home » Summer shoes » The Amur tiger is a huge cat from the pages of the Red Book. Amur tiger, or Ussuri tiger, or Siberian tiger (Latin Panthera tigris altaica)

The Amur tiger is a huge cat from the pages of the Red Book. Amur tiger, or Ussuri tiger, or Siberian tiger (Latin Panthera tigris altaica)

Amur tiger(Far Eastern or Siberian tiger) surpasses all living cats in size, only Bengal relatives compete with it. The animal stands at the peak of the ecological pyramid, the main structural element of which is the endless expanses of the Ussuri taiga.

Perhaps that is why this predator has another name reflecting its place of residence - the Ussuri tiger. The animal belongs to the genus Panthera, the Tigris species. The full Latin name of the individual is Panthera tigris altaica.

The indigenous inhabitants of the Far East, the Evenks, called the beast "Amba", which means "huge" or "great" in Russian. Books and fairy tales have been written about the Amur tiger, some of them have been made into films (the film "Dersu Uzala", the cartoon "Tiger on a Sunflower").

Distribution area

Once the Far Eastern tiger was widespread throughout the Far East, now the predator's range is limited southern part Khabarovsk Territory, Primorsky Territory, northern and eastern regions of China. Distribution is of a focal nature, the total area is slightly more than 180 thousand km 2.

The Ussuri region, where the Amur tiger lives, is characterized by extreme climatic conditions with very cold winter and hot rainy summer, has a mountainous relief, rich in various forms of vegetation. Mostly the Amur tiger lives in cedar forests and oak thickets, sometimes it chooses forests near the floodplains of flat rivers or deciduous forest lands.

The preference for some territories and ignorance of others is due to the number and availability of the main production. For their movements, predators use mountain gorges and river valleys, where the greatest concentration of ungulates is noted.

Appearance

In life and in the photo, the Amur tiger looks like a real giant, inspiring a sense of fear, admiration and respect at the same time. The massive and heavy build gives the impression of the sluggishness of the predator. But this is not at all the case. Its body is elongated in length, has an aerodynamic profile and is flexible enough.

The average weight of the Amur tiger is 180-200 kg, females weigh about 160 kg. Adult males sometimes grow to huge sizes and gain weight from 220 to 320 kg.
In males, the length of the body along the bends reaches 280 cm, in females this indicator is in the range of 180-200 cm.The height of the animals at the withers is 115 cm.
The predator has a large and massive head, well-developed jaws, sharp canines up to 8 cm in length. On the sides of the muzzle there are elongated tanks, on the neck there is a small mane.
Eyes set deep, yellow - Green colour, with round pupils, very small.
The whiskers are long, elastic, help the predator to navigate in the dark, to determine the direction of the wind, the nature and temperature of the surface.
The ears are relatively small, have a white edge inside, and are painted black on the back.
The tail is wide at the base, narrow at the very end. The length of the tail is 75 - 100 cm. By its position one can judge the mood of the animal. When he is in a calm state, the tail is lowered, its end is smoothly bent upwards. Rhythmic movements made by the tail in different directions indicate a bad mood of the owner and do not bode well.
The forelimbs of the predator are wider and heavier than the hind ones. The claws are retractable.
Long and thick hair, a thick layer of fat on the belly (up to 5 cm thick) protect the animal from low temperatures let you sleep in the snow.

The description of the Amur tiger in summer differs from its description in winter:

Summer fur has a brighter and more saturated basic color, reddish-reddish shades prevail in it. The length of the pile on the back does not exceed 2 cm, on the belly 3 cm, on the top of the neck 3.5 - 5 cm.
The way the Amur tiger looks in winter gives it a particularly chic and noble appearance... The winter skin is fluffier and thicker, has a light palette, and consists of ocher-yellow shades. Elongated tanks are clearly visible on the muzzle of tigers; males boast a luxurious mane. The pile on the belly and chest reaches a length of 6 to 10 cm, on the back and tail up to 5 cm, along the top of the neck it lengthens to 7-11 cm. The belly, the area near the eyes, the inner surface of the paws is colored White color... The pattern on the wool consists of stripes of different widths and lengths, individual for each individual. The stripes are not often located, there are fewer of them than in other subspecies. They are usually narrow and long, often double or bifurcated at the very ends. Lentil-shaped stripes with a sharp end are not uncommon. The stripes on the back are black, at the base of the tail, on the sides, and on the legs are brown. The tail is decorated with double dark rings and ends with a black spot. The pattern on the coat is best seen on summer fur.

