How much does a male Amur tiger weigh? Tiger: photo and video, description of the breed, subspecies, lifestyle, hunting

The tiger is one of the largest felines. The predatory beast is famous not only for its size, but also for its beauty, strength, and grace.

There are only six species of representatives of striped cats in the world, although there were nine of them 100 years ago. The population of the strong beast is declining every day. The reason for this, like most of the losses of our huge planet, human. Pollution of nature, the extermination of tigers by poachers has greatly affected the population of the largest cat on Earth.

This article describes what are the largest tigers in the world, their differences and lifestyle.

Malay

This species lives on the Malay Peninsula, and more precisely in its southern part. They live in dense forests and lead a twilight lifestyle. During the day they bask in blissful relaxation, and night vision is not enough for hunting.

Malayan tigers hunt patiently and for a long time. They watch their prey, moving from one hiding place to another in anticipation of dinner. When the moment is right, they jump out and pounce on the target. If the attempt fails, they look for another one rather than go in pursuit.

Male wild cats lead a solitary life, while females live with their children. They do not live in one territory, but are found only for mating. There is a fierce fight for the female because of her ability to fertilize once every 2 years.

This type of cat is distinguished not only by its patience, but also by its love of water. He can spend in it in the hot season most day.

The weight of an adult individual reaches 120 kg, and the body length is 2 meters 370 cm maximum. For their big sizes Malay and opens the top of the largest tigers.

The largest number man-eating cats of this particular subspecies have been recorded. in Malay wild cats they hunted purposefully, and, protecting themselves and their offspring, the beast ate offenders.

Sumatran

This kind predatory beast is the second largest from the end of the living. The tiger lives in Indonesia and only on the island of Sumatra.

It owes its small size to living in the jungle. It would not be easy for a large predator to hunt among the thickets of a dense forest.

The Sumatran tiger differs from its fellows in its special structure and increased aggressiveness. He has short legs and a small body size, which helps him during the hunt to pursue his prey for a long time until it loses strength and surrenders to the pursuer.

There are only about 700 Sumatran tigers left. The growth of this species of cats reaches 60 cm at the withers, the length of the largest Sumatran tiger is 2 meters 700 cm, and the weight is up to 130 kg.

Males are very good family men. During the pregnancy of a tigress, the male is always there and stays with her until the cubs grow up, after that he leaves and leads a solitary life.

Chinese

The very name of the species speaks of its origin. Not so long ago, these animals inhabited most of China, but now they are on the verge of extinction. There are only 20 rare cats left.

The Chinese tiger is the fastest living species. Unlike his Sumatran younger brother, he does not seek to drive his prey to impotence when hunting. The tiger, if possible, tries to overwhelm its target on the spot, biting into the back of the neck.

In length, it reaches a maximum of 2 meters 600 cm, less than the first debutant of the list, but it weighs much more, up to 177 kg.

From 1964 until 2007, the Chinese wild cat species was thought to be extinct. An individual was accidentally noticed by one of the residents countryside and showed the photo to the authorities. From now on, the protection of the miraculously surviving Chinese tiger dealt with with great seriousness.

The roar of a tiger is the same as fingerprints for a person. General characteristics distinguish species from each other, and low various notes emphasize the individuality of each individual separately. The largest tiger, oddly enough, is the most silent, and the smallest and most aggressive, on the contrary, likes to growl.

Indochinese

This species lives in southeast Asia and is listed in the Red Book. Not whimsical in choosing a place of permanent residence. It can settle on the banks of the river, and in the forest, and on rocky terrain.

His lifestyle is no different from the Malay tiger, so until 2006 they were considered from one subspecies. Scientists have found minor genetic and external differences. The Indochinese tiger is stronger and more powerful and, unlike its twin, much more secretive, but this did not stop the man from almost exterminating the entire population.

On the given time there are about 1500 individuals of this species. It reaches a length of 2 meters 900 cm, and its weight ranges from 110 to 190 kg.

If a tiger of any kind tries at least once human meat, then he will no longer be able to stop and turns into a cannibal.

