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 majestic and charming of all the large animals that live on our planet. The life expectancy of tigers directly depends on the conditions of their existence. So, in this article we will take a closer look at the largest cats on Earth: find out how they live and what they die for.
What Vladimir Geptner said 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 Geptner. In his scientific monograph en titled "Mammals of the Soviet Union", he not only characterizes the life span of a tiger in nature, but also elegantly describes its appearance.
Zoologist writes that in general terms this is quite a typical cat. It has a flexible and elongated body, low legs and a long tail. For obvious reasons, the front part of the tiger's body is more developed than the back. At the shoulders the wild animal is higher than at the sacrum. At first glance, one gets the impression of some heaviness, but also great power. This is emphasized by strong and wide front paws, a heavy and slightly lowered head.
His withers are high, and his musculature is powerful and stands out well. This is especially clearly seen in the front of the tiger's body. Shoulders are powerful and "iron". The tiger is a slow animal, even its jumps seem unhurried. A lying tabby cat also gives the impression of calm power. The general appearance of this "iron" beast is a huge physical strength and calm confidence, combined with some kind of heavy gravity. The scientist also describes the life span of a tiger in nature and in captivity, but we will talk about this a little later.
Real Giants
As we already know, the biggest and most formidable cat in the world is the tiger. For example, adult male Amur tigers can reach a length of 3.5 meters and weigh more than 400 kilograms! But not all tabby cats are that big. For example, Bengal and southern tigers are much smaller than their Amur counterparts: their weight does not exceed 220 kilograms. By the way, some scientists believe that the life expectancy of animals also 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 birthplace of these powerful and formidable predators is the South-EasternAsia. It was from there that they were able to settle to the north more than 10,000 years ago, reached the Ussuri Territory and the Amur Region. But the Far East is not the only habitat for these animals, once tigers lived throughout India, and also inhabited the islands of Sumatra, Bali, Java and the Malay Archipelago.
Tiger lifestyle
Ecology and biology of big cats have a significant impact on the lifespan 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 poachers. During the day, they do not come out of their caves at all, because they are fast asleep. Tigers are solitary hunters. They roam in the footsteps of humans, wild boars and other animals. These cats are excellent swimmers, they love to swim in water bodies, they endure the cold.
The largest tigers are Amur
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 of all members of the cat family. Let us remind you once again: old males weigh up to 400 kilograms, but on average their weight does not exceed 3 centners.
Moreover, they are the only tabby cats that have adapted to life in the snow. They have thick and long fur. Amur tigers grow slowly and for a long time, they do this almost all their lives. It is curious that 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 has noticeably decreased. Let's talk about that.
Life span of tigers
This is a rather sore subject for all animal advocates and, of course, the tigers themselves. The fact is that constantly changing natural conditions (for example, climate change) and external factors of human influence (plowing of land, deforestation, poaching) significantly reduce the habitat of poor animals. Of course, this negatively affects their numbers and time of existence on Earth.
For example, the average lifespan of a tiger living in the Far East is approximately 15 years. In the wild, these animals are known to 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 tabby cats, but 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 20th century with their numbers in the 19th century, then the difference will be 95%. It is estimated that at present the number of all tigers living on our planet is about 6,500 individuals. This is very small.
Tigers under protection
To increase the lifespan of tigers and, as a result, increase their population, these cats were taken under world protection. They are listed in the International Red Book, and hunting for them has been completely prohibited since 1947. 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.
Tigers and humans: who is who?
Nowadays, unfortunately, it is already difficult to distinguish a man from a tiger. People behave worse than animals, they destroy wildlife without a twinge of conscience. Note that tigers, no matter how strange it may sound, have never hunted people. Having heard a person, they, of course, do not take flight, but they do not attack first either. Basically, they go towards people, hide and let them get closer to them.
If a person does not take any aggressive action against this cat, the tiger simply leaves. These animals do not feel hatred or fear towards people. Scientists say that it is fear that makes certain animals rush at people (as is the case with bears), but this behavior is unusual for tigers. Of course, this does not mean that they are harmless animals.
These are, first of all, predators, and no one knows how they will behave at one time or another, so it's better not to risk it. Tigers almost do not harm the human household,because they rarely attack livestock. By the way, wolves, foxes and bears bully sheep, goats and chickens 5 times more often than tigers. However, it is these cats that are subjected to constant persecution by humans. It's not fair.