Features of behavior

An adult Amur tiger lives in a separate area, within the boundaries of which it indicates its presence with marks - by spraying urine, jagging on fallen tree trunks, loosening soil or snow. Males lead a solitary existence, females need to take care of the offspring.

Amur tigers have the most impressive hunting grounds, which is explained by the very small amount of the main prey. The average size the area of an adult tiger is 1000 km 2, females occupy areas up to 400 km 2.

The beast runs fast, swims well, in young age perfectly climbs trees, distinguishes colors, sees five times at night better than human... He easily overcomes up to 20 km per day, jumps 10 meters in length, 4 - 5 meters in height, develops maximum speed up to 18 - 20 meters per second. The predator is predictable, almost always wandering along the already trodden paths.

Despite the well-developed sense of smell, hearing and sight and immeasurable strength, hunting takes a lot of energy and time from the Amur tiger. Of ten attempts to slay the victim, only one ends in success. The animal crawls to the intended target, resting its hind limbs on the ground and arching its back, overtakes it with a lightning jump. Big game knocks down and breaks its neck.

He eats lying down, holding the trophy with his paws. He hides the remains of the feast in a secluded place, returns to them for several days in a row. To maintain a normal shape, a tiger needs to eat at least 10 kg of meat per day. The annual diet consists of 50 - 70 large animals.

Nutrition

The animal is able to quickly reorient from one type of food to another. The main place in the diet is occupied by ungulates. The size of the prey often exceeds the size of the predator. Red deer and sika deer, wild boar, roe deer, and bear can become potential victims. The list of what the Amur tiger feeds on also includes plant fruits, reptiles, rodents, birds, and fish. In late spring and summer, the predator hunts Ussuri raccoons and common badgers.

Relationships with people

The Far Eastern subspecies avoids direct contact with humans, shows aggression only in special situations. More than half of the individuals seen in the attacks were previously wounded by humans or were pursued, and a fifth of the animals were emaciated or weakened. In the period from 2000 to 2010 on the territory Russian Federation 19 episodes of tiger attacks on humans were recorded, two of them were fatal. Isolated cases of animal attacks on livestock and dogs are recorded annually.

Reproduction and care of offspring

The female can have offspring at any time of the year, but most often this happens in the summer. When come favorable conditions for mating, she often has to go in search of a male herself. The animal deliberately leaves jags on trees and urinary marks. If the search is successful, for several days the predators stick together and mate many times. With the onset of pregnancy, the period romantic relationship ends, and the father goes in search of new adventures.

Pregnancy lasts three and a half to four months. The tigress chooses a place for her brood shelter. Usually it rises to the upper third of the slopes and settles in stony placers. The classic brood consists of three cubs. Babies are born blind, open their eyes in the second week of life. The mother feeds the cubs with milk for up to six months.

Preparing for adulthood takes a long period of time. Young tigers live with their mother for the first years. The family group breaks up when the cubs reach two years of age.

In the wild, animals live up to 15 years, in zoos - up to 20 years.

Population state

Number Amur tigers living in natural conditions, one of the lowest in the population. If in the second half of the 19th century the animal was quite often found in nature and even had a commercial value, then already at the beginning of the 20th century reports of the Amur tiger became rather rare.

By the mid-forties of the last century, the subspecies was under threat complete disappearance, its number was no more than 40 individuals.

After the introduction of a widespread ban on the shooting of animals (decree of 1947), the situation has improved somewhat. By 1996, the number of animals increased to 450 individuals, in 2005 there were already 502 individuals. In the structure of the population of the subspecies, 28% were occupied by cubs and young predators before three years, a quarter of the population was represented by adult males, 39% of all individuals were females, 7% of predators could not be attributed to any of these groups.

