Siberian Tigers

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The largest living cat in the world, the Siberian tiger possess both grace and beauty. Although it spends alot of time hunting, its reputation as a vicious killer is undeserved.  The rare Siberian tiger gets it name from its cold homeland, which is covered in snow for much of a year.  Its range is larger than that of any other tiger subspecies, and it frequently embarks on long journeys in search of food.

Habits: The Siberian tiger occupies a very large territory. Ranges of more than 4,00 square miles have been recorded.  The tiger may occupy the same territory for many years if food sources are stable, it often migrates hundreds of miles.  Both males and females mark boundaries of their ranges with urine and by scratching trees.  But only the male defends his territory against other males, concentrating on the most important parts, such as a boundary close to females territory or an area rich in food.  The male tiger is solitary, shunning other males.  He allows tigers of either sec to pass through his range but is more tolerant of the females.  The female is sometimes accompanied by her young.

Breeding: Tigers mate at any time during the year. A female shows that she is ready top mate by leaving urine deposits and scratch marks on trees.  In Siberia, where a tiger's range is vast, she may go in search of a male.  The female is receptive for only three to seven days. During this time a pair will mate several times, after which the male leaves to mate with another female.  After a gestation period of three and a half months, three or four blind cubs are born in a sheltered den./  THey are nursed by their mother, who rarely leaves them.  At about two weeks old their eyes open and their first teeth begin to grow.  At three months the cubs start to leave the den, and the mother brings them meat to eat.  They continue to take her milk until they are five to six months old.  As this stage they may begin to accompany her on hunting trips.  The cubs are less than a year old when they start to hunt for themselves.  At two years old they can kill large prey, but they will not leave their mother until they are three to five years old.  They then start to look for their own territories and mates..

Food & Hunting:   The Siberian tiger spends alot of time hunting because only about one in ten of its hunting trips is successful. It preys on deer and wild pig, but it also eats fish.  Creeping to within 30 to 80 feet of its victim, the tiger pounces and grabs the prey by the nape of the neck with its back feet still planted firmly on the ground.  THis nape bite kills small prey but larger prey is brought to the ground before begin killed by a suffocating bite to the throat.  If the tiger misses its prey on the pounce, it may chase it up to 650 feet but rarely catches it.  When it does kill its prey, the tiger drags it to cover, usually near water.  It then eats it fill,. covers up the remains, and goes to sleep, Later it eats the rest of the carcass.

Key Facts: Sizes, Weight, breeding, lifestyle, related Species
Length: males, 9 to 12 feet head to tip of tail.
Females:  smaller
Male 3 1/2 inches at shoulder in to shoulder
Weight: 400 - 650 lbs

Breeding:
Sexual maturity: 3-5 years
Mating: No particular season.
Gestation: 3 - 31/2 months
No of young Usually 4 - 6 cubs sometimes only 3 - 4

Lifestyle:
Habit: Males Solitary Females lives in family units. Mostly nocturnal.
Diet: Deer, boar, elk, lynx, bear, also smaller prey such as fish, rabbits and hares.
Life span: 25 years under normal conditions
Related Species: In all, there are 8 subspecies of tiger.  Of these 3 are extinct, and the remaining 5 are endangered.
Distribution: The siberian tiger is found in Amur - Ussuri region of Siberia; also in northern China and Korea
Conservation: The siberian tiger is an endangered subspecies.  It is estimated that there are no more than 200 of the animals left in the wild.  There are probably as many siberian tigers in captivity as there are roaming free.

Did you know:
Siberian tiers are capable of dragging its prey that would take more than a dozen men to move.
One siberian tier traveled 620 miles in 22 days in search of food.
The siberian tiger needs to eat over 20 pounds of meat a day to sustain itself in the cold climate.  Its is capable of eating over 100 pounds of meat in one sitting.
The heaviest siberian tiger on record weighed almost 850 pounds.

The Siberian Tigers Special Adaptations:
The siberian tigers winter coat lacks the red stripes of tigers from warmer climates, but its white coat helps camouflage it in its snowy habit.
Because its has to withstand temperatures as low as -50º f, the Siberian tiger coat longer and thicker than other tigers.  It also develops a layer of fat on its flanks and belly that help ti insulate it.

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