Final test in biology (grade 7)

Tigers are large mammalian predators of the cat family. In the biological classification, all species of the animal belong to the genus panther. According to paleontological studies, tigers appeared about 2 million years ago in Central Asia. About 10 thousand years ago, their habitat expanded significantly, capturing Malacca, Hindustan and part of the nearby islands.

In the 19th and 20th centuries, there was a massive extermination of the species by humans, which led to both a reduction in the range and a catastrophic decrease in the number of animals, some of the subspecies of which were completely destroyed. All species of tigers that have survived to this day are listed in the International Red Book with the status of “endangered species” and are protected.

Characteristics and description

Tigers usually do not form groups and lead a solitary lifestyle. Adults occupy a specific territory, the boundaries of which are marked by urine, excrement or friction against trees. The area of ​​sites occupied by males is usually larger than those of females.

Males quite aggressively defend their territory from other males, but females who violate the boundaries are treated calmly. From time to time, predators make the rounds of the land in search of prey. Tigers do not have specific periods of activity; they can hunt at any time of the day. The animal either tracks prey and sneaks up on it, or waits in ambush near a watering hole or trails.

Tigers have well-developed hearing, smell and vision. According to scientists, they are able to distinguish some colors.

Like all big cats, the tiger is capable of roaring. As a rule, a predator growls during a hunt to scare potential prey or scare away food competitors.

Adaptation to the environment in tigers is manifested in the following:

• camouflage color, thanks to which the animal can hide in thickets of vegetation;
• The animal is not afraid of water and cools itself in ponds in extreme heat; thick fur and subcutaneous fat serve as protection from the cold.

What does it look like

The appearance of a tiger has the following features:

• the body is elongated, flattened laterally, the front part is higher and more massive, the tail is thin;
• the head is rounded, with a massive skull and an elongated muzzle, the ears are small, rounded;
• The tiger has 5 toes on its front paws and 4 on its hind paws;
• the animal has 30 teeth, the length of the fangs reaches 8-9 cm.

The striped coat color of a tiger with a combination of red and dark brown or black is considered traditional. The dark stripes have pointed ends and in some places bifurcate or converge. The color on the back and paws is more intense, becoming lighter towards the belly.

In nature, there are also rare color variations associated with gene mutations. Thus, among individuals of the Indian subspecies there are white tigers with black stripes on the body and blue eyes. Gene mutants also include the so-called golden tigers, whose stripes are not black, but only slightly darker than the main shade of the coat.

How many years do they live

The average lifespan of a tiger in the wild is 10-13 years. Rare individuals live up to 15-16 years. The main factors influencing the duration of the life cycle include some infectious diseases: glanders, carnivorous plague, pasteurellosis.

Premature death of males can also be caused by fatal wounds received during fights for territory or a female. Cubs and young individuals often become victims of bears and saltwater crocodiles. The tiger's natural enemies also include the small porcupine. Its danger to predators lies in its sharp and thick needles, which can cause serious injuries to the rodent.

In captivity, tigers that are well fed and receive veterinary care when necessary have a chance of living to 20-25 years.

Common features

Despite such significant differences in size, there are a number of characteristics inherent in all members of the cat family. A photo of these animals shows that they have a graceful, proportionally built body, a slightly rounded head located on a short neck, medium-length paws with soft pads and a tail, usually long.

There are several other important common features associated with the animal's hunting life.

Structure of teeth. All cats have long, sharp fangs that are shaped like slightly curved cones. When they bite, they are capable of inflicting deep and even fatal wounds.

Sharp talons. No other predatory animal has such sharp claws as nature has endowed the Feline family with. Such a powerful weapon helps the animal to easily climb trees, catch and hold its prey. And to prevent their claws from becoming dull and deteriorating, cats are able to hide them in specially provided recesses. It is this, as well as the soft pads on the paws, that allow the animal to move almost silently.

By the way, the cheetah is the only one in the family that does not have retractable claws, but this does not bother him, since they help the animal develop enormous speed, acting as spikes (like on the shoes of runners).

Inconspicuous color. The colors of cats are very diverse, but at the same time they have one thing in common - the ability to camouflage in the animal’s usual habitat. Whether it's the striped color of a tiger or the sandy color of a lion, the coloring allows you to remain invisible when hunting.

