its way: fruits of plants, livestock, dogs and fish.

Amur tigers in Russia

Just 100 years ago, these animals completely populated the entire Far East. But over the years, cases of their shooting have become more frequent in this region of Russia. When the number of killed exceeded 150 individuals, the Amur tiger population began to decline. By the 30s of the last century, predators began to rapidly disappear from Russian territory. This contributed to the imposition of a ban on their hunting. The law on this was adopted in 1947. Ten years later, the capture of Amur tiger cubs was banned. Graceful beauties found themselves on the verge of extinction. It was decided to include Amur tigers in the Red Book. These measures contributed to the preservation of the population, and by the 80s their number increased by 200 individuals.


Tiger conservation

The Amur tiger was considered an endangered species until 2007. In the Red Book of Russia, it was listed as an animal that is on the verge of extinction. However, in 2007, the leaders of the World Wildlife Fund said that the number of these predators has increased significantly over the past 100 years. How many Amur tigers are left in Russia? According to official data, about 500 individuals.

Members of the famous expedition called “Amur Tiger”, who were engaged in observing predators in the wild, reported that about 6 tigers live in the Ussuri Nature Reserve in the Primorsky Territory. Moreover, the territory of the reserve does not exceed 400 square meters. For 6 adults it is very small. Therefore, they called on the authorities to increase it, and also demanded to more thoroughly regulate the activities of people who live near the borders of the reserve.

What do tigers eat?

The predator prefers to eat ungulates. It often catches wapiti, deer, wild boar, elk or roe deer in its paws. If a tiger starves for a long time, he will not disdain anything. The fruits of trees, fish, frogs, birds and even mice are suitable as food. When placed in a favorable habitat where it lives a large number of ungulates, a tiger can quickly gain excess weight. An adult male usually increases subcutaneous fat, the thickness of the layer reaches 6 cm. Having gained a sufficient amount of fat, the animal can go without food for about a week. However, it is better for no one to know what the Amur tiger is like during fasting. On such days, he can eat everything that comes his way.


How tigers hunt

Despite the fact that this predator has enormous strength and a well-developed sense of smell, only 1 out of 10 attacks on its prey ends in success for it. The remaining animals quickly run away to heal their wounds. At the same time, tigers extremely rarely go in pursuit of prey, preferring to go in search of less nimble prey. This is what makes a predator spend most of its time not only finding food, but also skillfully catching it.

Amur tigers are very careful. They sneak towards the victim very quietly, almost silently. The animal moves slowly on the ground, transferring the bulk of its weight to the forelimbs. At the same time, his back is arched, and his body is lowered as much as possible. When a tiger encounters small prey, it gnaws its throat first. It will not be possible to deal with a large animal in this way. Therefore, the predator first overwhelms it and only then bites its neck. Eating Ussurian tiger just like all felines - lying down. At the same time, he always holds the animal carcass with his front paws.

Tiger breeding

Females become ready to mate quite late, at about 3 years of age. After reaching this age, she can bear offspring and is quite ready to reproduce. These predators live alone. Therefore, they do not have one partner for a long period. The mating period takes about a week, then the male leaves his girlfriend. He does not take part in raising the brood. Females have to take care of the cubs for several years.

Caring for offspring

Pregnancy in tigress lasts from 95 to 115 days. Most often, no more than 4 tiger cubs are born. Babies are born completely blind and helpless. Only after 2 weeks their eyes open and their first teeth begin to grow. Tiger cubs feed on mother's milk for up to 6 months. In addition, from about 2 months they begin to taste meat. During the feeding period breast milk The tigress very carefully protects her offspring. She hides tiger cubs in hard-to-reach places, trying in every possible way to provide them with maximum protection from possible dangers, of which there are so many in the taiga and forests.


Tiger cubs grow quite slowly. An adult tigress teaches them to hunt and independently catch animals for food. Little tiger cubs have a very kind and obedient disposition. That is why people have been training them since the very beginning. early age. After a few years, the babies reach puberty, being constantly with their mother. Only at the age of 3-5 years does the family break up and the cubs begin a new independent life.

