In the land of tigers by sreekesh puthuvassery

SOME INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT TIGERS

The tiger (Panthera tigris) is the largest cat species, most recognisable for their pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with a lighter underside. The species is classified in the genus Panthera with the lion, leopard, jaguar and snow leopard. Tigers live alone and aggressively scent-mark large territories to keep their rivals away. They are powerful hunters that travel many miles to find prey.A hungry tiger can eat as much as 60 pounds (27 kilograms) in one night, though they usually eat less.
Males have a prominent ruff or collar, which is especially pronounced in the Sumatran tiger.Tigers are territorial and generally solitary but social animals, often requiring large contiguous areas of habitat that support their prey requirements.
BENGAL TIGER
(Panthera tigris tigris)

 

TYPE: Mammals
DIET: Carnivores
AVERAGE LIFE SPAN IN THE WILD: 8 to 10 years
SIZE: Head and body, 5 to 6 ft; tail, 2 to 3 ft
WEIGHT: 240 to 500 lbs
SIZE RELATIVE TO A 6-FT MAN:

The Bengal tiger is also known as the Indian tiger, as it found in scattered (now rather isolated) pockets throughout India. There are also Bengal tigers found in Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Nepal, Bhutan, and along the eastern coast of China. The climate here is temperate to tropical and very wet, with the tigers thriving in mangrove forests, grasslands, and deciduous forests.

An average male Bengal tiger weighs around 500 pounds (220 kilograms) stands 36 inches high at the shoulder, measure ten feet from the tip of their nose to end of their tail and has a head that is 16 inches long and 10 inches wide and pug marks that are seven inches across. Females are generally about a foot shorter and 100 pound lighter than males. The largest one on record, according to the Guinness Book of Records, was shot in Utter Pradesh on November 1967. It was 10 feet 7 inches long and weighed 857 pounds
The Bengal will hunt water buffalo, hunting ground, covering up to 50 square kilometers (20 sq mi) in a single night’s hunt. The Siberian can cover twice that.
Despite their fearsome reputation, most tigers avoid humans; however, a few do become dangerous maneaters. These animals are often sick and unable to hunt normally, or live in an area where their traditional prey has vanished.
Females give birth to litters of two to six cubs, which they raise with little or no help from the male. Cubs cannot hunt until they are 18 months old and remain with their mothers for two to three years, when they disperse to find their own territory.A tiger's roar can be heard as far as two miles away

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INDOCHINESE TIGER

 

The Indochinese tiger is found in Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Laos. They are smaller than Bengal tigers and have different stripping patterns. They measure 2.84 meters from the end of their nose to the tip of their tail and weigh an average of 195 kilograms. There are between 250 and 600 of them. Indochinese tigers are regarded as more elusive than their Indian cousins. The tigers in Thailand are considered the most secretive of all.

 

SIBERIAN TIGER

(Panthera tigris altaica)

Status: Endangered
Type: Mammal
Diet: Carnivore
Size: 10.75 ft (3.3 m)
Weight: 660 lbs (300 kg)
Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man:
 

