Siberian / Amur Tiger

Panthera tigris altaica (endangered)

Amur (Siberian) tiger

Despite what is commonly thought, Siberian tigers are not the same as white tigers. Siberian tigers are also know as Amur tigers as they are mostly found in the Amur river valley in Russia. Amur tigers are mainly found in Eastern Russia, however, some can be found around the borders in China and North Korea. They live in boreal and temperate forest, consisting of coniferous trees such as birch. The temperature can drop as low as -45 degrees Celsius or -50 degrees Fahrenheit so they require a thicker, heavier coat than sub species such as Bengal and Indian. It is thought that there are only 450-550 left in the wild. They average as the largest cat on Earth (excluding the liger), males usually weigh up to 300kg while females are noticeably smaller at 180kg. They usually grow to around 3m in length. The largest Amur tiger was found in captivity at 3.9m in length. They have long legs and large paws which allows them to run up to 80km/ph. 

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Predation

They have no natural predators except for humans who account for 80% of Amur tiger deaths in the wild. They are killed for their pelts, for use in Chinese medicine or from fear. They rarely attack humans, however, this could be due to the fact that there are few left, so human contact is highly unlikely. They have a range of prey, from small animals such as rabbits and salmon, to large mammals such as moose, deer and wild boar. They have even been known to kill brown and black bears. They are hunters not scavengers but have been known to scavenge if the opportunity arises. They cover a larger area of land than other sub species as food is not as readily available in this habitat. They can eat up to 40kg (60lbs) of food in one sitting and are usually nocturnal.

Breeding
Like the majority of cat species, Amur tigers are solitary which means they prefer to live alone rather than in a group. Amur tigers will only be found together when  a mother is caring for her young or during mating season. They begin mating usually around 4 years old. Pregnancy will last about 103 days until the mother gives birth to a litter of 2-6 cubs. Cubs are born blind and can not hunt until they are 18 months old. They remain with the mother until they are 2-3 years of age. In the wild Amur tigers will live for 10-15 years which is about the average life span of most big cats. 


Siberian Tiger Youtube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sq1eUtdpefs&t=17s