Amur predator and man

Everyone, without exception, is afraid of these wild animals. When looking at photos of Amur tigers, a feeling of fear and admiration appears at the same time. And not in vain, because these animals are considered one of the most dangerous predators planets. Ancient people decided to hunt them only in the most exceptional cases, since they rarely defeated such strong beast. In those days, wearing the skin of a tiger was an honor. Unfortunately, some people continue to hunt these beautiful animals. In Russia, only a monetary fine is imposed for killing an Amur tiger. In China, such a crime is punishable by death.


Lifestyle of Ussuri tigers

Some believe that this animal poses a danger to humans. However, such an opinion can be interpreted in different ways. The Amur tiger by nature prefers to hunt ungulates: deer, roe deer, wild boar or gazelle. A person is not included in the list of possible prey. Although a tiger may well attack a person, after all, he is a predator. But he will do this only in a hopeless situation.

For good nutrition The Ussuri predator needs to eat about 70 large ungulates per year. If the tiger is hungry, it will use its hunting skills. Amur beauties easily find traces of woodcutters, who often set traps for small game. They also skillfully scour hunters' hideouts.

Tigers rarely visit populated areas. Although some call these animals cannibals, predators very rarely attack people. This can only happen if the tiger is sick, injured or trapped. Penetrating into the nearest village, he can eat some of the livestock, but the person will be attacked only in the rarest and most desperate cases.


Information about this amazing predator cannot be limited to dry data. The Amur tiger is a very unique, majestic and beautiful animal. Therefore, it is worth listing a few of the most interesting facts about him:

  • Even 100 years ago, hunters who lived in the valleys of the Ussuri rivers were afraid to even pronounce the name of this beast. The Amur tiger was worshiped as a deity endowed with incredible power.
  • Chinese for a long time were confident that the bones and meat of tigers had healing effects.
  • These predators were listed in the Red Book, since their population is considered the smallest among all other subspecies.
  • In many photos of Amur tigers you can see their very dangerous weapon- teeth. In adults, their length reaches 10-15 cm.
  • Most often, tigers kill their prey by biting the throat, but sometimes they use suffocation. Having attacked the victim, the tiger may not immediately reach the main artery in the neck with its teeth. Therefore, he can hang on large prey, waiting until it bleeds out and suffocates.
  • The Amur tiger can jump over a distance of 6 meters and also make a jump up to 5 meters high.
  • The Ussuri predator is able to accelerate to 60 km/h.
  • Tigers do not consider people as their possible prey. There is no such instinct in their nature. They can attack a person only in defense if they are driven into a trap. This may also be due to severe hunger, which tormented the animal for several days.
  • The most favorite hunting method among tigers is ambush. Therefore, when you see a predator in the savannah, you don’t have to worry - the animal is most likely resting.
  • The natives living in India have interesting feature, which concerns the method of movement in the territory where the Amur tiger lives. They put a face-shaped mask on the back of their head. It is believed that by wearing a mask, you can avoid a tiger attack, since the animal is deprived of the element of surprise it needs, because the victim is “looking” at it all the time.
  • Amur tigers love to swim. Unlike other felines, tigers enjoy swimming and splashing in the water. Little tiger cubs can play and frolic in a pond for a long time.
  • The pattern on the forehead of Amur tigers is very similar to Chinese character, which denotes a king. That is why in China these predators are of particular value.
  • The tiger's black stripes decorate not only their fur, but also their skin. If you shave an animal, it will not lose its unique stripes.
  • Hunting of Amur tigers is prohibited throughout the world.

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This majestic beast goes by several famous names: Amur, Ussuri, Siberian or Far Eastern tiger.

His bright appearance, strength and power made him an object of veneration for the peoples of the Amur and Primorye regions, but did not save him from the risk of extinction.

Appearance

The Amur tiger is the largest cat with bright, thick fur. The graceful elongated body of the animal with powerful paws from the nose to the tip of the tail has a length of more than 3 meters. The height of the animal at the withers is more than 1 meter. The head is round and massive, with short ears and deadly 8-centimeter fangs. The male weighs on average up to 250 kilograms. Females are smaller, up to 167 kilograms. Tigers grow throughout their lives. There are individual adults weighing more than 300 kilograms.

