Wednesday 29 October 2014

What Does A Siberian Tiger Eat

A Siberian tiger can consume 60 lbs. of meat in an evening.


Siberian tigers, also known as Amur tigers, are carnivores who feed upon large game. Males weigh about 660 lbs. and are about 8.5 to 12 feet long, and females are slightly smaller. Siberians are capable of eating 60 lbs. of game during one night's hunt. Though borealforest.org notes the Siberian tiger was nearly extinct after World War II, conservation efforts have reinvigorated tiger populations. "Environment: Yale" reports about 350 to 400 Siberian tigers live in the wild today.


Prey


"Smithsonian Zoogoer" indicates red deer and wild boar constitute about 85 percent of the Siberian tiger's diet, though the tiger may also feed upon lynx and bear, along with smaller prey such as fish and rabbits. "National Geographic" notes particularly hungry Siberian tigers can consume up to 60 lbs. of prey over the course of its nocturnal hunt, though typically the tiger eats far less. They're patient and efficient hunters, and their stripes help camouflage them as they slowly creep toward their prey until they're close enough to pounce.


Habitat


The tiger's primary habitat is Siberia's Ammur-Ussuri region, and some roam as far north as the Khabarovsky Krai province, stalking the Korean Pine and Mongolian Oak forests that produce the pine cones that boar and red deer feed upon. "Smithsonian Zoogoer" notes fragmented tiger populations prowl China's northeast woodlands, and some may be found within North Korea. Siberian tigers urinate on the borders of their hunting grounds, marking their specific territories by scent.


Cubs


Pregnant Siberian tigresses find a secluded den for their cubs and typically give birth to litters of two or three cubs. Cubs are helpless at birth and won't open their eyes until they're 1 or 2 weeks old. They're utterly dependent on their mother for sustenance, and she'll make brief excursions from the den to stalk game and return her kill to the litter. The cubs make their first excursions outside the den when they're 1 to 2 months old, then accompany their mother on short treks at 3 to 4 months, trotting behind her in single file.


Activity Near Humans


"National Geographic" indicates Siberian tigers rarely become man-eaters, a phenomenon that occurs only when a tiger becomes too sick or weak to hunt its normal prey or if humans deplete its prey stock. Most avoid human settlements altogether unless driven by hunger. In most cases, this results in tigers attacking dogs and farm animals. In these cases, wildlife response teams will tranquilize the tiger when possible and relocate it to a preserve.

Tags: Siberian tigers, feed upon, Siberian tiger, National Geographic, Smithsonian Zoogoer, their mother, tiger populations