The 2015 census brings a certain amount of optimism to the future fate of the subspecies, because the population of Amur tigers is slowly but surely increasing. The number of predators, according to scientists, is close to 540 individuals. Of these, 5 to 10% live in China, the remaining 90 - 95% are concentrated along the banks of the Amur, Ussuri rivers, not far from the Sikhote-Alin mountain ranges. Over 450 Amur tigers are kept in captivity.

Security measures

According to sad statistics, only in 17 - 28% of cases the predator dies from natural causes. The rest of the deaths of the tiger occur as a result of poaching. The organs of the animal are used in oriental medicine; the wealthy population strives to acquire an exotic animal for keeping in a private zoo. The price of the Amur tiger in illegal markets often reaches exorbitant figures. The exact number of predators who fell prey to human greed, cruelty and stupidity is not known.

The population decline is facilitated by uncontrolled deforestation, the expansion of the road network, the industrial development of territories, and the displacement of the predator from the usual habitat. A significant role is played by a decrease in the feed base and an increase in the number of food competitors.

The Amur tiger is listed in the Red Book and is under state protection. Russian scientists have developed a long-term program for the conservation of the subspecies. The main action plan includes the protection of Amur tigers from poachers, increased responsibility for illegal hunting, and the use of animal skins and organs for commercial purposes. A special set of measures is aimed at preserving the habitats and food supply of the predator, introducing the latest technologies to the population monitoring system.

Rare and endangered animals - the Amur tiger and live on the territory of the Ussuriysky reserve and national park"Land of the Leopard". Employees of protected areas support the food base of animals, protect taiga lands from forest fires and poachers, use special equipment to constantly monitor animals, register interesting facts and events from their lives, and monitor their health.

The Amur tiger is the largest tiger on the planet. He lives in the Far East of Russia, along the banks of the Amur and Ussuri, and in China. Hence the other names for this animal: the Far Eastern or Ussuri tiger.

The Amur tiger is larger than its southern counterparts. Its length together with the tail can be more than 3 meters, and the height at the withers is more than a meter. The weight of an adult animal can reach 300 kg. Its coat is thicker and lighter than that of other tigers. The striped pattern on the skin of a tiger is as unique as a human fingerprint: you will not find two tigers with the same pattern.

This is the only tiger species capable of surviving the snowy winter. In winter, the skin of tigers brightens, becomes thick and fluffy. Big snow the tiger is not afraid - wide paws help him to walk on them.

Tigers are predators, they are almost constantly on the move. Bypassing their territory, they are looking for prey. Tigers hunt, mainly at night, for large ungulates: red deer, wild boar, sika deer. To catch the victim, the tiger crawls up to it, arching its back and resting its hind legs on the ground. But only one out of ten attempts ends with success on the hunt. He cannot eat at once the entire carcass of a large herbivore, the tiger hides it, and then returns again to finish eating.

The Amur tiger knows how not only to hunt, but also to fish - during spawning, he catches fish on the rifts mountain rivers... Sometimes tigers eat grass to make up for vitamin deficiencies.

The offspring of tigers most often appears in the spring. 2-3 cubs are born, they are blind and toothless, like kittens. Up to two months, the cubs feed on milk, then the mother begins to carry meat for them, and from six months they accompany the mother on the hunt and learn to hunt.

The life expectancy of the Amur tiger in the wild is 16-18 years, in captivity - up to 25 years. The Amur tiger has practically no enemies in nature, except for humans. These are not aggressive animals, and they try to avoid people.

In nature, due to the extermination by humans and due to the deterioration of the ecology of the Amur tigers, there are now less than in zoos - a little more than 500 individuals in Russia and 40 in China.

The Amur tiger is included in the Red Book of Russia, hunting for it is prohibited. In China, the death penalty is imposed for killing an Amur tiger.

Questions about the report:

1. What does the Amur tiger look like?
2. Where does it live?
3. What does it eat?
4. How many Amur tigers are left in nature?

The Amur tiger, the largest of all tigers, amazes with its grace and strength. This is the rarest subspecies; there are fewer of these animals left in nature than in zoos. Animals of this subspecies are not afraid of snow and frost, their only enemy in nature is man.

