Saving Our Endangered Species

The tiger (Panthera tigris) is also the largest of all cats. It's classified as a member of the order Carnivora (Carnivores) and a member of the family Felidae. It's classified as an endangered species due to the projected tiger population declining because of an index of abundance and habitat loss. Only 5,000-7,000 remain in the wild stretching from India to south-eastern China and from the Russian Far East to Sumatra, Indonesia. There are 8 subspecies of tigers, 3 of which are extinct( the Bali, Javan and Caspian breeds). White tigers are a rare mutation mostly within the Bengal breed. They are distinguished by the colour of their coats. Their status is endangered-critically endangered and there are about 5000-7000 individuals.

Surviving Subspecies

Sumatran Tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae)

Sumatran tigers have dark coats and they're the smallest of the 5 remaining tiger species. They live in the forests of the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. There population in the wild is estimated to range between 400 and 500 individuals located primarily in Sumatra's 5 national parks. Male Sumatran tigers average 234 cm in length from head to tail and weigh about 136 kg. Females average 198 cm in length and weigh about 91 kg. What a tiger eats depends on where it lives and how abundant the prey is. They have very sharp senses of hearing and sight so the tigers are very able hunters. They eat whatever they can catch, commonly wild , tapir and deer, and sometimes fowl and fish. Orangutans could be prey, but since they spend a minimal amount of time on the ground, tigers rarely catch one.There are approximately 190 Sumatran tigers in captivity.

Indochinese Tiger (Panthera tigris corbetti)

Indochinese tigers are smaller and darker than Bengal tigers, they're predominantly located in Thailand but can also be found in Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam and Southern China. It is believed that as many as 1000-1500 Indochinese tigers survive in the wild. Male Indochinese tigers measure 2.55 to 2.85 metres in length, weigh 150 to 195 kilograms and have the greatest skull length of 319 to 365 millimetres. The average male Indochinese tiger is approximately 2.74 m in length and weighs about 180 kg. Large individuals can weigh well over 250 kg. Female Indochinese tigers measure 2.30 to 2.55 m in length, weigh 100 to 130 kg and have greatest skull length of 275 to 311 mm. The average female Indochinese tiger is approximately 2.44 m in length and weighs about 115 kg. Again it eats whatever it can catch.

Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris or Panthera tigris bengalensis)

The Bengal tiger is the most commonly known of all tigers, it can be found in a variety of habitats including lush forests, swamps and high altitudes of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar and Nepal. Their wild population is approximately 3000-4750 tigers. Male Bengal tigers measure 275–310 cm (sometimes up to 360 cm with their tail). The tail of a large male is usually 85–95 cm long. Their weight ranges from 180 to 272 kilograms , with an average weight of 200–235 kg . The heaviest Bengal tiger ever reported was 389.5 kg and measured 320 cm between shoulders. Bengal tigers hunt small-sized and large-sized animals, such as wild boar, sambar(deer), barasingha (deer), chital (deer), nilgai (antelope), gaur (ox) ,water buffalo and they also feed on fishes. They sometimes prey on smaller animals like hares, monkeys, langurs (monkeys) or peacocks and carrion is also readily taken. Bengal tigers have also been known to prey on young Asian Elephants and rhino calves in rare documented cases.

Siberian Tiger (Panthera tigris altaica)

At up to 350 kilos the Siberian tiger is the largest of all tigers and the biggest cat on Earth. The Amur as it is also known as can be found primarily in the forests of Eastern Russia. It is estimated that 360-400 live in the wild although there are about 490 captive Siberian tigers. The Siberian tiger is typically only 2-4 inches taller at the shoulder than the Bengal Tiger, which is about 107-110 cm tall. Old males reach normally a head and body length of 190-220 centimetres. It preys primarily on wild boar and red deer, which make up 65-90% of its diet in the Russian Far East. Other important prey species are moose, roe deer, sika deer, musk deer and goral(antelope). Even dangerous animals like adult brown bears are among the prey species of the Siberian tiger. Asiatic black bears and brown bears constitute 5-8% of the Siberian tigers diet.

