Siberian Tigers

Name: Siberian Tiger (also known as Amur and Manchurian Tiger) Latin Name: Panthera tigris altaica Range: Found in the Amur-Ussuri region of Siberia; there may be a small fragmented population in northern China. Average Length: 12 to 13 fet from nose tip to tail tip Average Height: About 3 feet at the shoulder Average Weight: Females can weigh up to 400 pounds, and males can weigh up to 700 pounds. Status The Siberian tiger is an endangered sub-species. It is estimated that there are nomore than 300 left in the wild. There are many more in captivity than there are roaming free. Historically, eight closely related sub-species of tigers lived extensively in Russia, China, Korea, Southeast Asia, India, and Napal. Siberian tigers, largest of the sub-species, and the largest cats in he world, are found only in the Russian Far East and Northeast China. Siberian tigers differ from other tigers in a number of ways. Most importantly, they are the only tigers that live in cold weather. They live in the "taiga" or boreal forests of the Russian Far East where winter temperatures often fall below zero degrees fahrenheit. To help keep warm, thier light yellow hair coat is long and thick, and thier feet are heavily furred to help them walk on snow. Tigers that live in warmer climates have darker, much thinner hair coats. It is believed that historically the ancestors of all tigers originated Central Asia, not far from the present distribution of Siberian tigers. From there, they divided into present day sub-species and migrated over time to more tropical settings. Tigers are the only cats found in the wild that have stripes. Although they share a number of behaviors with our own domestic cats, tigers cannot purr. They can only roar.

Home