Taxonomy

Russian name - Amur tiger, Ussuri, Siberian, Manchurian
English name- Siberian tiger
Latin name- Panthera tigris altaica
Squad - carnivores (Carnivora)
Family - felines (Felidae)
Genus - large cats (Panthera)
Species - tiger (Panthera tigris)
9 subspecies of the tiger have been identified, of which to early XXI century only 6 survived.
The Amur tiger (Pantera tigris altaica) has about 500 individuals in nature.
Bengal tiger(Pantera tigris) - about 4000 individuals.
Indo-Chinese tiger (Pantera tigris corbetti) - about 1,500 individuals.
The Malay tiger (Pantera tigris jacksoni) is found exclusively in the southern part of the Malay Peninsula - about 800 individuals.
The Sumatran tiger (Pantera tigris sumatrae) is found only on about. Sumatra, the smallest of the subspecies - 400-500 animals.
The Chinese tiger (Pantera tigris amojensis) has disappeared into nature, there are 59 tigers in captivity, but they are all descendants of six animals.
The last Balinese tiger was killed on September 27, 1937, by a Transcaucasian tiger last time seen in 1968, and Javanese in 1979.

Species status in nature

Currently, tiger hunting is banned all over the world. The Amur tiger species is endangered, included in the Red Book of the Russian Federation and the Red Book of IUCN - CITES I, IUCN (EN)

View and person

The tiger has long been considered one of the most dangerous predators, only daredevils dared to hunt him. The tiger skin was the pride of the hunter and the envy of his neighbor. This continued until there were so few of these handsome men in nature that every meeting is an event.

The tiger is less afraid of man than other large animals, but still tries to bypass him. Experienced taiga people who have lived for years next to a tiger say that when meeting a person, he is guided most of all by feeling dignity and curiosity, not aggressiveness. The tiger walks in the footsteps of hunters and lumberjacks, visits hunting lodges, strolls leisurely along the roads, most often just to find out what is happening in its possession, and in winter because it is easier to overcome the snow cover this way. Numerous stories about the bloodthirstiness of the beast can be contrasted with the same number of stories about his good nature, turning to a person for help in especially difficult moments. The predator only attacks when injured or cornered. Cubs are well tamed, easy to train. Therefore, tigers, especially Amur tigers, can often be seen not only in the zoo, but also in the circus.

The largest of all tigers

Distribution and habitats

The range of the Amur tiger subspecies covers the south of our Far East and the extreme northeast of China. On the territory of the Russian Federation, the tiger's permanent range occupies only the southern and central parts. mountain system Sikhote-Alin. The area of its regular and random visits is much wider: in different years the tiger was found in Transbaikalia, the upper reaches of the Lena and Angara, in Yakutia, on Sakhalin. The habitats of the Amur tiger are specific: it keeps in low mountains, preferring river valleys and wide depressions between the ridges, overgrown with forest vegetation with a predominance of cedar and oak. The Amur tiger, with its thick winter fur, is well adapted to frost; the main factor limiting its distribution to the north is a high (more than 30 cm) snow cover.

Appearance and morphology

The tiger is one of the largest land predators, the largest representative of the feline family, and the Amur subspecies is the largest of all tigers. The body length is 100-130 cm, the tail is 80-100 cm, the height at the withers is about 60 cm, the weight of adults can reach 300 km. Males are a quarter larger than females. The striated color of the tiger is extremely characteristic: on the main reddish background on the back and sides there are numerous transverse dark stripes, which form a rather complex pattern. The arrangement of the stripes is subject to considerable variability: there appear to be no two tigers with an identical black pattern. Despite the brightness and contrast, the striped coloration is undoubtedly masking. Large white spots on the black back of the ears have a different purpose: when a tigress walks through the forest, she puts her ears so that the black-and-white field faces the cubs following her, and serves as a kind of color beacon.

In tigers, like most members of the genus large cats, the larynx and vocal cords have great mobility, due to which these animals can utter a special calling cry - a loud roar.

Lifestyle and social behavior

The tiger can be active at any time of the day, but it does not tolerate heat well, and in summer it hunts and makes transitions usually at dusk.

