Largest Individuals of any Species

[peter]

Interesting, Tigerluver. Here's one more for you.

The Duisburg Zoo male Amur tiger called 'Amur' was measured by a vet during treatment. He was 320 cm. (10.6) in total length in a straight line (head and body 210 cm. tail 110 cm.). He was 110 cm. at the tip of the shoulder while standing. His head length was 50 cm.

The second tiger in the first photograph is not a cub, but a full-grown female (...). I've no idea about her length, but I have details of 2 adult females measured in the Prague Zoo by V. Mazak.

Tigress 'Tapka' (studbook no. 13) died in 1969. She was 257 cm. (8.5) in total length in a straight line (head and body 171 cm. and tail 87 cm.). At age 9, she was 85-86 cm. at the tip of the shoulder while standing. Tigress 'Mascha' (studbook no. 12) died a year later. She was 266 cm. (just under 8.9) in total length in a straight line (head and body 178 cm. and tail 88 cm.). At age 9, she was 87-88 cm. at the tip of the shoulder while standing.

In 2000, I measured and weighed and adult female called 'Volga' in a Dutch facility. At age 10, she was 254 cm. (8.4) in total length (head and body 167,5 cm. and tail 86,5 cm.). I also measured her head (girth 75,8 cm.), neck (64,5 cm.), fore-arm (46,5 cm.) and chest (112 cm.). Her weight was 136 kg. (300 lb.). Compared to other Amur tigresses, she was about average (a tad shorter).

Her daughter 'Jasmin' was the shortest Amur tigress I saw. At age 6, she was 223 cm. (just under 7.4) in total length (head and body 155,5 cm. and tail 67,5 cm.). Her head girth was 70,5 cm., her fore-arm 44,5 cm. and her chest 102,5 cm. Her weight was 102,5 kg. (226 lb.). Compared to other captive Amur tigresses, she was very small. Some wild Amur tigresses could be similar in length and weight (see for example 'Winter ecology of the Amur tiger', A.G. Yudakov and I.G. Nikolaev, 2nd revised edition, Vladivostok, 2012, pp. 78-80).

The longest I saw (in a Dutch zoo) had been weighed a few days before I talked to the vet. At 178 kg. (393 lb.), she was in excellent shape. This tigress compared to 'Volga' in many respects, but she was much longer and a bit taller. In some time, I will post an article I found on the internet some years ago. The article is about a tigress in a private zoo in France who. She had been shot, because she had killed her owner. This female was 204 kg. (451 lb.) 

Based on what I saw, I'd say most captive Amur tigresses range between 250-270 cm. in total length in a straight line and 100-145 kg. Although both wild and captive Amur tigers are quite uniform in size, exceptional animals seem to be more, ehh, exceptional than in other subspecies. Large animals quite often are so much longer and bigger, they seem to be in a different league.      

My guess is the Duisburg Zoo female most probably didn't exceed the limits mentioned for Amur females. She could be about average.    

Now for the question.

The Duisburg Zoo male Amur tiger was estimated (not weighed) at 280-300 kg. (618-662 lbs.) in his prime. What's your opinion? 

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

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