Tigers are the largest animals belonging to the large cat family. They are significantly larger than lions. Moreover, these tabby cats are considered the most magnificent and charming of all the large animals that live on our planet. The life expectancy of tigers depends on the conditions of their existence. So, in this article we will take a closer look at the largest cats on Earth: we will learn how they live and why they die.
What did Vladimir Geptner say about tigers
Scientists, speaking of tigers, can not always use their academic jargon - these wild cats are very charming and attractive. Perhaps the best description of this animal belongs to the famous zoologist Vladimir Georgievich Heptner. In his scientific monograph entitled “Mammals of the Soviet Union”, he not only characterizes the life expectancy of a tiger in nature, but also elegantly describes its appearance.
The zoologist writes that in the general warehouse this is a very typical cat. She has a flexible and elongated body, low legs and a long tail. For obvious reasons, the front of the tiger shell is more developed than the back. The wild beast is higher in the shoulders than in the sacrum. At first glance, the impression is of some kind of weight, but also of great power. Strong and wide forepaws, a heavy and slightly lowered head emphasize this.
His withers are tall, and his muscles are powerful and stand out. This is especially evident in the front of the tiger body. The shoulders are powerful and "iron." The tiger is a slow beast, even its jumps seem unhurried. The lying tabby cat also gives the impression of calm power. The general appearance of this “iron” beast is tremendous physical strength and calm confidence, combined with some kind of heavy gravity. The scientist also describes the life expectancy of a tiger in nature and in captivity, but we will talk about this a little later.
Real giants
As we already know, the largest and formidable cat in the world is the tiger. For example, adult males of Amur tigers can reach a length of 3.5 meters and weigh more than 400 kilograms! But not all tabby cats are so big. For example, Bengal and southern tigers are much smaller than their Amur brethren: their weight does not exceed 220 kilograms. By the way, some scientists believe that the life expectancy of animals depends on certain anthropometric data (tiger, lion, leopard, elephant, whale or gorilla - it doesn’t matter).
Where did they come from?
It is generally accepted that the homeland of these powerful and formidable predators is Southeast Asia. It was from there that over 10, 000 years ago they were able to settle to the north, and reached the Ussuri Territory and the Amur Region. But the Far East is not the only habitat of these animals, once tigers lived throughout India, and also inhabited the islands of Sumatra, Bali, Java and the Malay archipelago.
Tigers lifestyle
The ecology and biology of large cats have a significant impact on the life expectancy of lions and tigers, as well as cheetahs and leopards. After all, they are most active in the evening hours, at night and in the morning, which makes them vulnerable to poaching hunters. During the day they don’t leave their caves at all, because they sleep soundly. Tigers are solitary hunters. They roam in the footsteps of man, wild boars and other animals. These cats are excellent swimmers, they love to swim in ponds, endure the cold.
The largest tigers are Amur tigers.
Unfortunately, they are also the smallest on Earth: the life expectancy of tigers inhabiting the Far East in the wild is 12-15 years, and in captivity - 24 years. Amur tigers are the largest subspecies among all representatives of the cat family. We recall once again: old males weigh up to 400 kilograms, but on average their weight does not exceed 3 centners.
Moreover, these are the only striped cats adapted to life in the snow. They have a thick and long fur. Amur tigers grow slowly and for a long time, they have been doing it almost their whole life. Curiously, the stripes on their skin are located much more rarely than their counterparts. Once these animals began to be actively exterminated, because of this, their life expectancy decreased markedly. We’ll talk about this.
Tiger life span
This is a pretty sore subject for all animal advocates and, of course, the tigers themselves. The fact is that constantly changing environmental conditions (for example, climate change) and external factors of human influence (plowing, deforestation, poaching) significantly reduce the habitat of poor animals. Of course, this negatively affects their abundance and lifetime on Earth.
For example, the average life expectancy of a tiger living in the Far East is approximately 15 years. In the wild, as you know, these animals can live up to 26 years. But few of them can live such a long life. The extermination of the tiger population by humans and the destruction of their natural habitat is a serious threat not only to striped cats, but also to the entire natural community.
Unfortunately, at present, the number of these amazing animals is inexorably declining. For example, the life expectancy of the Amur tiger in nature today is 8-10 years, no more! If we compare the population of these cats in the past XX century with their numbers in the XIX century, the difference is 95%. It is estimated that at present the population of all tigers living on our planet is about 6500 individuals. This is very small.
Tigers guarded
To increase the life expectancy of tigers and, as a result, increase their population, these cats were taken under global protection. They are listed in the International Red Book, and hunting for them since 1947 is completely prohibited. Unfortunately, it is the shooting of these giants that plays the main role in reducing the number of their livestock: people kill tigers for their skins, valuable internal organs, etc.