The solitary lifestyle of most felines is also the rule for the tiger. This giant cat adheres to a certain individual site, but in search of prey, it constantly makes large transitions, so the size of the hunting territories is very large - up to several hundred square kilometers. A tigress with little cubs is first limited to an area of 15–20 square meters. km, and then gradually expands it. The tiger leaves special marks along the borders of its plot. Most often these are scent marks: the predator sprays urine on trees or stones like other cats. He often makes "scratches" on the ground at the places of the marks. In addition, the tiger rips off the bark of the trees with the claws of its forepaws; such scuffs can be found at a height of 2–2.5 meters above the ground. By the height of these marks, one can judge the size of the animal that left them.

An adult male protects its borders from aliens, but the showdown, as a rule, takes place without fights and is limited to roars and other demonstrations of power. Adults are quite tolerant of the settling young tigers. Male and female, whose areas overlap, do not show antagonism towards each other and retain long-term attachments.

Feeding and feeding behavior

The tiger is a pronounced predator, feeding mainly on large prey, in general not as diverse as the leopard. The Amur tiger has a small set that forms the basis of its diet: most often it hunts deer and wild boars. The tiger catches and eats others predatory mammals- badger, bear, wolf, lynx. There is evidence that this giant cat has a kind of weakness for domestic dogs, attacking them whenever possible. The Amur tiger is a skilled fisherman, deftly picking up fish on the rifts of mountain rivers.

The tiger gets its own food different ways... The predator watches over the deer at the watering hole, on the salt licks, and lays near their paths. During mating tournaments of red deer, the predator skillfully imitates the voice of a roaring deer, beckoning him to him. He simply "grazes" boars, following the herd for a long time, and from time to time snatching pigs out of it. The tiger is very patient, it can wait for hours for a suitable moment for an attack. When 20–30 meters remain between the predator and the intended prey, the tiger swiftly rushes at it with frequent jumps, developing maximum speed in a split second. However, a cat cannot pursue its prey for a long time at such a speed, and if the throw is unsuccessful, it lies down, rests a little, and then leaves. It is interesting that the tiger pursues a deer no more than 60–80 meters, and a wild boar more persistently, sometimes 300–400 meters. Therefore, wild pigs are terrified of their main enemy. The tiger is unusually strong - it can drag prey weighing 1.5–2 times heavier than itself to a distance of tens of meters. Having chosen a secluded place, the tiger proceeds to a meal, during which he is able to eat up to 30 kg of meat. A predator can stay near large prey for several days, resting most of the time, only occasionally getting up to drink from a nearby stream.

With enough food, the Amur tiger quickly and greatly grows fat: the thickness of its subcutaneous fat can reach a thickness of 5-6 cm. This allows it to easily endure a week or even more starvation between two successful hunts, and in winter make long transitions, mastering unfamiliar territories ... However, in snowy winters, tigers are really poor, and sometimes even die of starvation.

Vocalization

The Amur subspecies of the tiger, in contrast to the Bengal, which often roars when hunting, is extremely silent: zoologists who have observed it in nature for many years have never heard a tiger's roar. The exception is the rutting period, when tigers often "sound", especially females. An angry predator growls muffled and hoarsely, in a rage it characteristically “coughs”. In a good-natured state, he purrs like a cat, but much louder and only on exhalation.

Sexual behavior and reproduction

Breeding of tigers, as a rule, is not timed to coincide with any season, however, in the Ussuriysk Territory, the rut most often takes place in January - March. Tigers are polygamous: from one to 3 females can live in the possessions of one male, with each of which he alternately enters into a marriage relationship. Sometimes competitors appear, then fights can occur between rivals.

Pregnancy lasts 95–112 days, and cubs appear in the female's den from April to July. There are usually 2–4 cubs in a brood, which are born completely helpless, but already striped and each weigh a little more than a kilogram. After giving birth, the female does not leave the kittens for about a week, leaving only to drink. Males do not take part in caring for offspring. Cubs develop quickly: after 4–5 days, their ears open, after 8–10 days - their eyes, after two weeks milk teeth begin to erupt. At the age of one month, the cubs begin to leave the den and become accustomed to the meat brought by the mother. Up to 3-4 months, the tigress leaves the kittens only occasionally for several hours, and after a successful hunt leads them to the place where the prey lies. A little later, the cubs begin to walk with their mother, learning how to find prey and hunting methods. The cubs stay with the tigress for at least 1.5–2 years, and when their mother finally leaves them, they live in a group on her plot for several months. Due to insufficient hunting skills, young animals often starve and therefore follow the tigress's footsteps, feeding on the remains of her prey. Animals become sexually mature by 3-4 years, but only half of the cubs born to this age survive to this age.
Life span

In captivity, tigers live up to 25 years old; in nature, their eyelids are much shorter.