Bengal

This is another largest tiger in the world. He occupies the silver second place, but in terms of numbers - the first. But still, like all species, this strong beast on the brink of extinction. The habitat halo of the Bengal tiger is extensive. It can be found in both India and Pakistan.

A loner, like most representatives of this category of cats. Prefers to hunt at dusk. The ideal time is sunrise or sunset. Anyone can envy his patience. Sitting in ambush and waiting for the right moment, not in a hurry to rush to the prey. But, when this moment comes, he jumps on the target with a lightning movement and, pressing him to the ground, chokes him.

There are about 4,000 Bengal tigers on the planet. A large and powerful animal reaches 3 meters and 100 cm in length. The average weight of an adult male is 220 kg.

The color of the animal depends on the frequency of black stripes on the skin of the tiger: the more there are, the darker it is. The stripes on the predator's fur are also duplicated on its skin, so even a bald tiger will be striped, this makes the wild cat related to its domestic counterpart.

Bengal cats most often give birth to tiger cubs with abnormal coloration. It can be either a few tones lighter than usual, or completely white.

Amur

Most big representative feline lives in Russia, or rather in the Far East. The Amur tiger is also found in northeast China, only 10% of the population.

Powerful, big, hardy. In terms of strength, he has no equal among his relatives. He can drag prey half a kilometer. He is not afraid of bad weather either: the Amur tiger will endure any frost.

Prefers to live in places where there is a lot of potential food for him. If it is enough for him, the tiger will not cross human possessions, and even more so will not attack the owner. Only a strong and debilitating hunger can push him to such a desperate step.

The Amur tiger has the longest coat. This helps him endure even the most severe frosty bad weather.

In Russia, a law has been introduced that threatens with a fine of 100,000 rubles and a prison term of 2 years for killing this majestic animal. The Amur tiger needs a vast territory, one individual occupies up to 100 square meters. km, and the settlement of Siberian lands by people deprived the cat of open spaces. This led to the disappearance of tigers no less than poachers.

The subspecies of the Amur tiger was almost exterminated 100 years ago, but today the population has greatly increased, and now there is no reason to fear its disappearance.

Today, there are already 470 individuals of the Amur giant. The largest tiger that lives on our planet weighs up to 300 kg. In length, it reaches 3 meters and 800 cm. With its impressive size, heaviest weight adult male, which amounted to 384 kg.

The Amur tiger has several names such as Ussuri and Siberian. On the coats of arms of the cities of Primorsky Krai and Khabarovsk - main character.

The tiger is the great predator of our planet, which is dying out every year because of man. The land has already lost the Caspian, Bali and Javanese, the next in line is the Chinese. If people do not change their attitude to nature, then in a few hundred years this beautiful beast can only be seen in paintings and museums.

The tiger is the largest member of the cat family. It ranks third in the ranking of the largest land predators after polar bear and brown bear. The tiger lives mainly in dense wooded area. Tigers live in the taiga and tropical forests South and Southeast Asia.

Tiger species and habitat

There are several types of tigers. The largest of them lives in Eastern Siberia, and the smallest - on the islands of Sumatra, Java and Bali /

The largest tiger is the Amur, weighing up to 420 pounds

• Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris) - India, Nepal, Bangladesh. Population size: 2000 individuals.
• Chinese tiger (Panthera t. amoyensis) - China. Population size: only about 60 individuals in captivity.
• Indochinese tiger (Panthera t. corbetti) - Cambodia, Laos, Mjanma, Thailand, Vietnam. Population size: 400 - 1000 individuals.
• Malayan tiger (Panthera t. jacksoni) - Malay Peninsula. Population size: 600 - 800 individuals.
• Sumatran tiger (Panthera t. sumatrae) - Sumatra. Population size: 440 - 680 individuals.
• (Panthera t. Altaica) - Eastern Siberia. Population size: 450 - 500 individuals.

Tigers hunt a variety of animals, but the basis of the diet of these predators is deer and wild boars. In Eastern Siberia, tigers even attack bears, although they do not always emerge victorious from the fight.

