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

[peter]

(12-17-2018, 11:40 PM)Pckts Wrote:

(12-17-2018, 10:42 PM)peter Wrote:

(12-17-2018, 12:22 PM)Apollo Wrote: Khumba male

mating pair from Ranthambore

I asked Apollo to post the video of the Jilin tiger (post 1,973) and both videos in which Ranthambore tiger feature (post 1,974) in this thread, because they're special.

Jilin tigers are Amur tigers, but there is no contact between tigers in Sichote-Alin and those of northeastern China. Chances are they could develop in a different way, that is. The largest Amur tigers were shot in Manchuria. A century later, I wonder if we will see something similar in the near future. Northeastern China roughly compares to Sichote-Alin, but the photographs I saw suggest the vegetation could be a bit more lush. More cover, that is. Tigers in the southwestern part of Sichote-Alin (and those in northeastern China) hunt bears more often than elsewhere. A result of more cover or a result of a lack of large prey animals (in northeastern China, tigers attack domesticated animals at times)? Quite a few tigers in southwestern Sichote-Alin and northeastern China are recent migrants. Maybe they lack knowledge in the wild boar department?  

Ranthambore tigers belong to Panthera tigris tigris, but they seem different from tigers in northern, southern, central and northeastern India. Less stripes, shorter stripes and more black. A bit longer and taller and seemingly not as massive as in other regions in India. Even the infamous man-eater who was arrested and jailed some time ago, although well over 500 pounds in his prime, was different from the tanks occasionally seen in central and northeastern India. This although measurements suggest they could top the list for India.

In a way, they remind me of Kalahari lions. These lions could top the list for Africa, but also seem less massive than in southern Africa and the Crater.

Could be a result of adaptation to more arid conditions. Preyanimalwise, semi-deserts are less productive than lush forests, safari-like landscapes and hills in more tropical regions. In spite of that, Ranthambore tigers and Kalahari lions seem a bit longer and taller than tigers and lions living in more productive regions. 

Many thanks, Apollo.

People I have spoken with who have seen both have told me that they see no difference in height between Ranth. and C. Indian tigers that they've seen.

I also have my doubts about that, I see no reason for them to be Taller or Longer than any other Tiger, there is no benefit there and the prey they hunt is no different than Tigers else where, in fact, the prey there is small to mid size but missing the large bovines, Rhino or Elephant that should require more size. 

Take Khumba for example, I have seen many videos of him where I say he is definitely a good sized male Tiger but I have also seen many videos of him where I think he's probably a normal sized male with a slimmer frame. I'll post a few below and you can compare if you'd like.

I agree it's not easy to get to estimates based on videos. When a video showing an adult male from the front while walking is compared to a video of the same tiger showing him from behind, the result often is confusion. Not seldom, conclusions are related to angles and opinions.

In the video posted by Apollo, Khumba seems longer and taller than average. When walking, his skull, shoulders and upper arms stand out. Seen from behind, however, it seems he was just released from a hospital where he was treated for a lack of vitamins. A typical wild male tiger, that is.

Based on what I have, I'd say there are differences between tigers in western India and those in other regions. Recent measurements suggest they not only seem a bit longer and taller; they top the list for India. Length can result in deception in that long and tall tigers often seems to be less massive than shorter, but well-proportioned, males.

The question is why western India is producing long and tall tigers. My guess is it is related to climate, vegetation and average prey size. True, the forest in Ranthambore is not very different from forests in central India, but the trees are smaller and there is more jungle. A result of less water less evenly distributed over the year. Ranthambore is not that far from northwestern India, where heat and water are very real problems. 

Large bodies are needed to preserve heat and deal with severe cold, like in the Russian Far East, but big cats living in more arid conditions, like northwestern India and southern Namibia, also are quite long and tall. This could enable them to get rid of excessive heat quickly. The last thing you need in these conditions, is weight. In spite of that, males well exceeding 500 pounds have been seen in both regions. Reply