The coat color is orange, and on the belly it is white, with dark transverse stripes. Descriptions and photographs of the animal confirm that the pattern on the skin is unique.

In winter, the fur is lighter, longer and thicker than in summer. Protects the Siberian tiger from the cold thick layer of fat. It allows you to lay down in the snow without harm to your health and survive in harsh climates with sudden temperature changes.

IN natural environment habitat, the giant Siberian cat lives for about 15 years; in captivity, this period reaches 20–25 years.

Habitat

Where does the Amur tiger live? The habitat of the northernmost tiger is the Primorsky and Khabarovsk Territories, valleys covered with cedars and oaks along the banks of the mighty Far Eastern Amur River and its right tributary, the Ussuri.

A sixth of the population lives in the foothills of the Sikhote-Alin. Since the animal is listed in the Red Book, the entire territory of its distribution is under strict control.

The Amur tiger is found in northeast China in Manchuria. According to some estimates, approximately ten percent of the population lives there. There is a death penalty for killing an animal in this country.

Hunting and diet

The Ussuri tiger requires a huge territory to feed itself. In males it reaches an area of ​​800 square meters, in females 500 square meters. The cat has to spend a lot of time hunting and constantly moving. You need to eat 8–10 kg of meat per day. Without food, the animal can survive up to 3 weeks.

What does the Amur tiger eat? The basis of the diet is:

In the absence of large prey, it feeds on birds, mice, and fish.

The beast hunts at night. He has well developed senses, acute color vision. The hunter crawls towards the prey thanks to the pads on its paws almost silently and at the right moment makes a sharp jump up to 20 meters long. It drags its prey towards the water, while zealously driving away competitors. It eats lying down, holding the carcass with its powerful paws.

If the attack fails, the big cat retreats and does not try again. Having rested a little, he goes in search of a new victim. The Amur animal has a fairly developed larynx. This allows him imitate deer mating calls, luring them into a trap.

The beast does not attack the victim if it has food. Avoids populated areas and attacks humans only in exceptional cases. In case of food shortage, livestock and dogs can become its victims.

Features of behavior

The huge Siberian cat easily moves through the snow and reaches speeds of 50 kilometers per hour. The Ussuri tiger travels up to 40 kilometers per day. He can swim and can cross a body of water several kilometers away. Ussuri cats prefer the same paths, changing routes only due to lack of prey.

The animal carefully guards the hunting territory and does not allow competitors. Meeting another male rarely leads to a fight. To sort things out, a demonstration of strength and an aggressive roar is enough. The loser leaves.

The wild Far Eastern cat generously marks its territory with urine and also scratches the bark of trees with its claws. To do this, it stands on its hind legs. The stripes are found at a height of more than 2 meters.

Males live alone, females can unite in small groups. The striped orange beauties are polygamous. The breeding season covers the end of winter. After 3–4 months, the female gives birth to up to 4 blind kittens.

Already at 2 months, the mother brings them meat to try. Gradually, the tigress teaches her cubs to hunt. They become independent after 2 years. The tiger does not participate in education.

Population decline

In the animal world, the Ussuri tiger has no enemies. This powerful beast able to cope with any competitor, even a bear. Only a person was capable of killing the largest cat.

A brief excursion into history shows that in the 20th century the number of tigers fell catastrophically, reaching 30–40 individuals by the age of 40.

The causes of extinction were:

  • hunting and poaching;
  • reduction in food supply;
  • destruction of natural habitats.

Fortunately, people were able to stop in time. Hunting for the Amur tiger was completely prohibited, nature reserves were created, and the species was included in the Red Book.

The problem of extinction of tigers has received wide publicity. The Amur tiger is often devoted to stories in the media; schoolchildren study short description beast in science lessons.

According to the latest census, in 2015 there were more than 500 individuals in Russia. Approximately the same number of individuals live in zoos around the world. Tiger research is being actively carried out in the Far East. The animals are wearing collars with beacons, which allow them to record every step across a vast territory. Thanks to the implementation of the strategy for protecting the Amur tiger, it was possible to stop the extinction of the subspecies, but it is too early to exclude the Amur tiger from the Red Book.

