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

[peter]

(07-30-2018, 07:14 AM)johnny rex Wrote: Regarding the skeleton of 600 pound male Amur tiger, did the owner measured its skull @peter ?

As far as I know, he didn't. My advice would be to visit the site yourself (Taxidermy.Net Forum).

Skulls of captive big cats are offered on different sites. This is one of them: https://www.sideshowtoy.com/collectibles/product-archive/?sku=BC008&archive=y. At the bottom of the page, you'll find the details of that particular skull (length, width, height and weight). 

I wouldn't use them for a table. I often noticed that measurements are unreliable. A biologist I visited some years ago told me he had a very large skull of a wild male Java tiger. As he didn't have the equipment needed, I had a few doubts. When I measured the skull, it turned out to be an average-sized skull of a captive male Java tiger. 

Another biologist, also a conservator, informed me about the skull of a lioness he had added to the collection. The 'lioness' had been shot somewhere in Africa after she had attacked and killed a man a long time ago. He wanted it determinated to be sure. When I told him it was the skull of a youngish male polar bear, he refused to pay.

Skulls are an object of desire for many (taxidermists, biologists and private collectors). More often than not, they're not interested in details and accurate measurements. When they want to know more about a particular skull, they visit a museum. Way cheaper than visiting a specialist. At times, however, they have no option but to contact me.

Museum conservators know about skulls, but there is a difference between 'skulls', skulls of predators and big cat skulls. Skullwise, most of them (but not all) are able to distinguish between a lion and a tiger, but that's about it. Dr. P. van Bree (former zoological Museum of Amsterdam) and Dr. D. Morike (Stuttgart) were exceptions to the general rule. Determining a skull can take a lot of time. You have to be really interested. Reply