How tigers hunt

The tiger is a solitary hunter and, unlike lions, rarely hunts in packs. Noticing the victim, he crouches to the ground and slowly, silently creeps up. When the victim is at a distance of about 20 m, he suddenly rushes at him, grabs him by the neck and tries to knock him over with his weight. If the tiger only wounded the victim, he can pursue it for about 200 m. But such pursuits rarely end in luck for him.

Tigers are an endangered species

Unfortunately, tigers are endangered. These beautiful animals once lived throughout Asia, but their reduction natural environment habitation, deforestation and illegal hunting have led to the fact that the population has declined sharply. In some Asian countries work special programs for the protection of tigers, which may be able to prevent the complete destruction of the largest cats in the world.

Do you know that

• The largest tiger, the Amur tiger, which the researchers came across, weighed 432 kg.
• The tiger has well developed all five senses, especially vision. Because of this, he sees in the dark five times better than a person.

• Despite the high skill of the hunter, on average, only every tenth tiger attack is successful.
• The characteristic color of the tiger allows him to perfectly disguise himself. The striped fur of a predator makes the contours of its body fuzzy, which allows it to sneak up on its chosen prey unnoticed.
• The tiger can jump up to 5 meters high. This feature is used when the victim is in a tree.
• A tiger can eat up to 50 kg of meat at a time.
• A tiger can run at a speed of 60 km/h.
• The tiger, like the jaguar, is a good swimmer.

Tiger Dimensions:

• Length: 1.7 - 3.3 m.
• Height at the withers: 0.8 - 1.2 m.
• Body weight: 90 - 423 kg (males), 65 - 160 kg (females).
• Lifespan: 10-15 years per wild nature, in captivity 16-20 years.

The question often arises, how much does a tiger weigh, because it is known that this wild cat is considered the largest in the world. We all know from childhood that the most graceful and beautiful predator is a tiger. This large cat impresses with its size and unusual appearance. If we talk about the dimensions of this animal, then, of course, it is worth considering that different types tigers have their own characteristics and parameters.

The largest are 2 species: the Amur and Bengal tigers. The animal of each of these species has approximately the same parameters and weight. Experts on these wild cats claim that average weight representatives large predators is 270-350 kg.

The dimensions of the body, excluding the length of the tail, are 3 m, and the height at the withers is an average of 1 m 10 cm. But many experts still argue that these breeds of tigers have differences in their parameters. The fact is that this type of mammal is sometimes called panther-tigris, which is completely justified, since the word "tiger" is translated into Latin as "panthera tigris". They are members of the Panther family.

It is worth considering in more detail each of these types. An important role in the life and habits of a tiger is played by the area where it lives. It must be said at once that long years there were disputes as to how much larger a tiger is than its relative, a lion. Experts say that on average, striped predators are still larger and physically stronger than lions, but the latter is a born hunter and agile fighter. However, for a tiger, hunting is not only food, but also an instinct. As a rule, he always wins a quick and undeniable victory. History knows cases when the battle between these two representatives of the cat family did take place, but, fortunately, their habitat is different, and lions living in Africa rarely meet their striped counterparts living in India and the Far East (Russia). ).

Bengal tiger breed

The habitat of tigers of this breed: India, Pakistan, Iran, Nepal and Myanmar. The habitat of these predators determines their secondary division into subspecies: Malay, Indochinese, South Chinese and Sumatran. This predator is considered not only the largest among its representatives, but also the most numerous among other species: there are about 2.5 thousand units. Experts claim that big role in the formation of muscles and, accordingly, overall dimensions, the place where tigers live plays. For example, it is generally accepted that the largest individuals live in Nepal: the largest tiger that was seen in this particular area weighed 320 kg, while the average weight of the rest of the individuals is about 100 kg less.