The Amur tiger (Ussuri or Far Eastern) is the largest tiger in the world. And the only one of the tigers who has mastered life in the snow. The Amur tiger is one of the smallest subspecies of the tiger. Listed in the Red Book. Description According to modern data, the Amur tiger is one of the largest subspecies; its fur is thicker than that of tigers living in warm areas, and its color is lighter. Basic coat color in winter time- orange, white belly. This is the only tiger that has a five-centimeter layer of fat on its belly, protecting it from the freezing wind in extreme conditions. low temperatures. The body is elongated, flexible, the head is round, the legs are short, and the tail is long. The ears are very short, as it lives in cold areas. The Amur tiger distinguishes colors. At night he sees five times better than a human. The body length of male Amur tigers to the tip of the tail reaches 2.7-3.8 m, females are smaller. Height at withers up to 115 cm, weight 160-270 kg. Heaviest weight male Amur tigers living in wildlife, does not exceed 250 kg. A normal adult male tiger weighs on average 180-200 kg with a height at the withers of 90-106 cm. The tiger is an easily vulnerable animal, despite its large size and enormous physical strength. It can drag a horse carcass on the ground for more than 500 m. In snow it can reach speeds of up to 50 km/h.

Spreading The tiger's habitat is concentrated in a protected zone in southeast Russia, along the banks of the Amur and Ussuri rivers in the Khabarovsk and Primorsky Territories. In total, in Russia in 1996 there were about 415-476 individuals. About 10% (40-50 individuals) of the Amur tiger population lives in China (Manchuria). Amur tigers are most common in the foothills of the Sikhote-Alin in the Lazovsky district of Primorsky Krai, where every sixth wild Amur tiger lives in a relatively small area (2003). It is planned to resettle Amur tigers on the territory of the Pleistocene Park in Yakutia. In the languages ​​of the peoples of the Amur region, the tiger instead of it direct definition"Taskhu" (tiger) is often called "Amba" (big) so as not to cause trouble. As of February 20, 2007, more than 450 individuals were kept in zoos around the world (844 individuals as of January 1, 1979). Lifestyle The Amur tiger is the ruler of vast territories, the area of ​​which for the female is 300-500 km 2. If there is enough food within its territory, the tiger does not leave its territory. With a shortage of game, the number of cases of tigers attacking large livestock and dogs increases. The Amur tiger is active at night. The female, like the male, marks her territory with urine or scratches on the bark of trees. Moving around its domain, the tiger constantly monitors its own marks and the signs of other tigers. Scent marks play a role not only in marking the hunting territory, they also provide animals of both sexes with a meeting during the rut. The territories of males and females can overlap, since males defend their territories only from other males, Special attention focusing on the main border points. Males lead a solitary life, while females are often found in groups. Tigers greet each other with special sounds produced by vigorously exhaling air through the nose and mouth. Signs of expression of friendliness also include touching heads, muzzles, and even rubbing sides.

Nutrition Despite its enormous strength and developed senses, the tiger has to devote a lot of time to hunting, since only one out of 10 attempts is successful. The tiger crawls towards its prey, moving in a special way: arching its back and resting its hind paws on the ground. It kills small animals by gnawing their throats, and first knocks large ones to the ground and only then gnaws them cervical vertebrae. If the attempt fails, the tiger moves away from the potential victim, as it rarely attacks again. The tiger usually drags the killed prey to the water, and before going to bed, hides the remains of the meal. He often has to drive away competitors. The tiger eats while lying down, holding its prey with its paws. Tigers specialize in hunting large ungulates, but on occasion they also do not disdain fish, frogs, birds and mice, and they also eat plant fruits. The diet is based on wapiti, sika and red deer, roe deer, wild boar, elk, lynx, and small mammals. Daily norm tiger - 9-10 kg of meat. For the prosperous existence of one tiger, about 50-70 ungulates per year are needed. Despite the widespread belief about cannibalism, the Amur tiger almost never attacks humans and rarely enters populated areas. In fact, he tries in every possible way to avoid the person. Since the 1950s, in the Primorsky and Khabarovsk territories, only about a dozen attempts to attack people have been recorded within populated areas. In the taiga, attacks even on pursuing hunters are quite rare. Life expectancy is about 15 years.

