Who is the "king" of tigers? - Bengal or Amur

[peter]

HOW TO MEASURE THE GREATEST TOTAL LENGTH OF A TIGER SKULL

The greatest total length of a tiger skull is measured from the tip of the premaxillary bone (just in front of the incisors) to the posterior tip of the occiput. You have to measure the distance between both tips in a straight line.

In order to exclude angles, the mandible has to be removed when you measure the greatest total length of the upper skull. If you don't, the distance will increase.

THE SKULL OF THE TIGER SHOT BY SIR JOHN HEWETT'S DAUGHTER IN JANUARY 1927 

Lorna, the daughter of Sir John Hewett, shot a large tiger close to Morgati in January 1927. Measured the next day, he was 10 feet 2 'over curves'. The measurements of the skull

" ... as given by Messrs. Spicer & Co., of Leamington, who set up the skin, are in their words 'over the bone' as follows:

Length - 16,25 inches.
Breadth - 9 7/8 inches acrfoss the zygomatic arches.
Weight cleaned - 4 lb. 14 oz... " ('Jungle Trails in Northern India', John Hewett, first published in 1938 - I have the 2008 reprint, pp. 180).

It is about the addition 'over the bone'. My guess is the distance from tip to tip was measured following the curves of the skull. This method will increase the measurement quite a bit. This is borne out by the measurement of the zygomatic width and the weight of the skull.

Based on my experience and reliable information of others, it's highly unlikely that a skull with a greatest total length of 16,25 inches of a large male tiger taping 10.2 in total length measured 'over curves' is less than 10 inches in zygomatic width. A skull of that size of a wild tiger also is heavier than 4 lb. 14 oz.

For this reason, the skull in Hewett's book is out regarding greatest total length.       

HEAD LENGTH AND SKULL LENGTH

The difference between head length and greatest total skull length in tigers shows a lot of individual variation.

The 11-year old Prague zoo tiger 'Amur' measured by V. Mazak had a head and body length of 220 cm. in a straight line and a head length of 450 mm., whereas the greatest total length of the skull was 371 mm. The difference between head and skull length, therefore, was 79 mm.

Another, younger, tiger, also measured by V. Mazak, had a head and body length of 201 cm. in a straight line and a head length of 420 mm. The greatest total skull length, however, was 377 mm. The difference between head and skull length was 43 mm. only ('Der Tiger', V. Mazak, 1983, pp. 185 and 193).

The very large Duisburg zoo tiger, estimated at 280-300 kg. in his prime, was 210 cm. in head and body length in a straight line. This tiger had a head length of 50 cm. His skull, as far as I know, wasn't measured. The skull of the Sungari river tiger, also estimated at 300 kg. or more, could have been as long or longer. V. Jankowski wrote his skull was large. As far as I know, it was never measured.

Based on the photographs published in the article discussed in this thread some time ago, the skull of tiger 'Altai' shot in the Koln zoo after he had killed his keeper could have been over 420 mm. in greatest total length. That tiger, with a head and body length of 240 cm. and a tail of 96 cm., was just about 4 years of age. A young adult, that is.

Most photographs of 'Altai' on the internet were taken when he had just arrived in Koln. They suggest he was about average in size when he was less than 3 years old. In the year that followed, he could have added a lot of inches and pounds. 

At the level of species, lions have absolutely and relatively longer skulls than tigers. The longest skulls can exceed 400 mm. in greatest total length. Amur tigers also have long skulls. In relative terms, they seem to compare to lions in this respect. As some captive Amur tigers well exceed 600 pounds, chances are some skulls also exceed 400 mm. in greatest total length. Most skulls of captive adult male Amur tigers, however, range between 345-380 mm. in greatest total length. Reply