Experts speak of tigers as the fastest and most merciless hunters, there were cases when this wild cat fought with lions and was quite big bears, and often the victory remained on her side. This predator is capable long time lie in wait and wait for your prey. He attacks with lightning speed, inflicting decisive blows with powerful paws and claws, the length of which is 10 cm. Max speed tiger while chasing its prey - 80 km / h, few animals have such speed, therefore, as a rule, a predator always catches up with its prey. But he cannot run for too long, as he quickly gets tired and that is why he tries to sneak up to his prey as close as possible.

Amur tiger

It is he - living in Russia - that is considered the largest and strongest among other tigers. There are several names for this species: Siberian, Manchurian, Ussuri and Far Eastern. This tiger is the largest, has a considerable body weight, it is quite large in size (for example, if it stands on its hind legs, then its height will be about 3.5-4 m). The average weight of a representative of this breed is about 250 kg, but there were individuals with a more impressive weight. The life expectancy of a tiger in the wild is about 15 years, and in captivity it can live up to 20-25. This wild cat lives in rather harsh climatic conditions, and in this regard, nature endowed her with more fluffy and thick fur than that of her Asian "brothers". The largest individuals of the Amur breed live in the Far East. Regions such as Khabarovsk and Primorsky Krai are marked on the map.

Variety of color of large tigers

The color of the tiger is considered unique, since its unique stripes are traced by nature on the skin itself. The general population of these predators is orange with black stripes; on the chest, paws and muzzle there are white islands of wool, but each species has its own characteristics in color.

It should be noted that the largest tiger in the world is a predator white color. For example, white Amur tiger on the territory of the Far East, it is distinguished by powerful muscles and a characteristic fatty layer on the abdomen, which significantly adds to its weight. It is more hardy, unlike relatives living in a warm climate. But he also has a worthy competitor - this is the Bengal white species.

Representatives of this genus breed well and live in captivity. If you cross a white male with an orange female, then the likelihood that there will be white kittens is low. But if a tiger and a tigress are both with the presence of a white gene, then the offspring will have exactly this color. The skull of the tiger of this subspecies is powerful and very large, it is distinguished by its size and considerable body weight. The average weight of this mammal is 300-350 kg. The skeleton of the tiger is quite impressive in size, the large skeleton provides it with these dimensions, and only some types of bear can compare with the animal.

The opinion that this species belongs to albinos is erroneous: a big misconception, since it White wool has light brown stripes. Eye color is usually blue or grey.

About what tigers eat, experts say unequivocally that for this type of predator, the main food is deer. But tigers also hunt other cattle, as well as wild pigs.

The life expectancy of a white tiger is slightly shorter than that of orange ones, and it is quite difficult to meet them in captivity today. The life of these mammals is on average 10 years.

A black tiger cub may appear in the offspring of different subspecies. In fact, this is a rather rare color variation of the brindle color, which is still found in nature. Most often, such individuals are found among Bengal breeds. The black stripes on its skin are located so close to each other that the orange background is almost invisible, and due to this it seems that the tiger is completely black. Such a wild cat is called a melanist. The number of these individuals is very small, and in captivity there are only a few of them. This tiger feeds on the same things as its relatives: cattle, fish and wild boars. Hunting for this predator is his whole life.

It just so happens that a simple cat is a night hunter, but tigers get their food at any time of the day: both at night and in the morning, during the day.

The difference found in anatomical structure pupil of these animals. In a domestic cat, the pupil is oblong, as if elongated, but in a wild large “sister” it is round in shape.

Not everyone knows that the role of the most difficult and major representative This genus of mammals is claimed by the liger, which is a great rarity. This hybrid was obtained by crossing a male lion with a female tigress. Its weight is not less than 300-400 kg, and in length it reaches 3 meters or more.

Experts consider these mammals not only the largest, but also, accordingly, the strongest animals. It is certain that the paws of the tiger-lion are endowed with great strength, and its impact is 1500 kg.

He runs at a speed of 60-80 km / h, but how a tiger-lion hunts in wildlife is still unknown. What does a liger look like? His head is covered with a sparse mane, sometimes it is practically absent. In the wild, this species does not occur, since the lion is an African resident, and the tiger is Asian, so crossings in real life practically impossible. This unusual representative of the panther genus appeared as a result of a long joint stay of a lion and a tiger in the same enclosure. This happens often in zoos or circuses. According to the latest data, about 20 individuals of this subspecies lived in captivity.

