ANIMAL: Amur/Siberian Tiger Panthera altaica Type of Animal: Feline Habitat: Forests, woodlands, bush & forest-covered mountainous areas Location(s): Amur-Ussuri region of E. Siberia, far N.E. China, & possibly N. Korea. Formerly throughout Russian Far East, Korean Peninsula, N. China, & E. Mongolia. Appearance: Largest of all cats, mainly orange w/ black stripes & white underbelly, males larger than females & have more distinctive head, heavier look on males. Food/Diet: Caribou, pigs, moose, deer, sheep, cattle, dogs, goats, equines, lynx, dholes, rabbits, hares, pikas, foxes, carrion, fish, rodents, birds, badgers, raccoon dogs, bears. Have been rare cases of man-eaters. Status in Wild: Endangered Conservation: Breeding in zoos & wildlife parks. Reintroduction into areas of former range. Siberian Tiger Introduction Project proposing introducing them to C. Asia & N. Iran to replace now extinct Caspian Tiger. Lifestyle: Solitary, though sometimes siblings will live together for a year or so after leaving mom. Male-female pairs sometimes hunt together/share kills outside of breeding season. Additional Info: Called: Male-Tiger Female-Tigress Young-Cub Group-Streak Weight: Male-420-670 lbs Female-220-370 lbs Young-10-30 lbs Gestation: 4 months Height: 3.5 ft, same for both sexes Body Length: Male-9.16-10.8 ft Female-7.8-8.7 ft Life Span: 20 years in wild, up to 25 years in captivity Tail Length: Male-3.25 ft Female-3 ft Only predators of adults are brown bears. Usually, tiger & brown bear fight each other to death and whoever dies first is eaten (usually bear dies 1st). Black Bears, leopards, wolves, & male tigers prey on cubs. Fights over territory vicious & deadly. Cubs stay w/ mom for 2 years & she protects them from bears, male tigers, & wolves. Endangered due to deforestation, habitat loss, persecution as man-eaters/livestock killers, hunting for fur/sport/meat/medicine trade, pet trade, loss of prey, disease, natural disasters, & inbreeding. Population increasing in wild. Territory marked w/ urine & claw marks. Male territories range from 60-500 square miles, containing up to 4 female territories. Have very good senses of sight & smell. Each tiger has different stripe pattern. Fun Fact(s): They will often stalk prey for up to 25 minutes. Tiger’s roar can be heard over a mile away. There are more of these tigers in captivity, including pets & circus animals, than in the wild. In fact, only 900 of these tigers remain in the wild.