Keeping animals in the Moscow Zoo

Amur tigers have long been kept in our zoo. Large beautiful cats- each has its own character and its own story.

Until recently, two tigresses lived on the "island of animals" in the New Territory, outwardly similar, but completely different. Both of them, with an interval of one year, were brought from the Ussuri taiga by small kittens. The first was named Vixen because, as a kitten, she loved to hide behind the house when she was cleaning her aviary, and then suddenly jump out of there with a formidable look. People were scared, and she was delighted. Vixen grew up, stopped frightening people, but remained just as cheerful and cheerful. When her cubs began to be born, she turned out to be wonderful mom, took care of them, always gave them the best pieces of food, and her children grew up good-natured lugs.

Another tigress was called Madame, and she got her name as a child for her sedate demeanor. However, with age, her gravity grew into malice, and even though she fed her children herself, she kept them "in a black body," and they inherited her character. They did not rename the tigresses, despite the fact that the names did not correspond to their characters. Both died of old age when they were about 20 years old.

Until recently, the famous male Eling lived in the zoo, who was famous for his docile disposition and the fact that all tigresses liked him. He left behind more than 20 cubs.

Currently, the Princess lives there, on the "island of animals". This tigress came from the Kiev Zoo, where she was born and was nipple-fed by the staff. She arrived as a three-month-old kitten and loved to play with people, just like Vixen. The Princess spent her youth in the zoo, where she greeted every person passing by with a purr and rubbed against the net of her enclosure. When Madame and Vixen were gone, the Princess came to the zoo. Now she, too, is over 10 years old. They feed her with meat, give offal, fish, eggs.

This is the only tiger species capable of surviving the snowy winter. In winter, the skin of tigers brightens, becomes thick and fluffy. The tiger is not afraid of big snows - wide paws help him to walk on them.

The Amur tiger knows how not only to hunt, but also to fish - during spawning, he catches fish on the rifts of mountain rivers. Sometimes tigers eat grass to make up for vitamin deficiencies.

The Amur tiger is included in the Red Book of Russia, hunting for it is prohibited. In China, the death penalty is imposed for killing an Amur tiger.

Just once looking at him, it is impossible not to admire this powerful, beautiful and graceful animal. The Amur tiger is the largest feline. It is also often called Far Eastern or Ussuriysk. This is explained by the fact that its habitat in our area is Primorsky Krai, southeastern Russia, the basins of the Amur and Ussuri rivers. To find out more interesting things about this animal, you need to find out everything that concerns its external data and lifestyle.

Description of the tiger

The Amur tiger belongs to the class of mammals of the cat family, one of four representatives of the panther genus.

In its size, this predator surpasses even a lion. A description of the Amur tiger is impossible without mentioning its weight and height. The weight of an adult animal reaches 200 kg, and in some cases it can vary up to 250 kg. With such a mass, it has an equally impressive body length. The size of the Amur tiger ranges from 2.5 to 4 m, depending on gender and age. Its height at the withers varies from 100 to 110 cm.

Characteristics of external data

Despite the impressive appearance, the tiger's movements are silent and graceful. A quiet gait is provided by soft and wide pads on the paws. Even making its way through the dense grass, the beast will remain unnoticed. Also, thanks to them, the animal does not fall into the deep snowdrifts of the Ussuri taiga during the winter period.

The thick and fluffy coat of the Amur tiger is explained by the existence of a predator in a harsh climate. It is mainly red in color, but the exception is the belly, chest and neck - they are white. His entire body is adorned with black stripes. The most interesting part of the Amur tiger characteristic is that no two animals are identical in color. Each individual has its own unique stripe pattern. It is the black stripes that allow the beast to disguise itself in conditions wildlife.