The question is often asked, how many teeth does a tiger have? It is known that tigers, like ordinary cats, have 30 teeth, but their sizes are not at all feline. With its teeth, any representative of the genus of panthers is capable of exerting a pressing force equal to 71 atmospheres; it easily and quickly gnaws the bones of a large cattle. The longest are his fangs, which can reach up to 8-10 cm.

But the smallest tiger in the world is a representative of one of the pure breeds of the cat family - this is the Sumatran species. He lives on the islands of Indonesia and is distinguished by an evil and cruel disposition, he will not miss the chance to attack not only other animals, but also humans. This type listed in the Red Book and protected by law. It differs from its relatives not only small stature and weight, but also a different arrangement of black stripes on the skin and other anatomical features.

The Amur tiger is the largest cat in the world. Such is the hackneyed definition by which it is customary to treat those arriving at Far East guests.

But how do all the other tigers differ in size?

Judging by the data that roams from edition to edition, the tiger "table of ranks" looks like this.

To date, researchers have identified five subspecies of the tiger: Sumatran, Indochinese, Bengal, South China and Amur. Two more subspecies are considered extinct - Turan and Balinese. Moreover, both of them disappeared from the face of the Earth already in the second half of the 20th century, after the Second World War. In addition to them, scientists with significant reservations singled out the Tarim tiger, which had every chance of being united with the Turanian, but, like the latter, was exterminated by active Cossacks and Chinese Central Asia; Javanese, now recognized as identical to Sumatran; and Ussuri, or Korean (Manchu), which was “absorbed” on paper by the ubiquitous Amur.

The smallest of the currently existing tigers is the Sumatran, its weight ranges from one hundred to one hundred and fifty kilograms, and the average weight of an adult male is one hundred and twenty kilograms.

It is followed by the South Chinese subspecies, about which little is known at all - today it is one of the most poorly studied tigers on Earth. The mass of adults is from one hundred thirty to one hundred and eighty kilograms. The average weight of an adult male is one hundred and fifty kilograms.

The Indochinese tiger was previously identified as one subspecies with the Bengal, but it turned out that it is smaller than the latter (one hundred and fifty - one hundred and ninety-five kilograms, in some cases over two hundred and fifty, the average weight of an adult male is about one hundred and eighty kilograms.

The dispute about the size of the tiger is a myth-making process… Photo by IGOR AK. [email protected]

And now attention!

According to experts, ordinary adult male Bengal and Amur tigers in nature weigh two hundred to two hundred and thirty kilograms (Bengal about 220 kg, Amur 225 kg, Bengal, living in northern India and Nepal, about 230-235 kg). The record of three hundred and eighty-eight kilograms was assigned to the Bengal tiger, while the Amur tiger has a maximum weight of three hundred and eighty-four kilograms. Moreover, these data refer to the "traditions of ancient times" and are indicated by N. Baikov with reference to the news of 1927 about the dispatch of a tiger of such weight from Vladivostok by the Chinese.

The actual size of tigers is on average much more modest.

In the most objective summary of domestic giant striped cats, prepared by A. Sludsky in 1966, the following information is given about the size of the Turanian tiger that lived in Kazakhstan and Central Asia. The maximum reliably indicated weight of a male was one hundred and eighty-one kilograms. The largest specimens had a body length of two hundred centimeters and a tail of ninety-eight centimeters, so their total length was about three meters.

Tigers caught in Transcaucasia, which belonged to the same Turanian subspecies, reached the same size. The skin of a male killed near the village of Prishib in the Lankaran region of Azerbaijan was one hundred and eighty-seven centimeters long with a tail of ninety-seven centimeters.

The same A. Sludsky says that, according to such a well-known and thoughtful researcher as S. Ognev, the length of the Turanian tiger is from one hundred and sixty to two hundred and seventy centimeters, and the tail is from ninety to one hundred and ten centimeters, but he immediately points out that it is not known where the information presented comes from, and therefore he considers it to be exaggerated.

