Siberian tiger

The Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) is the largest non-extinct subspecies of tigers. It once inhabited large parts of Western and Central Asia and eastern Russia, but is currently found only in some regions of far eastern Siberia, where it is protected. The western population (extinct in the first half of the 20th century) was referred to as the Caspian tiger, although it is currently not considered a separate subspecies.

Siberian tiger

Characteristics

Male Siberian tigers weigh 190 to 310 kg and measure 2.7 to 3.3 m in total length. They are about 1.1 to 1.2 m tall in shoulders. Females are generally smaller, they weigh 100 to 170 kg and measure 2.4 to 2.75 m.

Most animals have an orange coat with dark brown or black stripes accented with white. Fur of the Siberian tiger is thicker than with other species. In particular the winter coat is significantly thicker and longer, and is 40 to 50 mm long on the back, 70 to 100 mm on the neck and around 60 to 100 mm on the chest and abdomen. Thick fur enables Siberian tigers to survive harsh winters with temperatures as low as -45°C. Winter coat is paler, has more expressive colors, but stripes appear less outlined due to the longer fur.

There were occasional reports of sightings of white individuals in the wild, but there is no scientific evidence of occurrence of white Siberian tigers. Rare white Siberian tigers found in captivity were never pure Siberian tigers, but the result of Siberian tigers breeding with Bengal tigers. It is possible that the Siberian tigers carrying the gene for white coating died out during the period when the population was nearly extinct. A white tiger is a tiger with a recessive gene that creates the pale coloration, and very rare individuals with very pale stripes have two copies of this gene.

The tail is about half as long as the body and serves for balance when running through fast turns. They also use their tails in communication.

Fore paws have retractable claws on all toes while the dew claw is absent in hind paws. The claws are 80 to 100 mm in length.

Adult animals have 30 teeth. Canine teeth are 75 to 90 mm long.

Lifespan is up to 15 years in the wild, and it can reach 25 years in captivity.

Behavior

The Siberian tiger occupies a very large territory. It may occupy the same territory for years if food sources are stable. When sources are scarce, it migrates for hundreds of kilometers. Both males and females mark their territory by urine and by scratching trees. Male tiger defends his territory against other mails, especially the important parts such as a boundary close to a female's territory or an area rich in food. The male are solitary and avoid other males. It allows other tigers to pass their territory, being more tolerant of females. The female is often accompanied by her cubs. Cubs start to hunt when they are less than two years old, but leave their mother at the age of 3 to 5 years. The female cubs stay with their mother longer and establish territories close to the original territory. Males leave earlier and travel farther, which makes them more vulnerable in in the early stage of independence. Although newborns are equally divided between male and female, there are usually 2 to 4 times more females than males among the adult population.

Tigers hunt from ambush, mainly at night. Their excellent night vision and highly developed senses of hearing and smell allow this.

Endangerment

Siberian tiger's IUCN status is considered critical. In the 1940 Siberian tigers were brought to near extinction, with only about 40 animals remaining in the wild. The population has recovered after protection from hunting and has increased to 150 to 200 in the mid nineties. The number continued to increase until 2005 when there were about 500 individuals in the wild, but has since faced a dramatic decline, which is attributed to rising poaching and continued habitat loss. The Russian population currently counts only 300-400 individuals. There is also a small number of animals in north China, probably fewer than 50. Logging is threatening the tigers by fragmenting their habitat and isolating them from each other. In addition, the continuous creation of new logging roads provide poachers with access to formerly remote areas. Hunting is largely motivated by the demand of Chinese illegal market where different tiger parts are valued in the traditional medicine. The problem has increased after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1987 due to breakdown of economy and more easily passable borders for smuggling.

Until the 19th century, Siberian tigers inhabited wide areas of Western and Central Asia. These populations were known as Caspian tigers, although it is now considered, based on genetic research of their remains, that Caspian tiger does not form a separate subspecies. These western populations came to complete extinction in the 20th century due to hunting and deforestization.

In 1992 the Siberian the Siberian Tiger Project has been launched, with intention to save the tiger and launch anti-poaching patrols, habitat improvement studies, and tiger tracking projects.

There is a scientifically managed captivity program for Siberian tigers, whose aim is to preserve genetic diversity. There are about 550 live animals in the zoos today, which are descended from 109 founders caught in the wild (mostly in 1950s and 1960s). These animals are registered in the International Tiger Studbook.