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The Siberian Tiger
The Siberian tiger is an endangered animal. It is found in eastern Siberia and also in northern China and Korea. There may be as many Siberian tigers running free as there are in captivity. Estimates are that there are probably no more than 200 Siberian tigers left in the wild.
The were 8 subspecies of tigers. Three of them are now extinct and the other 5 subspecies of tigers are endangered.
 The Siberian tiger is the largest living cat in the world, and needs to eat about 20 pounds of meat a day to stay alive in the cold climates. It can consume up to 200 pounds of meat a day. In the harsh Siberian winter the tiger's coat will lose some of its color. The winter coat doesn't have the red stripes of tigers from warmer climates. The white coat also helps to camouflage it in the snow. It also grows a longer and thicker coat than other tigers to help it survive the cold weather.
Siberian tigers can be 9 to 12 feet long (from head to the tip of their tail) and are about 3 1/2 feet tall. Female tigers are somewhat smaller than the male tigers, and they can weigh between 400 to 650 pounds.
Female tigers will carry their babies for 3 to 3 1/2 months, and usually have 3 to 4 cubs, though they can have up to 6 cubs. The cubs are born blind. After about 2 weeks the cubs will open their eyes and their first teeth will begin to grow. Their mother seldom leaves them alone during this time. When the cubs are about 3 months old they will start to venture out of their den. The mother will bring them meat to eat from her hunting trips, but they will still take her milk until they are about 6 months old.
When the cubs are about 6 months old, they may begin going with their mom on hunting trips, but they are close to a year old before they start hunting for themselves. The cubs will not leave their mother until they are 3 to 5 years old. When they leave, they look for territories of their own, and mates. Siberian tigers live to be about 25 years old.
A Siberian tigers territory can be as large as 1,200 square miles. It will stay in its territory for many years, as long as food sources are good. They mark their territory by scratching trees, and with urine. Only the male will defend his territory against other males. The male tiger is a loner, but he will let other tigers pass through his territory. He is more tolerant of females, and females with cubs going through his territory than other males.
The Siberian tiger is not as good a hunter as you might think. Usually only one of ten of their hunting trips is a success. It preys on wild pigs, deer, elk, lynx, bears, rabbits, and will eat fish too. Its reputation as a vicious killer is really not deserved.
The tiger will creep to within 30 to 80 feet of its prey, then the tiger will pounce and grab the prey by the nape of the neck. If the tiger misses, it may chase it, but once it has missed its prey, will rarely catch it. |
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