Siberian+Tiger

**__ Prehistoric/Extinct Animal: // Smilodon --- 10,000 to 1 million year period- -> Modern Animal: Siberian Tiger < ---1,000 years Future Animal: Lesser Siberian Tiger // __**

By Heman Lu

The //Panthera tigris altaica//, more commonly known as the Siberian tiger or the Amur Tiger belongs to the //Felidae// family, defined as the biological family of cats//.// It is commonly contradicted that Siberian tigers are a form of cats due to their size; however they originated from the same family as cats, but much larger than domestic cats in terms of size. As a matter of fact, the Siberian tiger is by far the largest living cat in the //Felidae// family, weighing from 180kgs up to an extraordinary weight of 320kgs (400 – 720 lbs). The abbreviated name of the Siberian Tiger, //Tigre//, originated from the Greek term “arrow”, indicating the evident level of power and agility that of the Siberian Tiger that we know today. This report will outline the habitat of the Siberian tiger as well as focusing on several key adaptation features the Siberian tiger has, including structural, physiological, and behavioural features that allows it to continue its existence until this current day.

= Scientific Classification Table =
 * = **Scientific Group** = || = //Taxonomy// = || = //Description// = ||
 * = **Kingdom** = || = //Animalia// = || = //Species of animal// = ||
 * = **Phylum** = || = //Chordata// = || = //Organisms with spinal chords// = ||
 * = **Class** = || = //Mammalia// = || = //Mammals nurtured with mammary glands// = ||
 * = **Order** = || = //Carnivora// = || = //Species that consumes meat primarily as their diet// = ||
 * = **Family** = || = //Felidae// = || = //Biological family of cats// = ||
 * = **Genus** = || = //Panthera// = || = //One category of the ‘big’ cats including: [|Lions], [|leopard], tigers, and [|jaguars].// = ||
 * = **Species** = || = //P. tigris// = || = //Scientific name given to tigers// = ||



Habitat


 * [[image:worldmap_siberiantiger.png]] || **Map of the distribution of the current population of Siberian Tigers (marked in red). (Image only)**  Source (image only): w [|ww.animalfactguide.com/distribution/siberian-tiger/] ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * [[image:labelled_habitat.jpg width="611" height="430" align="left"]] || Labelled photograph of Siberian Tiger’s habitat. (image only). Source (image only) : http://www.frogsonice.com/photos/cmzoo/ ||  ||   ||

For most organisms, having a proper natural surrounding is considered to be one of the several key aspects to maintaining a healthy state and continue the survival of the organism. Despite being called the “Siberian” Tiger, it is logically incorrect to call it the “Siberian” tiger after 2009, simply because the Siberian no longer exists in Siberia due to excess poaching, [|habitat fragmentation] and urban development. In sequence, due to the rapid urban development of the original spawning areas of the Siberian Tiger, otherwise known as North Korea and China, Siberian tigers have been forced to relocate elsewhere. Consequently the remaining estimated amount of 400 tigers has migrated and relocated to the Coastal Siberia Valley, Eastern Russia.

First of all, the region of Eastern Russia is densely populated with different species of vegetation, including the coniferous evergreen trees, pine tree, and buffalo grass. [|Permafrost], a type of soil that has been frozen for up to 2 years is another example of a geographical feature that also exists predominantly in up to 90% of the Coastal Siberian Valley. An adequate amount grass and foliage is essential to Siberian Tigers, as it contributes to the success rate of the daily hunting process, at the same time provides shade for the Siberian Tiger to maintain a cool internal temperature in the summer seasons.

Secondly, Siberian Tigers are carnivores; therefore they have to consume protein and other nutrients on a regular basis in order to live in a healthy state, fortunately Coastal Siberia Valley is host to an abundant and rich population of animals ranging from buffalos to antelopes. Siberian Tigers need to consume up to 20 or more pounds of meat on average per day to sustain heat and energy in the winter seasons of Russia where temperatures can drop to approximately 50 **°**F (-46**°**C). In sequence to the meal, another 20 gallons of water is ingested on a daily basis in order to stay hydrated in the hottest seasons where temperatures can reach up to 86 **°**F (30**°** C). This specific zone of Russia is populated by an adequate amount of prey, including wild pigs, deer’s, antelopes, and buffalos for food, and where Siberian Tigers are on the top of the food chain, meaning that they do not have any predators, and lastly this region of Russia also has fresh water sources to allow the Siberian Tiger to maintain hydrated.

