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Siberian Tigers

Essay by   •  July 14, 2011  •  Essay  •  1,216 Words (5 Pages)  •  2,245 Views

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The Siberian tiger is one of the rarest species in the world and it holds many characteristics that makes it unique and presentable as the true beauty of nature. These animals are critically endangered, facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. There are currently less than 600 tigers living in the wild, and they are ranked among the most valuable animals in the wild. These tigers are currently confined to the Eastern region of Asia and are also known as the Amur, Manchurian, Korean, Altaic, or North China tiger.

Siberian tigers are the heaviest and largest among the tiger subspecies. Full-grown males often reach a body length of up to 6 ft and weigh up to 700 lbs. Females are normally smaller than males and are up to 5 ft in length and weigh up to 600 lbs. Boths males and females stand up to about 4 ft. in height. Apart from its size, Siberians are distinguished form other tiger species by its fur, which is more grown and developed as an adaptation to its harsh environment. During cold winter seasons, the tigers’ fur can grow up to 21 in. long around the body. Its paws have extra fur to provide protection and insulation against the snow and cold ground. Another feature it holds is its unusually whiter area on the ruff of their neck and fac than other tigers, and it also has a gold-colored coat unlike the typical orange of other tigers. These tigers also have smaller amount of stripes which appear more brown than black unlike other tigers. They also have long legs and feet, equipped with sharp, retractable claws.

In the early 1900’s, it lived throughout North China, Mongolia, and Southeastern Russia. Today, the majority of the population is confined to Amur, a small Russian region.The tigers can be found in uninhabited mountain forests of the Amur Basin to Siberia. They live primarily in coniferous areas with scrub oak and birch woodlands. The Siberians can live in a variety of habitats. They do not need adequate cover to be able to hunt, and are therefore usually found in forested areas. The habitat of these tigers ranges from tundra abd humid forests to bush-covered mountains up to 6,000 ft. They occupy the largest tract of contiguous forest remaining on Earth. Apart from the rarity of these tigers, this in itself is of conservational significance as its habitat is the most biological diverse in the world.

Like all other cats, the Siberian tiger is a carnivorous predator. It preys primarily on wild boar and red deer, which makes up most of its diet. Other important preys include moose, buffaloes, antelopes, elk, lynx, and cattle. Their diet also includes smaller animals such as rabbits, birds, fish, pigs, goats, and many other rodents. A tiger needs to eat at 25 lbs. of meat each day in order to survive the harsh climate of its environment, though it can eat up to 100 lbs. of meat in one meal. The Siberians are much like other wildcats in ways of obtaining their food. First, they stalk their pretty, and when a successful chance comes, it pounces and after succeeding in the catch, it hides it from other predators, then enjoys its meal.

Both male and female tigers are solitary animals. They both have their hunting territories, and they both mark their territories in the same way by spraying their urine and scratching tree trunks. The female does not defend her territory, but the male is an aggressive defender. The female is ready to mate for 3 to 7 days every 2 years, and the male usually finds the female by her signs of urine deposits or tree scratches. The male then spends 7 days with the female, during which she becomes receptive for 3 days. The females carry her cub for about 4 months. She then delivers a litter of usually 3 to 4 kittens, but there can be as many as 6. These tiger cubs are given birth to in a well-protected den, where they are blind at first. Cubs cannot hunt until they are 18 months old, and remain with their mothers for two to three years, when they disperse to find their own territory. The female cubs remain with their mother for a longer period of time, and later establish territories closer to their original range. Males, however, travels solo and range in a longer distance earlier in their life.

Siberian tigers are often a symbol of the beauty of nature. Its majestic, royal appearance is what makes it one of the most famous animals in the world, and it

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