Types of tigers: photos and descriptions

Below is a description of several varieties of predator.

Amursky

Also known as the Ussuri tiger. Distributed in the Far East and northeastern regions of China. In the middle of the century, the subspecies found itself on the verge of complete extinction: only a few dozen individuals were identified in its habitat. The measures taken to preserve the animal allowed the population to increase to 500.

Balinese

Endemic to Bali. The last female Bali tiger was killed in 1937. The subspecies is currently classified as extinct. The characteristic features of the predator were a very short coat and a relatively small number of dark stripes on the body.

Bengal

Since most representatives of the subspecies live in India, Bengal tigers are often called Indian tigers. Small groups of animals also live in the territories of Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal and some other Central Asian states.

According to information collected by experts, the total number of predators ranges from 2,500 to 2,900 individuals.

Transcaucasian

In various sources the species is referred to as the Caspian or Turanian tiger. Lived in the Caucasus and Central Asia. The last adult individuals were exterminated in the last century. Since the second half of the 20th century, the subspecies has been officially recognized as extinct.

Indochinese

One of the most numerous subspecies of tigers. Experts estimate that the population currently numbers up to 1,500 individuals. Distributed in the southeast of the Asian continent.

Chinese

Found in the southern and central regions of China. The subspecies is close to extinction: according to the latest data, no more than 20 individuals of the Chinese tiger have survived in the world.

Malay

An endangered subspecies of tigers, the number of which does not exceed 500-600 individuals. Habitat: southern part of the Malacca Peninsula. The predator is common in mountain tropical forests.

Sumatran

Endemic to the island of Sumatra. It differs from its relatives in its aggressive character, endurance and ability to pursue prey over long distances. Sumatran tigers form temporary families from the moment of mating until the cubs become independent. This is one of the few subspecies of tigers in which males and females work together to feed and raise their young.

Javanese

The subspecies lived on the island of Java and until recently was considered extinct. Since 2008, there have been periodic reports from local residents who allegedly saw tigers in the eastern part of the island, covered with impenetrable jungle. A national park was created to protect possible remaining predators in this area.

Maltese blue

A scientifically unconfirmed variety of tigers with a blue tint to their fur. Periodically, since the beginning of the last century, there have been reports from eyewitnesses who have seen an animal with an unusual fur color, but there is still no evidence of their real existence.

Russia is a country of tigers. Only India has more predators than us

Currently, experts are preparing for the next big census of Amur tigers. In the mid-1990s, their population was estimated at 415-470 individuals, in 2005 - at 420-500 individuals, in 2015 up to 540 tigers were counted, and according to monitoring data in 2019, the total number of individuals increased to 580.

According to scientists, for those territories now occupied by predators, these figures are close to the maximum. Next, the tigers will have to move to those lands where the species once existed, but then disappeared.

In November 2021, he reported that traces of a young male were found at the mouth of the Bollokhtokh River, the right tributary of the Uchur River. General Director Sergei Aramilev commented on this event as follows: “When we hear the word Yakutia, we imagine the Laptev Sea and the city of Tiksi, although in reality a significant part of the Khabarovsk Territory is located much further north than the southern part of Yakutia, where the wandering tiger entered. Most likely, he has already returned to the Khabarovsk Territory... What pushed the tiger to the north? The phenomenon that allows animals to expand their range is similar to the mechanism of dispersal in humans. It was vividly described by the scientist Lev Gumilev . He asked to imagine the entire population of a particular region as a burning “bonfire” from which “sparks” fly off, which, as we know, mostly go out, but some, once on a fertile “substrate,” form a new bonfire. Tiger-wanderers are precisely those “sparks”. Let us wish the tiger to return back “home”, because in the places where he wandered, he will not be able to light a new “fire”.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2016, there were about 3,900 tigers on the planet. Russia ranks second in terms of tiger population, second only to India, where over 2,300 predators live. It is interesting that in both Russia and India, the population of the largest and most powerful representatives of the cat family is steadily growing thanks to government programs for the conservation of predators.

Dimensions

A tiger's weight, length and height depend on the region where it lives: mainland subspecies are usually larger than those that live on the islands.

Below are the average lengths and weights of males of some varieties. Females are usually 20% smaller and lighter.

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Diversity

The cat family is truly diverse and diverse. Representatives have noticeable differences in habits, physiology, color and size. The rusty (spotted red) cat is considered the smallest representative of the family.