Siberian Tiger, which is also known as Amur, Manchurian, Altaic, Korean, or North China tiger. It is the largest tiger subspecies and can be found only in the protected region of Amur-Ussuri, Primorsky Krai and Khabarovsk Krai in eastern Siberia.it can weigh up to 800 pounds.
Siberian tiger average 3.14 meters (10 feet, 4 inches) in length (from nose to tip of tail), stand 1 to 1.1 meters (39 to 42 inches) at the shoulder and weigh 265 to 305 kilograms (585 to 676 pounds). A large male can measure four meters (13 feet) from tail to nose and weighs 362 kilograms (800 pounds).
The Siberian tiger’s natural habitat is the much, much colder areas to the north. The handful that still exist in the wild can mostly be found in the chilly forests of Eastern Russia, with some in the northernmost parts of China and Korea. In stark contrast to the more temperate habitats of its cousins, the Siberian tiger thrives in coniferous and birch forests where the temperatures can reach as low as -45° Celsius (-50 F).
The differences in habitat mean that the Siberian tiger has developed a much thicker, heavier coat than the Bengal. They also tend to have thick fat stores along their sides and belly that help to keep them insulated against the below-freezing temperatures.
There are also differences in color that developed from their different habitats. The Siberian tiger is the lightest of all tiger subspecies, with their coats tending to be a much paler orange than their southern cousins. The stripes of a Siberian tiger are brown instead of black, but all tigers share the trait of having completely unique stripe patterns, much like our fingerprints.
Habitat differences also lead to a different diet, though both tiger subspecies are easily capable of single-handedly taking down prey that is much, much bigger than they are. The Siberian tiger tends to hunt creatures like elk and deer, but has been known to kill and eat bears as well as smaller game.
Siberian tigers can range over 400 square miles. Male Siberian tigers generally range across an area of 150 to 225 square miles. Females range cover a slightly smaller area. Siberian tigers like to attack their prey from behind.Siberian tigers have long memories. Offspring of a mother killed by poachers were still agitated as adults whenever they came in close contact with human males. Males sometimes live only six or seven year as they die in competition for mates and territory.
Tigers grimace when they sniff scents found in their territory. Known as flehmen behavior, the facial movement helps expose the scent to the sensory-cell-covered vomeronasal organ behind the palate. This behavior is usually seen in areas where other cats have sprayed their scent. Siberian tigers sharpen their claws by standing on their hind legs and raking them downwards in the bark of a tree.

WHITE TIGER

 

The white tiger is a pigmentation variant of the Bengal tiger, which is reported in the wild from time to time in the Indian states of Assam, West Bengal and Bihar in the Sunderbans region and especially in the former State of Rewa.[1] Such a tiger has the black stripes typical of the Bengal tiger, but carries a white or near-white coat.

The white Bengal tigers are distinctive due to the color of their fur. The white fur caused by a lack of the pigment pheomelanin, which is found in Bengal tigers with orange color fur. When compared to Bengal tigers, the white Bengal tigers tend to grow faster and heavier than the orange Bengal tiger. They also tend to be somewhat bigger at birth, and as fully grown adults. White Bengal tigers are fully grown when they are 2–3 years of age. White male tigers reach weights of 200 to 230 kilograms and can grow up to 3 meters in length. As with all tigers, the white Bengal tiger’s stripes are like fingerprints, with no two tigers having the same pattern. The stripes of the tiger are a pigmentation of the skin; if an individual were to be shaved, its distinctive coat pattern would still be visible. For a white Bengal tiger to be born, both parents must carry the unusual gene for white colouring, which only happens naturally about once in 10,000 births.

SIBERIAN WHITE TIGER

The existence of white Siberian tigers has not been scientifically documented, despite occasional unsubstantiated reports of sightings of white tigers in the regions where wild Siberian tigers live. It may be that the white mutation does not exist in the wild Siberian tiger population: no white Siberian tigers have been born in captivity, despite the fact that the subspecies has been extensively bred during the last few decades (with much outbreeding between the different Siberian lineages for purposes of conservation genetics); a recessive allele should occasionally turn up in a homozygous state during such breeding, and in this particular case yield white tigers from normally-colored parents, but no such animals have been reported.

The famous white Siberian tigers found in captivity are actually not pure Siberian tigers. They are instead the result of Siberian tigers breeding with Bengal tigers. The gene for white coating is quite common among Bengal tigers, but the natural birth of a white Bengal tiger is still a very rare occasion in the wild, where white tigers are not bred selectively.

The white tiger is not considered a tiger subspecies, but rather a hybrid mutant variant of the existing tiger subspecies. If a pure white Siberian tiger were to be born, it would therefore not be selectively bred within the tiger conservation programs. It would, however, probably still be selectively bred outside the program in an effort to create more white Siberian tigers.

STRIPELESS WHITE TIGER

 

An additional genetic condition can remove most of the striping of a white tiger, making the animal almost pure white. One such specimen was exhibited at Exeter Change in England in 1820, and described by Georges Cuvier as "A white variety of Tiger is sometimes seen, with the stripes very opaque, and not to be observed except in certain angles of light."[3] Naturalist Richard Lydekker said that, "a white tiger, in which the fur was of a creamy tint, with the usual stripes faintly visible in certain parts, was exhibited at the old menagerie at Exeter Change about the year 1820.