This is not the first time we are faced with the fact that everything in one way or another relating to the tiger - whether alive, extinct or described on paper - is overgrown with myths.

A. Sludsky, referring to the authority of N. Baikov, as well as to museum descriptions, determines the maximum body length of a male Amur tiger at three hundred, and a tail at one hundred centimeters. The size of a tigress is one-fifth smaller, which, in general, is strange, because most predators have females about half the size of males. The Korean tiger, later assigned to the Amur subspecies, has a maximum body length of two hundred and seventeen centimeters (300 cm according to N. Baikov) and a meter long tail. His Weight Limit according to N. Baikov - three hundred and forty kilograms, and according to G.F. Bromley - up to three hundred and sixty.

Modern tiger experts deny the existence of individuals over two hundred and twenty kilograms in the current Ussuri taiga. The weight of large (I emphasize - large!) males that fell into the hands of a person is approximately one hundred and eighty kilograms. Thus, at present, Bengal and Amur tigers in nature do not differ much in size.

Tiger ( Panthera tigris ) - a predator of the mammal class, such as chordates, predatory orders, cat families, panther genera, subfamilies big cats. It got its name from the ancient Persian word tigri, which means "sharp, fast", and from the ancient Greek word for "arrow".

The tiger is the largest and heaviest member of the cat family. Males of some tigers reach a length of 3 meters and weigh over 300 kg. Tigers are listed in the Red Book, and hunting for these animals is prohibited.

Often, defenseless domestic animals and small elephants become prey. In summer, nuts and fruits are added to the main meat menu of tigers.

Amur tigers eat red deer, wild boar, elk, and deer. Bengal tigers sometimes attack porcupines.

Indochinese tigers prey on wild boars, sambar, serow, banteng and gaur, and also attack porcupines, macaques, teleda (pork badgers), muntzhak. Malayan tigers feed on wild boars, barking deer, sambar deer, and may even attack a Malayan bear.

Tigers hunt alone, using 2 main methods: they sit in ambush or carefully sneak up on the victim. Both techniques are successfully completed with rapid jumps or a jerk. One tiger jump is 5 m high and 10 m long. The tiger gnaws the throat of small animals, and knocks large mammals to the ground and gnaws the cervical vertebrae.

If the tiger's hunt was unsuccessful, and the victim turned out to be stronger or ran away, then the tiger does not attack again. Predators eat prey while lying down, holding the meat with their paws.

tiger breeding

The breeding season for tigers is December and January. Females are ready to bear offspring at 3-4 years, males mature by 5 years. As a rule, a tigress is courted by one male tiger; in conditions of increased numbers, there are fights among males for the right to possess a female.

A tigress can conceive only a few times a year, brings offspring every 2-3 years. On average, the bearing of offspring in tigers lasts 103 days.

The birth of a tigress takes place in a lair arranged in inaccessible places: rock crevices, caves, impassable thickets.

Usually 2-4 cubs, a tiger cub, are born, in rare cases there can be 6 of them. After a week, newborn cubs open their eyes, the first month and a half are milk-fed. At the age of 2 months, the mother and offspring leave the den.

One and a half year old tigers are quite independent, although many do not leave their mother until they are 3-5 years old.

On average, tigers live 26-30 years, during which time a tigress is able to give birth to up to 20 cubs, many of which often die in their youth.

Tigers perfectly adapt to the conditions of life in captivity and breed well. The increase in the number of offspring bred in captivity contributed to the fall in the price of predatory cats and made it possible for people, in particular Americans, to acquire a tabby predator as a pet.

• Animals such as tigers have long been the subject of all sorts of myths and legends. For example, many people think saber-toothed tiger progenitor of modern striped predators. In fact, belonging to the cat family, ancient view considered a saber-toothed cat, not a tiger.
• Most wild cats are afraid of water and avoid bodies of water whenever possible. But not a tiger. This predator is an excellent swimmer, loves water and never misses an opportunity to soak up the heat in a cool lake or river.