South China Tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis)

The South China tiger is the most critically endangered of all tigers. As its name suggests it is found in Central and Eastern China. They are the smallest of all tigers at 150 kilos. It's estimated that fewer than 30 can be found in the wild and 47 individuals currently live in zoo's throughout China. Male tigers measure about 2.5 m from head to tail and weigh about 150 kg. Female tigers are smaller, measuring about 2.3 m long. They weigh approximately 110 kilograms. This tiger is an estimated 2-6 ft tall. They primarily hunt ungulates (hoofed animals). The South China tiger prefers prey ranging between 30-400 lbs and have been known to eat livestock like cows and goats in the past when their population was much higher.

Malayan Tiger (Panthera tigris malayensis)

The Malayan tiger is exclusively found in the southern part of the Malay Peninsula, until 2004 it was not considered a subspecies in its own right. The new classification came about after a study by Luo S-J et al. from the Laboratory of Genomic Diversity, part of the U.S. National Cancer Institute. Recent counts showed there are 600-800 Malayan tigers in the wild, making it the largest tiger population other than the Bengal and Indochinese tigers. It is, nevertheless, still an endangered sub-species. The Malayan tiger, along with the Sumatran tiger, is perhaps the smallest subspecies of tiger. Its stripe pattern is similar to the Indochinese tiger but its size is closer to the Sumatran tigers with average weight of 120 kg for adult males and 100 kg for females. Male Malayan tigers measures around 237cm in length from head to tail and female Malayan tigress around 200cm in length. Malayan tigers prey on sambar deer, barking deer, wild boar and livestock. Tigers in Taman Negara also prey on sun bear. Whether their principal prey includes gaur and tapir is unknown.

White Tiger (chinchilla albinistic)

White tigers aren't really considered a subspecies but they are rare in the wild and they're bred in zoos because of their popularity. White tigers are individual specimens of the ordinary tiger (Panthera tigris) with a genetic condition that nearly eliminates pigment in the normally orange fur although they still have dark stripes. This occurs when a tiger inherits two copies of the recessive gene for the paler coloration: pink nose, grey-mottled skin, ice-blue eyes, and white to cream-coloured fur with black, grey, or chocolate-coloured stripes. (Another genetic condition also makes the stripes of the tiger very pale; white tigers of this type are called snow-white.)

Extinct Subspecies

Balinese Tiger (Panthera tigris balica)

The Balinese tiger was limited to the island of Bali. They were hunted down to extinction, it was believed that the last Balinese tiger was thought to have been killed at Sumbar Kima, West Bali on 27 September 1937; this was an adult female. No Balinese tiger was ever held in captivity.

Javan Tiger (Panthera tigris sondaica)

The Javan tiger was limited to the island of Java. It now seems likely that this subspecies became exctinct in the 1980's, as a result of hunting and habitat destruction, but the extinction of this subspecies was extremely probable from the 1950s onwards (when it is thought that fewer than 25 tigers remained in the wild). The last specimen was sighted in 1979, but there was a re-ignition of reported sightings during the 1990s.

Caspian Tiger (Panthera tigris virgata)

The Caspian tiger or Persian tiger appears to have become extinct in the late 1950s, with the last reliable sighting in 1968, though it is thought that such a tiger was last shot dead in the south-eastern-most part of Turkey in 1970. Historically it ranged through Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, the former Soviet Union, and Turkey. The Caspian tiger was a large subspecies and reached nearly the dimensions of the Bengal Tiger. The heaviest confirmed weight of a male was 240 kg. The ground colour was comparable to that of the Indian subspecies, but differed especially in the tight, narrow striping pattern. The stripes were rather dark grey or brown than black. Especially during the winter, the fur was relatively long. The Caspian tiger was one of two subspecies of tiger (along with the Bengal) that was used by the Romans to battle gladiators and other animals, including the Barbary Lion. The Romans traveled far to capture exotic beasts for the arena. There are still occasional reported sightings of the Caspian Tiger in the wild.

