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

[peter]

TIGERS AND BEARS IN RUSSIA - V

Brotherbear, I'm going through the information I have. Might take some time, as I would need to scan quite a bit. In the meantime, you could read posts 94, 95 and 114. Post 95 has a lot of information on bears in south-east Russia, whereas post 114 has a few scans of a recent article (Tkachenko) on tigers and bears in a smallish reserve close to Chabarowsk. I added a summary which has a bit more on tigers and bears. 

The Ussuri brown bear (also referred to as black grizzly or horse bear) is different from the Kamsjatka brown bear in that they have a relatively long skull, elongated nasal bones, narrower arches and much larger teeth. They lack the elevated brow typical for many coastal bears (also seen in many Kodiak bears). Compared to Yellowstone brown bears, they seem a bit larger. Females, according to recent information posted by Guate, are about 145 kg. (320 pounds) whereas males average 582-595 pounds (264-270 kg.). Sexual dimorphism, therefore, is well pronounced.

Many bear-posters underlined that 'average' is a tricky way to describe size in bears, especially large subspecies. The reason is the range in size often is pronounced, more so than in big cats. I have reliable information about females exceeding 600 pounds and one has to assume the range in males is even more outspoken. Furthermore, there is hibernation and seasonal variation. In adults, the difference between minimum (just after hibernation) and maximum weight (just before hibernation) can be as much as 25-35%.

There are some reports on clashes between male tigers and male brown bears. With the exception of one, all incidents happened in winter, meaning non-hibernating bears ('Schatuns') were involved. A bear unable to gain enough weight to last through hibernation usually is forced to find food in winter. These malnourished wanderers often are desperate animals. Many, as a result of a lack of weight, do not survive the winter. Below are a few photographs of Ussuri brown bears. 

a - Linda Kerley weighing a brown bear:

*This image is copyright of its original author

b - Camera trap (WCS):

*This image is copyright of its original author

c - This 'Schatun' did not survive the Russian winter. First posted by Warsaw:

*This image is copyright of its original author

d - This male was killed in a fight with another bear. First posted by Warsaw:

*This image is copyright of its original author

e - Captive Ussuri bear:

*This image is copyright of its original author

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