Habitat

Most of the Amur tigers live in the Far Eastern South of Russia, northeastern China, as well as in the southern and central Sikhote-Alin. The habitat of these animals is extremely unusual. Animals do not like to live too high, therefore they settle in areas of low mountains. They prefer to be between ridges, along sweeping river valleys, as well as in woodlands where you can find oak and cedar. Luxurious, thick and warm wool allows you to adapt even to the conditions of a fierce winter. But if it is too long and harsh, tigers have to settle near populated areas in order to be able to feast on livestock.

Features of predators

Amur tigers do not live in flocks, but one by one. Each adult has own plot a habitat. One female can own an area of 250 to 450 square meters. In males, it expands to a mark of 2,000 square meters. Each animal must mark its perimeter. He does this by scratching the trees, as well as releasing urine. Tigers avoid human contact. Therefore, during the hunt, they rarely go outside their territory. Only in the case of an acute shortage of food and severe hunger does the animal begin to lose fear of man and goes in search of food in nearby settlements. In such cases, the starving animal will eat whatever comes in its way: fruits of plants, livestock, dogs and fish.

Amur tigers in Russia

Even 100 years ago, these animals completely populated the entire Far East... But over the years, cases of their shooting have become more frequent in this region of Russia. When the number of killed exceeded 150 individuals, the population of Amur tigers began to decline. By the 30s of the last century, predators began to rapidly disappear from the territory of Russia. This contributed to the imposition of a ban on their hunting. This law was passed in 1947. After 10 years, the capture of Amur tiger cubs was banned. Graceful beauties were on the verge of extinction. It was decided to include the Amur tigers in the Red Book. These measures contributed to the preservation of the population, and by the 80s their number increased by 200 individuals.

Tiger protection

The Amur tiger was considered an endangered species until 2007. In the Red Book of Russia, he was listed as a beast that is on the verge of extinction. However, in 2007, WWF executives said that the number of these predators has increased decently over the past 100 years. How many Amur tigers are left in Russia? According to official figures, there are about 500 individuals.

Members of the famous expedition called "Amur Tiger", who were engaged in the observation of predators in wild conditions, reported that about 6 tigers live in the Ussuriysky Nature Reserve of Primorsky Territory. Moreover, the territory of the reserve does not exceed 400 square meters. For 6 adults, it is very small. Therefore, they called on the authorities to increase it, and also demanded to more thoroughly regulate the activities of people who live near the boundaries of the reserve.

What tigers eat

The predator prefers to eat ungulates. Red deer, deer, wild boar, elk or roe deer often fall into its paws. If a tiger is starving for a long time, he will not disdain anything. Fruits of trees, fish, frogs, birds and even mice will do as food. When you get into a good habitat where you live a large number of ungulates, the tiger can quickly recruit excess weight... The adult male usually builds up subcutaneous fat, the thickness of the layer of which reaches 6 cm. Having collected a sufficient amount of fat, the animal can do without food for about a week. However, what is the Amur tiger during fasting, it is better not to know to anyone. On such days, he can eat anything that gets in his way.

How tigers hunt

Despite the fact that this predator possesses tremendous power and a well-developed sense of smell, only 1 out of 10 attacks on the victim ends with success for him. The rest of the animals quickly run away to heal their wounds. At the same time, tigers rarely go in pursuit of a prey, preferring to go in search of less nimble prey. This is what makes the predator spend most of the time not only to find food, but also to skillfully catch it.

Amur tigers are very careful. They sneak towards the victim very quietly, almost silently. The animal moves slowly on the ground, transferring the bulk of its weight to the front limbs. At the same time, his back is arched, and the body is lowered as much as possible. When a tiger encounters small prey, he first of all gnaws at its throat. It will not work to deal with a large animal in this way. Therefore, the predator first dumps it and only then bites its neck. The Ussuri tiger eats in the same way as all representatives of the feline - lying down. At the same time, he always holds the carcass of the animal with his front paws.

Breeding tigers

Females become ready for mating quite late, at about 3 years. After reaching this age, she can bear offspring and is quite ready for reproduction. These predators live one at a time. Therefore, they do not have one partner for a long period. The mating period takes about a week, then the male leaves his girlfriend. He does not take part in raising the brood. Females have to take care of the cubs for several years.

