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

[Pckts]

@tigerluver
It makes sense that some tigers would digest food faster than others or eat more, etc.
Metabolism can be higher or lower in humans same as animals.
But Macro Nutrients required would still need to fuel animals weight. A 400lb animal would still need less food than a 500lb animal. A faster metabolism can account for some, but a person with a faster metabolism can and will still become obese if they eat fatty rich food compared to a person who eats healthier food with a slower metabolism. Since tigers are hyper carnivores, they only eat meat. So a tiger that preys on fattier prey than a tiger who preys on more densly muscled animals may be larger, but then we must take into account the energy required to take down said prey. Like somebody who works out compared to somebody that lounges around on their couch. So a tiger who hunts for himself will probably need to eat more regularly than a tiger who scavenges from his females. They use more energy so in turn they require more food.
I would assume that terrain would also play a factor as if trekking is harder it will require more energy which will require more fuel.
All and all, many factors will come into play for food intake but at the end, since tigers live fairly similar lives and eat a array of similar foods, I think size will be the most determining factor.

Now in regards to the Bird analogy,
while its usefull, a band around the leg is not the same as a collar around the neck. Also the way animals handle stress is completely different, since I don't know the history or the types of birds you speak of, its to hard to compare. But if these birds are used to human presence it makes a very different response compared to a wild animal that is used to being the top of the food chain who would have nothing to fear that may become more suseptable to stress during capture and having a foreign object placed around it.
Also its much harder to capture a tiger when small and place a collar since they grow so fast and the amounts of captures required would surely stress a animal out even further. Lets not also forget the affect it would have on the tiger mother. Look what became of the Kaziranga mother when her cub was taken, she charged a forest guard on top of a elephant, so whats to keep these mothers from doing the same? A bird is far less capable of attacking a human and doing damage, so that is probably not the best comparision for this. But still appreciate the story. Reply