Size comparisons

[GuateGojira]

(06-17-2022, 11:31 PM)LonePredator Wrote: @GuateGojira I would like to know your opinion about the Kaziranga Tigers. Do you think the Kaziranga Tigers could surpass Terai Tigers in terms of size??

And if you do believe they can, then how big do you think Kaziranga Tigers can get? Is it possible that a 300kg+ Tiger could be found in Kaziranga?

From what I have saw, there is little difference between the tiger populations in the Indian subcontinent (India, Nepal, Bhutan), with exception of the Sundarbans, which is a completelly different animal based in morphology and DNA.

Among this tiger population, northern tigers seems to be slightly larger, based in the few records, but the difference is not very big. Tigers in the Assam region reported by the Maharaha of Cooch Behar are not significantly larger than those from Nepal, for example, and I suspect that Kaziranga tigers are about the same size. However, this is because there are big tigers all over the area, is not like if they are rare, for the contrary, big tigers are the norm in the Indian subcontinent and weights over 220 kg are relatively common. This is not like in lions, where all the populations are regular sized and there are some peaks (like the Ngorongoro amount all the other lions in the East of Africa), I did not noted important peak in the Indian subcontinen, many if not all the populations had reached the 250 kg at least once.

Now, Kaziranga is famous also for they density, been among the biggest in the world, thanks to its large prey density. This may cause also a big size, but been honest the fame of its large size is related with pictures from cammera traps, as no measurement or weight of tigers in that particular area has been published.

I think that Kaziranga tigers are just regular Bengals with a relative higher prey base, but definitelly they probably weigh the same as tiger in other areas of the subcontinent, with males been between 175 - 272 kg and females between 100 - 177 kg. Now, are tigers up to 300 kg possible in the area? I think yes, like in any other part in the north of the subcontient, but like the records shows, they will be very very rare. A tiger of 250 - 260 kg "emtpy" is already a big one and over that weight it will be esceptional. Take in count that the heaviest tiger recorded (320 kg) could be as low as 290 kg "empty". After it, no other tiger from a sample of almost 200 males reached that body mass.

So, in a nutshell, I think that Kaziranga tigers are not particularly big (as there are several big tigers in the Indian subcontinent) and I think that is possible that an exceptionally large male could reach the 300 kg, but it will be extremelly rare. Reply