Rare animals: the Amur tiger

There are eight main subspecies of the tiger, which are traditionally distinguished by geographic features. Three of them - the Balinese, the Caspian and the Javanese - are now completely extinct. The Amur tiger is also endangered, so it is listed in the Red Book of Russia and the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and is also included in the Convention on the Prohibition of International Trade in Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

A critically small number of Amur tigers was recorded in the 30-40's of the last century, when they were only about thirty. At present, the number of adults has increased tenfold, and the cubs are 100-110.

Tiger hunting has been banned since 1947.

Habitat

Nine out of ten existing Amur tigers live in Russia, in the Primorsky Territory. The habitat is about 150 thousand square meters. Km. In the south of the Far East there are three separate centers in which one can meet tigers: Sikhote-Alin, the north-western border with China and the south-western border. An habitual environment for the life of predators is the cedar-broadleaf forests of the Manchurian type.

The climate in these places is quite severe: cold snowy winters and a short period of cool summer. But the Amur tiger perfectly survives in such difficult conditions. The human task is to preserve the ecosystem of the Far Eastern forests in its original form, since this species of cat does not know how to adapt to another climate.

Amur tiger - description

This is the largest "cat" of the planet. In size, it exceeds even a lion. Body length with tail reaches 3 meters. The average weight is from 130 to 190 kg, but there are individuals and 300-350 kg. A newborn baby tiger weighs only 1 kg, weight gaining rapidly: in three months - 10 kg, in half a year - 30 kg, for two years - 100 kg.

The Amur tiger has characteristic bands, but its color is more pale, compared to other tiger species. His coat is reddish-orange with brown or black stripes. In the summer, the color is brighter, it fades slightly to winter, and the coat becomes long and thick, specially adapted for cold snowy winters. Still, these predators have a fat "pillow" on their stomachs so they can easily lie on the snow, and wide cushions on their paws, so as not to fall into the snow.

The arsenal of attack in the tiger is a sharp long claw (about 10 cm) and large fangs (up to 8 cm in length), which he captures, kills and dismembers the prey.

Habits of the animal

The Amur tiger lives alone. He chooses and designates a certain area of the territory (about 500-600 square kilometers) and rarely leaves it. Tigers are polygamous animals, therefore, in one large area of the male habitat, there are often several smaller areas of females.

Constant lairs are fostered only by females with cubs, and males, as a rule, rest not far from their prey.

These predators feed mainly on wild boars, wild reindeer, roe deer and spotted deer. In a year they eat about 70-80 large carcasses. But, being very hungry, they do not disdain anything: they can eat fish and fruits from trees.

The Amur tiger moves very much: on average, in one day it can pass in search of prey from 20 to 70 km. Moving animals, as a rule, on the same proven route.

Most actively tigers behave in the evening, night and morning, and in the afternoon they prefer to rest, lying higher on the rock, in order to see what is happening around.

Reproduction of tigers

Sexual maturity predators reach 3-4 years. The standard time of the year for reproduction in tigers is not, but most often this occurs in the second half of winter. Mating continues from 5 days to a week, after which the male leaves the female. She will be alone in caring for the cubs.

Pregnancy lasts an average of 103-110 days, after which appear 1-4 cubs. Most often in the litter of 2-3 newborns. They are born blind, until two months they feed on only mother's milk, then they begin to feed on meat, and on the first hunt they go out at the age of one and a half years. After that, young tigers leave the mother's territory and begin an independent life.

Mortality among tigers is very high - in natural conditions about 50% of babies die. But the situation is further aggravated by human activities and poaching. Due to deforestation, the tigers lose one full-fledged habitat every three years. And because of the use of all parts of the tiger in Chinese folk medicine, poaching is continuing despite all prohibitions. According to forecasts, with the annual shooting of only 5% of existing individuals, the population of the Amur tiger may disappear within the next 50 years.