Its maximum size reaches 48 cm (body length), the tail is 25 cm, and the weight of large males barely reaches 1.5 kg. How can this small animal compete with the largest representative of felines - the tiger, whose weight reaches 300 kg and length - 380 cm (including a tail of about 100 cm).

What do they eat?

The diet of tigers is based on large ungulates: deer, roe deer, tapirs, moose, bantengs. Predators can also hunt small animals and birds.

Tigers are good swimmers. On occasion, they happily eat fish and turtles, and occasionally attack small crocodiles.

In the absence of prey, the predator does not suffer from forced starvation, since it has a certain reserve of subcutaneous fat. The thickness of the fat layer can reach 3-5 cm.

Differences

One of the seemingly minor differences between the groups is the structure of the hyoid bone. In big cats it consists of cartilage, while in small cats this part of the base of the tongue is completely ossified. Perhaps it is precisely because of this feature that the first cats can growl, and the second ones can purr while inhaling and exhaling.

There are some differences in behavior. Big cats eat while lying down, while small cats eat while sitting or standing (think of your domestic cat).

Another difference is the shape the pupil takes in bright light. In small cats it becomes narrow, like a slit, and in large cats it narrows, but remains round.

As we can see, there are no significant differences between the subfamilies.

Where do tigers live in the wild?

The tiger is an Asian predator. Currently, isolated populations of the animal live in the south, southeast and east of the Asian continent. There are no tigers on the African continent.

Where do they live?

The tiger's habitat is tropical forests, semi-deserts, swampy areas, rocky hills, foothills and mountainous areas overgrown with vegetation, and taiga. Tigers are not picky about living conditions and quickly adapt to almost any terrain.

To make a den, animals look for steep cliffs with caves, niches under overhanging stones, and secluded thickets of bushes or reeds.

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Reproduction

Tigers reach sexual maturity at 4-5 years. The mating season usually occurs at the beginning of winter. Males receive information that the female is ready for fertilization from the marks she leaves.

Mating occurs several times a day for 3-4 days. If for some reason fertilization does not occur, the female may become ready to mate within a few months.

Pregnancy in tigresses lasts 3.5 months. At a time, the female brings from 2 to 5 cubs. A newborn tiger cub weighs just over 1 kg, is blind, helpless and completely dependent on its mother.

When offspring appear, the female’s behavior changes: she becomes aggressive and can attack nearby males. Until the age of two months, tiger cubs do not leave the den and are fed with mother's milk. After this, the female begins to teach her cubs hunting habits. Young tigers can stay with their mother for up to 2-3 years, and then leave her to find a free area for hunting. Females usually settle nearby, while males can travel considerable distances.

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Classification

The cat family is conventionally divided into two subfamilies: large and small cats, which, in turn, are divided into genera and species. In total, there are 14 genera and 35-38 species (their number depends on the method of classification). In general, it is quite difficult to make a division, since the distinguishing features are often quite insignificant.

The subfamily of big cats includes only 3 genera, the remaining 11 are small cats. Oddly enough, the classification is not based on size at all, but on other morphological characteristics. Because of this, the small cat subfamily has larger representatives than the big cat subfamily. For example, the puma, which is classified as a small cat, is larger than the leopard, which is classified as a big cat.

Interesting facts about tigers

• There are about 100 dark transverse stripes on the body and tail of an adult tiger. Their location is unique in each animal. The pattern of stripes is also noticeable on the skin of the animal. If all of a tiger's fur is shaved off, new fur will grow back so that the location and number of stripes are completely preserved.
• The largest tiger in the world weighed 388 kg. The male with the record weight belonged to the Bengal tiger subspecies.
• The tiger is one of the central characters of many myths and legends. However, the predator was described and depicted not only in the territories where it lived. So, for example, Japanese painters, who had never seen a living animal, when creating their engravings were often guided not only by the paintings of Chinese masters, but also by their imagination, giving the animal a truly fantastic look.
• The maximum speed of a tiger is 65 km/h.
• The predator has extraordinary strength: it is capable of throwing prey weighing about 100 kg on its back and running with it to its lair, as well as dragging the carcasses of killed animals whose weight exceeds its own several times.
• One of the reasons for the extermination of tigers was the extraction of organs and tissues for their further use in alternative oriental medicine. Currently, hunting tigers is prohibited throughout their habitat, but illegal trafficking still persists.
• Tigers don't climb trees. Only cubs under 2 years of age and weighing less than 50 kg can climb trunks.

