The South-Chinese Tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis)

[GuateGojira]

The Original group:

All the experts, through genetic and morphological studies agree that the South China tiger (and those of the northern Indochina region, probably conspecific) are the original tiger population, and from where all the modern tiger populations in the mainland have evolved. These tigers are direct descendants of the Pleistocene Wanhsien tiger (Panthera tigris acutidens) and still have some of its characteristics.

Just to give a delight to our eyes, here are some images of the South China tigers that live in South Africa, thanks to "Save China’s Tigers".

They seem to be very well there, and with a population of 12, it seems that the project is a success. It seems that most of them meals came from hunting, although there is one picture of a tigress with a prey tied to a tree.

http:/english.savechinastigers.org/gallery2/d/2958-2/IMG_6978_Hulooo+at+top+speed.JPG
http:/english.savechinastigers.org/gallery2/d/2956-2/IMG_6938_A+meal+fit+for+a+king_Madonna+and+family.JPG
http:/english.savechinastigers.org/gallery2/d/2950-2/IMG_6777_Madonna+fights+a+losing+battle.jpg
http:/english.savechinastigers.org/gallery2/d/2464-2/IMG_9785_Life+is+a+laugh+a+minute_King+Henry.JPG
http:/english.savechinastigers.org/gallery2/d/2460-2/IMG_9779_JenB+practices+his+spraying.JPG
http:/english.savechinastigers.org/gallery2/d/2406-3/Hulooo+has+a+good+stretch.JPG
http:/english.savechinastigers.org/gallery2/d/2250-3/week37002.JPG
http:/english.savechinastigers.org/gallery2/d/2230-2/IMG_9941_Who+is+that+handsome+fellow.JPG
http:/english.savechinastigers.org/gallery2/d/1718-2/IMG_4017_JenB+pursue+Blesbok_1.jpg
http:/english.savechinastigers.org/gallery2/d/1527-2/IMG_9559_Say+AAAAA.jpg
http:/english.savechinastigers.org/gallery2/d/1209-2/Week+244+Cathay+scent+marking.JPG
http:/english.savechinastigers.org/gallery2/d/1213-2/Week+244+Tigerwoods+pacing+.JPG
http:/english.savechinastigers.org/gallery2/d/1149-2/Week+241+327+dragging+the+blesbok+carcass+IMG_4991.JPG
http:/english.savechinastigers.org/gallery2/d/829-2/_MG_0190+Madonna+pulling+wildebeest+carcass_001.JPG

Source: http:/english.savechinastigers.org/v/Tigers+in+action/

These are just a few of many pictures in the Save China’s Tigers web page.

Here is some data:
“The South China Tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis), is also known as the Chinese, Amoy, or Xiamen tiger. It is one of the world's 10 most endangered animals and the most endangered of the six surviving tiger subspecies. There are few if any in the wild (between 10 to 30), and around 100 in captivity at present. The Chinese Tiger originated in China two million years ago and is commonly believed to be the ancestral root tiger from which all other subspecies of tiger (Bengal, Siberian etc) are derived.

The South China tiger is believed to have a more archaic skull, whose ratio of the length and width is relatively larger than other tiger subspecies. Its body is slim with a slender waist. It is distinguishable from other tiger subspecies by its narrower face, longer nose, more intense orange color, short fur, longer legs, and shorter & broader stripes which are spaced far apart compared with those of Bengal and Siberian tigers. Based on the researches of felidae zoologist V. Mazák, the South China tigers have the least number of stripes of all subspecies. The diamond-shaped patterns of the stripes can often be found on the sides of the South China Tiger and it is the next smallest tiger after the Sumatran tiger.

A male Chinese tiger measures from 230 to 265 cm (91 to 104 in) straight-line, and weigh 130 to 175 kg (290 to 390 lb). Females are smaller and measure 220 to 240 cm (87 to 94 in) and weigh 110 to 115 kg (240 to 250 lb). Greatest length of skull in males is 318 to 343 mm (12.5 to 13.5 in), and in females 273 to 301 mm (10.7 to 11.9 in).

In 1950's the South China tiger along with other predators such as leopards and wolves was declared to be pests and "enemies of the people", because they attacked the livestock of farmers and villagers. Becoming widely persecuted, the wild population of the South China Tiger fell from more than 4,000 to less than 200 by 1982. The Chinese government then reversed the classification of the tiger, banning hunting altogether in 1977, but this seems to have been too late. In 2000, Save China's Tiger charity was founded in London to work with China in an effort to bring the South China tiger back from the brink of extinction.”

Source: http:/english.savechinastigers.org/node/31 Reply