Habitat

Highly adaptable, tigers range from the Siberian taiga to open grasslands to tropical mangrove swamps. Their biogeographical realm is Indo-Malayan, Palearctic region. They are territorial and generally solitary animals, often requiring large adjoining areas of habitat that support their prey demands. This, accompanying the fact that they are endemic to some of the more densely populated places on earth, has caused serious conflicts with humans. Tigers are found in a variety of habitats, including both tropical and evergreen forests, woodlands, grasslands, rocky country, swamps, and savannas. The Caspian tiger was also found in steppes and mountainous areas. Compared to the lion, the tiger prefers more dense vegetation, for which its camouflage is ideally suited, and where a single predator is not at a disadvantage compared to a pride. Among the big cats, only the tiger and jaguar are strong swimmers; tigers are often found bathing in ponds, lakes, and rivers.

Mating

A female is only approachable for a few days and mating is done during that time period. A pair will mate frequently and noisily, like other cats. The reproduction period is 16 weeks and 3–4 cubs of about 1 kg each are born. The females rear them alone. Wandering male tigers may kill cubs to make the female approachable. At 8 weeks, the cubs are ready to follow their mother out of the den. The cubs become independent around 18 months of age, but it is not until they are around 2–2½ years old that they leave their mother. The cubs reach sexual maturity by 3–4 years of age. The female tigers generally own territory near their mother, while males tend to wander in search of territory, which they acquire by fighting and eliminating another male. Over the course of her life, a female tiger will give birth to an approximately equal number of male and female cubs. Tigers breed well in captivity, and the captive population in the United States may rival the wild population of the world.

Reasons for being Endangered

Poaching for fur and habitat loss have greatly reduced tiger populations in the wild. A century ago, it is estimated there were over 100,000 tigers in the world but the population has decreased to between 7,000 and 5,000 tigers. Some estimates suggest the population is even lower, with some at less than 2,500 mature breeding individuals, with no subpopulation containing more than 250 mature breeding individuals. The threat of extinction is diminished somewhat by the presence of some 20,000 tigers currently in captivity, although parts of the captive population (eg. the 4-5,000 animals in China's commercial tiger farms) are of low genetic diversity.

Conservation Efforts

India harbors the largest population of wild tigers in the world, along with one of highest human populations. A major concerted conservation effort known as Project Tiger has been underway since 1973, spearheaded by Indira Gandhi. The fundamental accomplishment has been the establishment of over 25 well-monitored tiger reserves in reclaimed land where human development is categorically forbidden. The Siberian tiger was on the brink of extinction with only about 40 animals in the wild in the 1940's. During the Soviet Union anti-poaching controls were strict and a network of protected zones (zapovedniks) were instituted, leading to a rise in the population to several hundred. Poaching became again a problem when the economy of Russia collapsed in the 1990's and local hunters had access to a formerly sealed off the cost-effective Chinese market as well as an increase in logging in the region. While an improvement in the local economy has led to greater resources being invested to conservation efforts, an increase of economic activity has led to an increased rate of greater development and deforestation.
In Tibet tiger and leopard pelts have traditionally been used in various ceremonies and costumes. In January 2006 the Dalai Lama preached a ruling against using, selling, or buying wild animals, their products, or derivatives. It has yet to be seen whether this will result in a long-term slump in the demand for poached tiger and leopard skins.

Why is this species important?

The tiger is a powerful symbol of admiration among the variety of cultures that live across its range. They command respect, awe or fear from their human neighbours. Even in places where tigers have become extinct or never existed in the wild, they live in myth and legend.As top predators, they keep populations of wild ungulates in check, thereby maintaining the balance between prey herbivores and the vegetation upon which they feed. A whole myriad of other life-forms are essential to support a healthy tiger population.

Interesting Facts

A tiger has been reported to cover up to 10 metres in a horizontal leap.

It is reported that at 11 months, juveniles are already capable of killing prey.

All in all, tigers are are a beautiful and rare species and we should do everything we can to stop them becoming extinct.

By Sahar Faroughi

http://ecobeetle.com/

http://wikipedia.com/

http://endangeredspecie.com/specieprofile.htm

http://www.blogger.com/www.savethetigerfund.org