Reproduction Puberty begins at 4-5 years of age. The mating period is not confined to a specific season. During estrus, the female leaves urine marks and scratches on the bark of trees. Since the tiger's domain is very large, the female often goes on her own to look for a partner. She is ready to mate on the third to seventh day of estrus. Tigers mate multiple times, during which time the animals stay together. Then the male leaves the female and goes in search of a new partner. After 95-112 days, 3-4 blind cubs are born. The mother feeds them milk. Tiger cubs' eyes open after about 9 days, and at two weeks of age their teeth begin to grow. Tiger cubs leave the shelter for the first time at the age of two months. The mother brings them meat, although she continues to feed them milk for another 5-6 months. From six months onwards, tiger cubs accompany their mother during the hunt. The female teaches the cubs to hunt. Such preparation for independent hunting life lasts for many months. Tiger cubs play a lot, which also helps them learn the skills necessary for hunting. At the age of one, the cubs go on an independent hunt for the first time, and by the age of two they are already able to defeat large prey. However, for the first few years of their lives, tiger cubs stay with their mother. The tigress hunts with young tigers until they reach sexual maturity.

Security The Amur tiger is listed in the Red Book of Russia. In April 2007, experts from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) announced that the Amur tiger population had reached a century-high and that the tiger was no longer facing extinction. In 2008-2009, a comprehensive expedition of employees of the Institute of Economics and Ecology of the Russian Academy of Sciences took place within the framework of the Amur Tiger Program in the territory Ussuri Nature Reserve Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Primorsky Krai Far East Russia. It was possible to find out that six individuals of Amur tigers live in this territory. Using satellite collars, scientists track their routes, and for the first tagged female tiger, they were able to obtain 1,222 locations over the course of a year. According to published studies, the animal uses an area of ​​almost 900 km 2 - despite the fact that the area of ​​the reserve is only 400 km 2. This means that tigers go far beyond the protected zone, being exposed to increased danger. These data, according to the publication, give reason to talk about the need to create a protective zone of the reserve and regulate human activities outside its borders.

The cult animal of many peoples of the Far East, the decoration of the Far Eastern taiga, the Amur Ussuri tiger, unfortunately, is an endangered species.

Description

The weight of this huge cat can reach 300 kg. The body length is from 1.5 to 2.9 m, the tail is 1-1.1 m. It has a flexible elongated body, a large rounded head with short ears, squat powerful paws and a long tail.

The Ussuri tiger has thicker fur than its relatives, with a beautiful color - transverse dark, sometimes black stripes on the back and sides on a red background. His stomach and chest white. Many who have seen with their own eyes what an Amur tiger looks like believe that the color of each individual is unique, and it is impossible to meet two identical animals.

This is a very strong and fast animal, second only to the cheetah in speed and capable of reaching speeds of up to 80 km/h. Has excellent night vision and is able to distinguish colors.

These animals rarely live to an old age and live on average 12-18 years.

Habitat

In addition to southeast Russia, the Ussuri tiger is found in the north of the DPRK and Manchuria (China). In Russia it lives in the east Khabarovsk Territory and in the Primorsky Territory, mainly in the Lazovsky district.

Prefers wooded areas with cliffs, slopes and caves. They climb to high mountain areas quite rarely during periods of little snow.

Lifestyle

The Ussuri tiger considers itself the sovereign master of vast territories. When there is enough food, the animal rarely leaves its territory. Females, like males, mark their territory by scratching trees or using urine.

These marks not only serve as boundary pillars, but also provide an opportunity to find a partner. The territories of males and females often overlap, since males protect their territory only from other males and live alone.

Temporary beds can be arranged on snow or grass, and for long-term rest they choose shelters in rocks or under fallen trees; the peak of activity occurs at night.

