SIBERIAN TIGER Panthera tigris altaica Mammal Order Carnivora Description Largest of the living felids: 8-10 feet long, usually 500-700 pounds, males larger; record weight 845 pounds. Coat long, thick, yellowish without red on winter, reddish in summer. Belly white extends onto flanks; tail white and black. Ears black with white spots outside, white within. Range Formerly Korea, China, and east coast of Russia to the edge of Siberia; currently probably extinct in Korea, and nearly extinct in China. The last viable population of wild Siberian tigers survive in a region Russia known as Ussuriland, along the Sikhote-Alin mountain range, which is in the Amur River drainage. Status This species is listed as endangered and commercial trade of this species is prohibited by international law. Since dissolution of the Soviet Union, poaching has increased dramatically. To attract foreign investment, Russia has begun selling its old growth forest logging rights, and Siberian tigers' large home range makes them especially vulnerable to habitat loss from logging. Lincoln Park Zoo is a member of the Siberian tiger Species Survival Plan. Photo by Greg Neise

Ecology Habitat Mixed deciduous / coniferous forests in mountain areas.   Niche Carnivorous; will eat whatever it can catch, but wild boar make up more than half its diet. Other prey includes Sika deer and elk. Solitary ambush hunters, this species uses the dense cover of forest growth, tracking prey through the deep snow. Tigers have been spotted prowling coastal beaches when deep snow forces hungry elk to feed on ocean kelp. Territorial, requiring a large home range: 500-620 square miles. Life History Mating usually restricted to winter months. Gestation about 3.5 months, 3-4 cubs weighing about 2.2 pounds each are born blind, follow female after about 8 weeks, hunt independently by about 18 months, disperse at 2-2.5 years, mature at 3-4 years. Life span about 15 years, longer in captivity. Special Adaptations Striped coat disrupts outline of body in dense cover. Massive build with heavily muscled forelimbs and shoulders add strength for capturing large prey. Hindlimbs longer than forelimbs to facilitate jumping. Paws equipped with long, retractile claws to help grab and hold prey. Loose belly skin permits the animal to be kicked by prey with less chance of injury. Eyes in front allow for depth perception and ability to isolate and efficiently capture prey. Rough tongue designed to peel skin of prey animal away and rasp flesh away from bone.