ON THE EDGE OF EXTINCTION - A - THE TIGER (Panthera tigris)

[peter]

Interesting information, Guate. I have a lot more to add on skulls and body dimensions, but will do so when the time has come. For now, I'd like to stick to China and work to other local types from here.

Before I do, I will answer a question which was raised recently (referring to a debate between you and Grizzly in another thread). It's about the way I measure canines. 

With the exception of three sedated adult male lions, I didn't measure canines of living big cats. I measured canines in skulls. The length of the canine is the length from the insertion to the tip in a straight line. In order to do this correctly, I first make sure the canine is in is right place (canines tend to fall out of their socket). When done, I place one tip of the scale at the insertion and and another at the tip. I measure canines sideways. This allows me to measure the length of the canines in a straight line and not, like V. Mazak did (referring to the 383,00 mm. Amur tiger skull he measured in Berlin), over the outer curve.   

Canines in tiger skulls often are, both absolutely as well as relatively, longer and more developed (thicker at the insertion) than canines in skulls of other big cats. It often shows directly. Here are two photographs I recently posted in another thread:

Adult wild male lion (greatest skull length 384,55 mm. - weight 1,840 kg. uncleaned - canines 63,30 and 62,60 mm.). This lion had quite long canines, but the length of the skull is such that they seem relatively short:

*This image is copyright of its original author

This is the skull of an adult captive male Amur tiger (greatest length 368,60 mm. - weight 2,1120 kg. uncleaned - canines 71,90 and 70,80 mm.). Although shorter than the lion skull, the tiger skull is more elevated at the orbit. In this case, the canines look enormous:

*This image is copyright of its original author

This is typical for most lion and tiger skulls. Although there is a lot of variation, it's safe to state that lion skulls, although longer, are caninewise not as well developed as tiger skulls. Many tiger skulls, and those of Sumatran and Amur tigers in particular, seem very functional platforms for the canines. In skulls of wild tigers, this is even more clear than in captive skulls.    

Anyhow. Here's a book a friend in the US recently bought at my request. One of the best I saw and only $ 11,00 (shipping was $ 4,00 more). Every dime will be used for research in Russia. My advice is to buy it now:

*This image is copyright of its original author

  Reply