Living subspecies

Small populations of the following 6 tiger subspecies remain in the wild:

Amur tiger

The Amur tiger, also known as the Ussuri, Far Eastern, or Manchurian tiger, has a habitat mainly in the southeast of Russia along the banks of the Ussuri and Amur rivers. About 95% of the population lives there, 5% in southeast China.

The largest representative of the species. The male's body length, including the tail, is more than three meters, height at the withers is 115 cm. Weight reaches 250 - 300 kg. Females are smaller and lighter than males. A distinctive feature of the Ussuri tiger is the fat layer under the skin of the abdomen, which serves as protection from the cold. The coat is denser and thicker than that of subspecies living in warm, hot climates. Wide paws allow the tiger to confidently move across the snow cover.

Males live and hunt alone, their hunting grounds cover an area of ​​600-800 km². Females sometimes gather in small groups. Although mating and the birth of offspring are not tied to a specific time of year, tiger cubs are most often born in April-June. At the age of two, young tigers separate from their mother, but continue to hunt with her until puberty, which occurs at the age of 4-5 years.

The Amur tiger avoids meeting people; cases of attacks on people are extremely rare.

Bengal tiger

Bengal, or Indian, tiger. The largest population. Habitat: Pakistan, Iran, India, Bangladesh and Myanmar.

The Bengal tiger is comparable in size to the Amur tiger. The length of the body to the tip of the tail is 2.7-3.3 m, height at the withers is 115 cm. Weight reaches 300 kg.

Bengal tigers are loners; if they get together for some reason, they do so in groups of no more than 3-4 individuals. They are most active at night. They attack people quite often.

The reasons for the extermination of the Bengal tiger are human activities that destroy the natural habitat, as well as some traditional features. Tiger meat was used to prepare exotic dishes. Various parts of the body and organs of an animal are considered healing in Chinese medicine.

Indochinese tiger

Distributed in Southeast Asia. The male's body length is almost 3 m, weight is from 150 to 195 kg. There are about 1,200 tigers of this subspecies. The largest population is found in Malaysia. The number of Indochinese tigers is declining faster than other subspecies. The destruction of large ungulates, the development of plantations in place of forests, poaching, and inbreeding within the population are risk factors for the extinction of the subspecies.

Malayan tiger

The Malayan tiger lives in the Malaysian part of the Malay Peninsula in southern Thailand. Prefers forested areas in mountainous areas. It was recognized as a separate subspecies in 2004 during research by a group of geneticists from different countries. In nature there are 600-800 individuals.

This is the smallest existing subspecies. The male's body length is about 2.5 m, weight up to 120 kg. The personal hunting territory of the male is about 100 km².

South China tiger

Inhabits three small regions of Central China. The length of the male is up to 3 m, weight up to 177 kg. The population of these animals was so large that in his notes Przhevalsky compared their numbers with wolves in Russia. Now there are no more than 20 of them in the wild.

Tiger skins were in demand in local markets. Hunters, afraid to shoot these large predators, poisoned them with poison. Soon all the tigers on the banks of the Ili and Tekes rivers were destroyed.

Endangered subspecies. There are 59 animals in captivity, but all of them are descendants of 6 tigers; their survival and reproduction in the natural environment is unlikely.

Sumatran tiger

Habitat: Sumatra island. Lives in floodplains and mangroves of humid equatorial forests. Tries to settle away from people.

One of the smallest representatives of the species. Body length up to 2.7 m, height at withers 60 cm, weight up to 130 kg. It has powerful paws, claws reach 10 cm. Fangs up to 9 cm. Males have long hair in the neck, throat and cheeks. Hunts prey both from ambush and by pursuing it for a long time. Personal territory up to 78 km².

The male of this subspecies does not leave the female after mating, but remains with her until the cubs reach puberty, participating in their upbringing.

The Sumatran population numbers 300-500 individuals. The subspecies reproduces well in captivity.

All subspecies of living tigers are listed in the International Red Book and environmental documents of individual states. In China, killing a tiger is punishable by death. Tiger hunting is banned throughout the world.