Nutrition

The daily food requirement is about 10 kg of meat. The tiger hunts ungulates, wild boars, small mammals, and if the hunt is unsuccessful, it does not refuse frogs, birds and fruits. During spawning on river riffles, these huge cats often catch fish.

Reproduction

Animals are ready to breed at 4-5 years of age. Mating periods do not depend on the season. The pair stays together for several days, then the male leaves in search of a new female. After 95-110 days, the female gives birth to 3-4 tiger cubs. The eyes open on days 9-10, and teeth begin to grow two weeks later.

At two months, tiger cubs leave the shelter for the first time. Until 5-6 months they feed on milk and meat brought by their mother; after six months, the cubs go hunting with her and learn to hunt.

Until puberty, young individuals live and hunt with their mother, and then leave her.

Relationship with a person

The Amur tiger enters populated areas only in cases of extreme hunger in order to search for food; as a rule, its prey becomes domestic animals or dogs. Even in these cases, the animal tries to avoid meeting a person and rarely attacks him.

As a rule, the reason for an attack on a person is either a hunt for a tiger or a clash in a populated area when the animal is forced to defend itself.

Compared to other subspecies, this one is more peaceful towards people.

Reasons for the decline in numbers and protection of the Ussuri tiger

The Amur tiger is listed in the Red Book, as over the past hundred years the population of this subspecies has decreased significantly.

Here are the main reasons for the decline in numbers:

  1. Forest fires and massive deforestation.
  2. Lack of food due to a decrease in the number of ungulates and wild boars in tiger habitats.
  3. Poaching. Despite the fact that tiger hunting is prohibited, it does not stop.

In China, a poacher who kills an Amur tiger is given the death penalty; in Russia, this act is criminalized and punishable by imprisonment and a large fine.

Thanks to careful calculations, it is possible to say almost exactly how many Ussuri tigers remain. There are about five hundred individuals in zoos around the world and approximately the same number in the wild.

Since 1935, hunting the Ussuri tiger has been prohibited and a nature reserve was created on Sikhote-Alin. In 2007, WWF specialists announced that this species was no longer below the extinction line, and its population had reached a century high.

Nevertheless, work is actively underway in Russia to preserve the population and in 2013 a fund was created - the Amur Tiger Center.

The most beautiful and graceful animal is the Amur tiger. The Red Book and caring people protect these animals. And now their number is gradually growing.

Video

A hundred years ago, the population of tigers on our planet was about 100,000. Almost half of them lived on the Hindustan Peninsula. However, at the beginning of the 21st century the situation changed dramatically.

Now there are no more than 4 thousand tigers left in the wild. Even children can answer the question of where the tiger lives. Previously, these “cats” lived in India and China, as well as in eastern Russia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Armenia, Iran, Pakistan, and Kazakhstan. However, in our time, it is, alas, almost impossible to meet these graceful predators in such natural regions of the planet. Tigers are dying out as a species, and the main reason lies in the activities of humans, who not only hunt this animal, but also change the conditions customary for its existence. So what kind of animal is this tiger? Where does this species of the cat family live and what does it eat?

Subspecies of tigers

Tigers differ in coat color and size, depending on the territory in which they live. Thus, several subspecies of this cat family have been identified.

The Bengal tiger prefers life in dry savannas, mangrove and rain forests. Such conditions can be found in the territory of modern India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. Quite a lot of these animals live there - about two thousand individuals.

The largest population of the Indochinese tiger lives in Malaysia. It was possible to preserve this subspecies due to the fact that strict laws were introduced in the country that successfully combat poaching.

Chinese is on the verge of extinction. Where does a tiger of this subspecies live? It is no longer possible to find it in the wild. Chinese tigers preserved only in the country's zoos, but the Chinese government is trying to return this type of cat to its natural habitat.

The largest and smallest “cat” on the planet

Tigers are capable of living not only on the continent. There are representatives of this species who have chosen the nature of the island of Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula as their habitat. They differ from their relatives primarily in body size. Weight Limit which an adult can reach is 120-130 kilograms. Sumatran tigers are considered the smallest among their other relatives.

