Biggest Kaziranga tiger?

[johnny rex]

(12-04-2014, 07:25 PM)peter Wrote:

(12-04-2014, 10:27 AM)'johnny rex' Wrote: @Pckts Male tiger (Bengal and Siberian tigers) and lion (Kruger lions) skulls both average 15-16. Some specimen even go to 17 inches. Just like most of the male ligers. Skull width tend to be the same for those three animals except tigers or maybe some ligers tend to have much wider skull. If I am not mistaken I saw a picture showed two circus lions and a liger, and there were no differences between the sizes of their heads eventhough the lion head looked a little bit longer. I will try to find the photo and then I will post it later.


 

Hi Johnny, Hope you like it here.  

1 - Greatest skull length of Indian tigers, Amurs and lions 

I have well over hundred reliable measurements of skulls of wild male Indian tigers. Although they average well over 14 inches in greatest total length, the average for all, as Pocock (1929) suggested, could be just about 14 inches. The average of skulls of captive male Indian tigers is a bit below 14 inches. Wild skulls are larger (and much heavier), that is.
 
In Amur tigers, it's the other way round. Skulls of captive adult males are about 14,5 inches in greatest total length, whereas skulls of wild males seem (I never measured skulls of wild Amur tigers, meaning I'm not sure about this statement) to be a bit shorter. Although they are longer than most male skulls of captive Indian tigers, they are not as robust. In upper and lower canine length, however, Amur tiger skulls are unsurpassed. 

Over the years, I measured many big cat skulls in museums and private collections. The largest skulls (wild or captive) are always lion skulls. There's no question lions, at the level of species, have longer skulls than tigers. This is in absolutes. Same for relatives, because lions usually are a bit shorter in head and body length. Skulls of wild male lions in south-east Africa quite often get to 14,75 inches. The longest I measured, however, was from Ethiopia. This skull was just over 16 inches. Skulls of captive animals seem to be longer than wild skulls. The reason is lions, in contrast to tigers (with the exception of Amur tigers), often do well in captivity. Same for skulls. In beauty and density (weight), however, captive skulls do not compare to wild skulls.

In absolutes, the difference in greatest total length between most skulls of male lions and most skulls of large tiger subspecies is limited. Could be just about 1 cm., I think. In skulls of wild animals, the difference could be even less. The longest Indian tiger skull (Hewett, 1938) was 16,25 inches. I never saw one, but expect wild Amur tigers could be similar or a trifle longer. The longest skulls of wild lions are a trifle longer (up to 16,5 inches or a bit over). 

Lion skulls are longer, because they have longer snouts (extended maxillary bone). Tiger snouts, although shorter, usually are a bit more robust. The reason is they have larger canines. The rostrum, therefore, needs to be reinforced. In zygomatic width, there's little to choose between the two. Relatively speaking, one could say tiger skulls are a bit wider and be right. The reason is they are usually a bit shorter.


2 - LIGERS AND TIGONS

I saw a few skulls of ligers and tigons. All were shorter than an average lion or tiger skull. The exceptional animals who feature in many debates about freaks (referring to ligers, tigons and all the rest of it) are few and far between. But when they are large, they are larger than the largest lion or tiger. I saw many and felt pity for them. The reason is they belong nowhere. And they know.

The photograph of the tigon was first posted by me on AVA some years ago. It was a very large male, but he was the exception to the rule. Ligers usually are larger.

When you debate freaks, remember they, apart from one (a mix between a wild Indian tiger and a wild Indian leopard seen by Hicks more than a century ago), are never seen in the wild. Mixes are a result of captivity and humans. For every giant you see, there are many disabled and blind animals.

Here's the story about the mix Hicks saw in India:

*This image is copyright of its original author

Thanks for the responses @peter. But how about this 17 inch lion skull? I think this must come from the Kruger subspecies. 

*This image is copyright of its original author

Have you seen Guate's post about the largest liger, Hercules? When he compared the animal with Jaipur the Siberian tiger, it seems they are comparable in size and weight. I think liger is larger than tiger and lion only in general. Reply