The modern strain of snow white tigers came from repeated brother–sister matings of Bhim and Sumita at Cincinnati Zoo. The gene involved may have come from a Siberian tiger, via their part-Siberian ancestor Tony. Continued inbreeding appears to have caused a recessive gene for stripelessness to show up. About one fourth of Bhim and Sumita's offspring were stripeless. Their striped white offspring, which have been sold to zoos around the world, may also carry the stripeless gene. Because Tony's genome is present in many white tiger pedigrees, the gene may also be present in other captive white tigers. As a result, stripeless white tigers have appeared in zoos as far afield as the Czech Republic (Liberec), Spain and Mexico. Stage magicians Siegfried & Roy were the first to attempt to selectively breed tigers for stripelessness; they owned snow-white Bengal tigers taken from Cincinnati Zoo (Tsumura, Mantra, Mirage and Akbar-Kabul) and Guadalajara, Mexico (Vishnu and Jahan), as well as a stripeless Siberian tiger called Apollo.

Genetics

A white tiger's pale coloration is due to the lack of the red and yellow pigments that normally produce the orange color.[6] This had long been thought to be due to a mutation in the gene for the tyrosinase enzyme. A knockout mutation in this gene results in albinism, the inability to make either pheomelanin or eumelanin, while the consequence of a less severe mutation in the same gene is the cause of a selective loss of pheomelanin, the so-called Chinchilla trait. The white phenotype in tigers had been attributed to this Chinchilla mutation in tyrosinase, and some publications prior to the 1980s refer to it as an albino gene for this reason.[citation needed] However, genomic analysis has demonstrated instead that a mutation in the SLC45A2 gene is responsible. The resultant single amino acid substitution in this transport protein, by a mechanism yet to be determined, causes the elimination of pheomelanin expression seen in the white tiger. This is a recessive trait, meaning that it is only seen in individuals that are homozygous for this mutation.[6] Inbreeding promotes recessive traits and has been used as a strategy to produce white tigers in captivity.

The stripe color varies due to the influence and interaction of other genes. Another genetic characteristic makes the stripes of the tiger very pale; white tigers of this type are called snow-white or "pure white". White tigers, Siamese cats, and Himalayan rabbits have enzymes in their fur which react to temperature, causing them to grow darker in the cold. A white tiger named Mohini was whiter than her relatives in the Bristol Zoo, who showed more cream tones. This may have been because she spent less time outdoors in the winter.[7] White tigers produce a mutated form of tyrosinase, an enzyme used in the production of melanin, which only functions at certain temperatures, below 37 °C (99 °F). This is why Siamese cats and Himalayan rabbits are darker on their faces, ears, legs, and tails (the color points), where the cold penetrates more easily. This is called acromelanism, and other cats breeds derived from the Siamese, such as the Himalayan and the snowshoe cat, also exhibit the condition.[8] Kailash Sankhala observed that white tigers were always whiter in Rewa State, even when they were born in New Delhi and returned there. "In spite of living in a dusty courtyard, they were always snow white."[9] A weakened immune system is directly linked to reduced pigmentation in white tigers.

 

EXTINCT TIGERS FAMILY IN THE WORLD

BALI TIGER

 

 

This tiger, the scientific name of which is Panthera tigris balica, lived only on Bali island in Indonesia.
It was the smallest of all of the tiger subspecies. In fact, females could weigh as little as 65 kilograms or 140 pounds (although they usually averaged about 75 kilograms), and the larger males reached between 90 and 100 kilograms (or 200 to 220 pounds).
The Bali Tiger (Panthera tigris balica). The copyright licence for this image is unknown. It might be in the public domain in Indonesia if it was first published there more than 50 years ago, according to Article 30 of Indonesia Copyright Law No 19, 2002.
The Bali Tiger reached extinction due to hunting. Of course, because they were limited to Bali, there was not an enormous population to begin with. As people populated the island, they hunted the tiger in order to sell their pelts and organs, as well as to protect themselves from these hunters.
Bali Tigers had darker, shorter fur than the other subspecies. Generally, they had fewer black stripes too, giving them a more solid gold appearance. Notably, they also had bar-shaped patterning on their heads, which became a characteristic. The Bali Tiger had a lifespan of between eight and 10 years in the wild.
This subspecies was (and still is) an important part of the Balinese Hindu culture.
CASPIAN TIGER