And the Amur tiger is considered the largest cat on the planet. Where does this subspecies of the cat family, which is also called Ussuri or Far Eastern, live? We'll tell you now!

Where do Ussuri tigers live? What is their lifestyle like?

In accordance with its name, tigers of this subspecies are distributed in the Amur and Ussuri river basins, as well as in the southeastern part of Russia and the Primorsky Territory. Only 5% of individuals of this subspecies can be found in China.

Unlike their close relatives (lions), tigers lead a solitary lifestyle. Adults never gather in flocks. They have their own territory - a special place where the tiger lives and hunts. Moreover, in this matter the animals we are considering are distinguished by enviable constancy. For many years they do not leave their site, year after year they go around the same paths, thus declaring to all their relatives that this place is already occupied. To mark the boundaries of their territory, tigers use scent marks, like most cats. In addition, they can make marks on trees by tearing off the bark with their claws. Such traces can be found even at a height of two and a half meters.

What do tigers eat?

The main diet of tigers consists of ungulates such as sika deer, wild boar and wapiti. At the same time, a tiger must eat at least ten kilograms of meat per day. Thus, every year about 50-70 animals die in the territory where the tiger lives. This type of predator is capable of hunting at any opportunity convenient for it.

Unlike other representatives of the cat family, tigers are not afraid of water, so they very often supplement their diet with fish, which they catch during spawning.

Tigers hunt, as well as live, alone. And only one attempt out of ten ends in success. Perhaps the whole point is that these predators prefer not to pursue a prey that was able to escape, but to hunt down a new one.

If the food supply decreases sharply, the tiger may leave its territory and begin hunting livestock or dogs. At the same time, a young healthy animal is never the first to attack a person. Only old or wounded individuals who are unable to hunt large prey can do this.

Reproduction and raising offspring

As already mentioned, tigers are loners, so their mating season is not associated with any specific time of year. Mating occurs when the male finds a female. He stays near her for no more than 5-7 days, after which he leaves.

To bear offspring, a pregnant tigress needs from 95 to 112 days. Tiger cubs are born completely blind and helpless. Therefore, they are forced to stay with their mother. They begin to see only a week and a half after birth. After about 15 days, their teeth begin to emerge. The mother feeds the kittens with milk for up to two months. And only after this time do the cubs taste meat for the first time.

From about six months, the young offspring begin to accompany the mother during the hunt, but do not participate in it. Young animals begin to hunt independently after reaching one year. A tiger will be able to kill large game on its own only two years after birth.

Tiger cubs live with their mother until puberty. Once they are able to feed themselves, the cubs separate. However, the territory where tigers from the new offspring live belongs to their mother. These are the rules...

Where does the white tiger live?

Contrary to popular belief, white tiger are not classified as a separate subspecies. This feature of its color is the result of a gene mutation. Some individuals lack the pigment that should color their fur. yellow. At the same time, the black bars remain in place.

The birth of a white tiger is a very rare occurrence. Albino can appear in an ordinary tiger family, regardless of its subspecies. For every 10 thousand individuals with a yellow color, there is only one white one.

Most often, white beauties are born in captivity, as they are descendants of the same animal. Therefore, the main places where tigers live are zoos or private nurseries.

A cat protected by the state

Over the past hundred years, the Amur tiger population has decreased by 25 times. There are no more than 450 individuals of this subspecies left in the wild. The main reason their disappearance was due to poaching. These beauties are destroyed for their skins, in addition, in East Asia Bones and other parts of a killed animal, whose name is the Amur tiger, are also used as valuable medicinal raw materials. Where does this subspecies live after its habitat is destroyed?

Basically, individuals of the same population cannot contact each other due to the fact that they live isolated from each other. The reason for this isolation is human activity. Thus, the number of predators is significantly influenced by the decreasing factor of their genetic diversity. The imbalance between the predator and its main victims is also negative, because the number of the latter also decreases every year.

Now the Ussuri tiger is listed in the Red Book. In Russia, a poacher must pay a fine for killing him. For reference: in China there is a death penalty for such a crime.