= =

====//The adaptations of an organism refers to the specific physical characteristics of an animal that assists the survival of the organism in the habitat of the animal. //==== //﻿ //
 * __Adaptations __**:


 * __Structural #1 – __**__**Canine Teeth **__

<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 120%; line-height: 115%;">At the age of 7, a fully matured Siberian Tiger is expected to have a total of 30 teeth, all of which are categorized into 4 subdivisions according to their function, <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 120%; line-height: 115%;">consisting of incisors, canines, molars and premolars.

<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 120%; line-height: 115%;">The large pair of canine teeth, located on the upper and lower jaw of the Siberian Tiger (refer to diagram) can be arguably the most crucial structural adaptation known to the Siberian Tiger. Similar to the canines of humans, they both serve the purpose of tearing food apart, however the structure of the Siberian Tiger teeth are much sharper and longer due to the contrastive environment that humans and tigers live in. The main function of the canine teeth is used to strike the jugular vein of animal victims. With the additional features of the sharp and long teeth powered by the crushing muscular-like jaw, the canine teeth can easily pierce through the jugular vein and cause excessive bleeding, causing the victim to succumb due to blood loss and resulting in an easy meal for the tiger. Furthermore, Siberian Tigers prefer to conserve energy during a hunt, for example the tiger would prefer to damage the victim’s jugular vein and then wait for the prey to die of blood loss over the other methods of hunting. After the killing is done, the canine teeth is then used to tear the victim into smaller portion so that it is easier to consume their prey as prey can reach up to twice the size of the Siberian tiger. The pair of canines is important to Siberian Tigers because without them, Siberian tigers would be not incapable of piercing the thick hidesof buffalos nor tear apart the victim into smaller portions, hence incredibly reducing the hunting capabilities of the Siberian Tiger.

<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 120%; line-height: 115%;">The environmental pressure that possibly caused this adaptation is that the tigers found it hard to have a grip on their prey with only their claws, and by this reason, the Siberian tiger further developed their teeth to be sharper and longer.

<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 115%;">Observed by the naked eye, it seems that the length of the forelegs and hind legs of the Siberian Tiger are moderately the same, however this difference of 5 to 10 cm length can do all the difference during a hunt and surviving the winter seasons. In the cold winter seasons, the shortened forelegs allow the fur coat to extend over the knees so that the body heat is not lost to the surroundings at the knees but effectively insulated. In a habitat where the temperature during winter at night can drop to -46**°**C at night, it is essential to stay warm. At the same time, the elongated hind legs acts as springs that enables the Siberian tiger to leap 10 metres ( 32.5ft) with ease. This structural adaptation allows the tiger to gain force as it jumps to tackle large animals such as buffalos or deer’s.
 * __<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 21px; line-height: 115%;">Structural #2 - __**__<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 21px; line-height: 115%;"> **Short forelegs and long hind legs** __

<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 115%;">The environmental pressure causing this structural change could have been because they found it challenging to seize animals like buffaloes due to their size, hence they developed muscular legs to leap at prey with such force that could bring down animals twice their weight.

<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 115%;">The solitary natured Siberian Tiger are categorized as territorial animals, meaning that they are highly defensive over their territory, and it is by this behavioural adaptation, that the chances of success in hunting is raised. Male Siberian Tigers are particularly independent in nature, where on average; they require <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 115%;">60 to 100 km 2  <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 115%;"> of land whereas females only need 20km  2  <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 115%;">of land to occupy to be satisfied. Siberian Tigers also use an anal gland secretion or urine to mark the boundaries of their territory by ejecting the secretion onto the bark of trees.
 * __<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 21px; line-height: 115%;">Behavioural #1 – Solitary/Territorial Animal __**