 

 

The Panthera tigris virgata . also known as the Caspian Tiger, Hyrcanian Tiger, Persian Tiger or Turan Tiger . once inhabited the area around the Caspian Sea, through Turkey, Iran and Central Asia to the Chinese desert of Xinjiang. These were once some of the biggest of the tiger subspecies, together with the Bengal Tiger. Males usually exceeded two metres in length.
Caspian tigers were 2.95 meters in length and weighed an average of 240 kilograms. Some of these made their way to ancient Rome. The Bali tiger measured 2.81 meters in length and weighed an average of 100 kilograms. The Javan tiger measured 2.49 meters and weighed an average of 140 kilograms.
In terms of its appearance, the Caspian Tiger had a brighter golden coat, with brown-gold stripes. In winter, the coat would become less bright, with less distinct patterning. The stripes were narrower and closer together than the other tiger subspecies.
When the Russians started to colonise Turkey during the late-1800’s, they began to hunt the Caspian Tiger with a vengeance. In addition, they hunted the natural prey of these predators, causing many to die from starvation. It is believed that the last Caspian Tiger was killed in the 1990’s. However, due to a lack of interest, this was never explored or confirmed.

JAVAN TIGER

 

 

The Panthera tigris sondaica died out in the 1970’s. As their name implies, these tigers were found exclusively on the island of Java. Although they began to be protected in 1947, it was too late to save the Java Tiger from succumbing to extinction. They were poisoned by locals wanting to protect themselves and hunted for reward or financial gain. They also died as a result of their prey being killed to the point of extinction.
The Java Tigers were very small, and males would only reach about 115 kilograms (equivalent to about 250 pounds), and females were smaller. Their noses were long and narrow, as were their stripes.
These three subspecies should serve as a warning to modern society about the threats facing our tigers today.

SUMATRAN TIGER

 

They are smaller than other species of tigers with a full grown male only about 300 pounds. However, they can be up to 8 feet in length which gives them a very slender appearance. females: up to seven feet from head to tail, around 200 pounds.Experts believe that they are smaller in size due to the limited natural habitat for them to reside in. They are also smaller in size due to the prey that they consume there being smaller than what other species of tigers have access to.They measure 2.54 meters from the end of their nose to the tip of their tail and weigh an average of 120 kilograms, with females being about 20 kilograms lighter than males.
The stripes on the Sumatran Tiger are closer together than those found on any other species. This is due to the fact that their natural habitat is full of high grass and these close stripes allow them to easily blend in. This species of tiger also has more hair on the face and around the neck area than other species.
Sumatran tigers are thought by some to be the most intelligent tiger subspecies. There is a story about one Sumatran tiger who was captured and placed on a ship that was supposed to deliver him to the Amsterdam Zoo. The tiger escaped from its cage and looked over the side of the ship and saw the coast of Malaysia, which was only four miles away. It then lept in the water and started swimming toward Sumatra which was 80 miles away.
One of their best tactics is to chase their prey into the water. They are extremely fast swimmers so they can easily over take larger prey there that they may not be able to on land. They feature webbing between their toes which is why they are naturals in the water. They also confuse their prey due to the white spots on the back of their ears called “eye spots”. In their soundless search for prey—which has also dwindled dramatically due to habitat loss—they may cover up to 18 miles. Sumatran tigers feast on larger ungulates, including tapir, wild boar and deer, as well as smaller animals, like monkeys, birds, and fish. They may also prey on orangutans, but do so infrequently since the primates spend little time on the ground.In the wild, life expectancy is about 12 years; up to 20 years in zoos. Mating may occur at any time, but is most common between November and April.  Gestation is approximately 110 days.  Litters consist of one to five helpless cubs weighing just over 2 pounds. The cubs stay with their mother for about two years, then begin to establish their own territories. Sexual maturity is reached at 3-4 years for females, and 4- 5 years for males.

Source; multiple