Caring for offspring

Pregnancy in tigresses lasts from 95 to 115 days. Most often no more than 4 cubs are born. Babies are born completely blind and helpless. Only after 2 weeks their eyes open and their first teeth begin to grow. Tiger cubs feed on mother's milk up to 6 months. In addition, from about 2 months old they begin to taste meat. During the nursing period breast milk the tigress very carefully protects her offspring. She hides her cubs in hard-to-reach places, doing her best to provide them with maximum protection from possible dangers, which are so numerous in the taiga and forests.

The cubs grow rather slowly. An adult tigress teaches them how to hunt and catch animals for food on their own. Little tiger cubs have a very kind and obedient disposition. That is why people train them from an early age. After a few years, babies reach puberty, while being constantly with their mother. Only by reaching 3-5 years, the family breaks up, and the cubs begin a new independent life.

Amur predator and man

Everyone, without exception, is afraid of these wild animals. When looking at a photo of Amur tigers, a feeling of fear and admiration appears at the same time. And for good reason, because these animals are considered one of the most dangerous predators on the planet. The ancient people decided to hunt them only in the most exceptional cases, since they rarely won a victory over such strong beast... In those days, it was an honor to wear a tiger skin. Unfortunately, some people continue to hunt these beautiful animals. In Russia, only a fine is imposed for the killing of the Amur tiger. In China, such a crime is punishable by death.

Ussuri tiger lifestyle

Some believe that this beast is a danger to humans. However, this opinion can be interpreted in different ways. The Amur tiger, by nature, prefers to hunt ungulates: deer, roe deer, wild boars or gazelles. In this case, a person is not included in the list of possible prey. Although a tiger may well attack a person, he is still a predator. But he will do it only in a desperate situation.

For good nutrition the Ussuri predator needs to eat about 70 large ungulates per year. If the tiger is hungry, he will use his hunting skills. Amur beauties easily find traces of lumberjacks, who often set traps for small game. They also skillfully prowl the hunters' landings.

Tigers rarely visit settlements... Although some call these animals cannibals, predators very rarely attack humans. This can only happen if the tiger is sick, injured, or trapped. Penetrating into the nearest village, he can eat someone from livestock but on a person will be attacked only in the rarest and most hopeless case.

Information about this amazing predator cannot be limited to dry data only. The Amur tiger is too unique, majestic and beautiful animal. Therefore, you should list a few of the most interesting facts about him:

Even 100 years ago, hunters who lived in the valleys of the Ussuri rivers were afraid to even pronounce the name of this beast. The Amur tiger was worshiped, considering it a deity endowed with incredible power.
Chinese long time were convinced that the bones and meat of tigers have a healing effect.
These predators were listed in the Red Book, since their population is considered the smallest among all other subspecies.
In many photos of the Amur tigers, you can see their very dangerous weapon- teeth. In adults, their length reaches 10-15 cm.
Most often, tigers kill their prey by biting their throats, but sometimes they use strangulation. Having pounced on the victim, the tiger may not immediately reach the main artery on the neck with its teeth. Therefore, he can hang on large prey, waiting for it to bleed out and suffocate.
The Amur tiger can jump a distance of 6 meters, as well as jump up to 5 meters.
The Ussuri predator is able to accelerate to 60 km / h.
Tigers do not consider humans to be their possible prey. There is no such instinct in their nature. They can attack a person only in defense, if they are driven into a trap. Also, this can be facilitated by severe hunger, which tormented the animal for several days.
Tiger's favorite hunting method is ambush. Therefore, when you see a predator in the savannah, you don't have to worry - the animal is most likely resting.
Aborigines living in India have an interesting feature that concerns the way they move around the territory where the Amur tiger lives. They wear a face mask on the back of their heads. It is believed that by wearing a mask, you can avoid the attack of the tiger, since the animal loses the element of surprise necessary for it, because the victim "looks" at him all the time.
Amur tigers love to swim. Unlike other felines, tigers enjoy swimming and splashing in the water. Little tiger cubs can play and frolic for a long time in the reservoir.
The pattern on the forehead of the Amur tigers is very similar chinese character which denotes the king. That is why these predators are of special value in China.
Black tiger stripes adorn not only their fur, but also their skin. If you shave the beast, it will not lose its unique streakiness.
Hunting for Amur tigers is prohibited all over the world.

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