<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 115%;">Siberian tigers prefer to hunt independently, as they rather not to share prey with other male tigers although they are more tolerable with female tigers on their land. Another reason why Siberian Tigers hunt independently is that Siberian Tigers can get relatively uncoordinated when co-operating with another tiger during a hunt, thus raising the chances of the hunt to be unsuccessful. However there are exceptions to these territorial limitations and that is during mating seasons, because the area occupied by individual tigers are on such a large scale, that it is safe to expect that there are certain areas which are overlapped by another tigers territory. This overlap in territory usually only occurs between a male and multiple female Siberian Tigers, and it is because of this shared area that the tigers can easily find a partner in order to copulate. In some circumstances, two male tigers may desire the same piece of land, when this happens a brief fight may occur and the better fighter would <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 115%;">ultimately claim the land.

<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 115%;">Several environmental pressures that suggested this adaptation is the concept of ‘survival of the fittest’, this is because a tiger living independently forces them to be dependent on themselves only, furthermore <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 115%;">by having their own territory, Siberian Tigers acquire all the resources in the land to themselves as well as raising the chances of success in hunting. Another possible environmental pressure that triggered this <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 115%;">behavioural adaptation is that a large portion of the tigers prey hibernates during the winter season, meaning that food can be scarce. Alternatively, Tigers that possess land is host to prey has to be very territorial <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 115%;">otherwise other tigers would come and attempt to take this luxury away from the host tiger.


 * __<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 21px; line-height: 115%;">Behavioural #2 – Mating habits __**

<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 115%;">To distinguish whether Siberian is prepared for mating, female Siberian Tigers have a set of techniques to assist the female in finding a copulation partner during its mating period. Firstly, the female Siberian <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 115%;">Tiger leaves behind urine deposits and scratch marks on trees in its territory, the scent of their urine can indicate only to male Siberian Tigers whether the female is ready to mate. An alternative method the <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 115%;">female uses to confirm it is ready to undergo copulation is by making sounds to attract males. On the other hand, if the above techniques fail to attract males, as a last resort the female tiger would have to forfeit <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 115%;">its current territory and enter other male territory to find a partner. These mating habit benefits the future survival of the Siberian Tiger because it encourages mating, increase in Siberian Tiger population and <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 115%;">the passing on of their genes. An environmental pressure that causes female tigers to behave this way is that because under good reproductive and living conditions, the Siberian Tiger’s body is producing more <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 115%;">oestrogens and therefore be more sexually active. <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 115%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 115%;">Similar to any other carnivore, the Siberian Tiger consumes meat. However it consumes meat at a larger amount where 20 – 30 pounds of meat and fat are ingested per day, <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 115%;">acknowledging that 19 out of 20 hunts are unsuccessful, and every molecule of protein must be carefully processed so that the energy intake is maximized. Within the <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 115%;">specially adapted stomach of the Siberian Tiger, is the orbicular muscle (refer to diagram) and a highly concentrated hydrochloric acid, more commonly known as digestive <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 115%;">juices. After the food enters the stomach through the oesophagus and then slowly broken down by the digestive juices into a semi-digested puree, the orbicular muscles <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 115%;">releases the semi-digested foods into the intestines at irregular intervals and contracts to stop the flow of the semi-digested food. This slow interval of foods being <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 115%;">transferred into the intestines allow the most energy to be absorbed from the food, in addition, this technique allows Siberian tigers to survive when food is scarce.
 * __<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 21px; line-height: 115%;">Physiological #1 – The Stomach __**

<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 115%;">The environmental pressure for this stomach that led to this adaptation would be of situations where food is scarce, if tigers did not have this storage tool, the Siberian <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 115%;">tigers would easily get hungry, become weak and hungry, and ultimately die of exhaustion and starvation




 * __<span style="color: #9bbb59; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 48px; line-height: 115%;">Bibliography __**

<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 115%;">[]
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<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 115%;">[] <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 115%;">[]
 * <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 115%;">WWF. (2011). //Amur Tiger.// Retrieved June 19th, 2011 from
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