Ussuriyskiy, Far Eastern, Amurskiy - these names refer to the subspecies of the tiger that are found in the basins of the Ussuri and Amur rivers, in the south-east of Russia, in the Primorsky Territory. The animal lives in the taiga, has a beautiful and graceful appearance and may well compete on a par with a lion for the honorary title of the king of animals.
Description of the Ussuri tiger
The Ussuri tiger is one of the largest representatives of the feline family. It is worth noting that in size it even surpasses a lion. This giant weighs about 200 kg, reaching in some cases 250 kg. The length of the Ussuri tiger is 2, 7-3, 8 m, height - 99-106 cm.
The Ussuri tiger moves silently, despite its impressive size. This is facilitated by the presence of wide and soft fur pads on the powerful paws. They do not allow you to fall in the deep snowdrifts of the snowy taiga in winter. In summer, this feature provides silent movement on the grass. The presence of fluffy and thick wool is due to the particularly harsh climate in which the Ussuri tiger lives.
Basically, the predator's coat is red, with the exception of the sideburns, chest and belly, where it is white. Many black stripes are scattered all over the body of the Ussuri tiger. The predator has a thick fat pad on its belly, like a pillow, so that the tiger does not freeze when it sleeps in the cold snow.
Interesting information
Ussuriysk tigers, unlike lions, like many representatives of the cat family, do not live in an organized group, but exist alone. They carefully control their territory, which sometimes reaches up to 500 square kilometers. The Ussuri tiger marks the entire perimeter, leaving deep scratches on the trees and releasing secretory fluid.
During the hunt, the Ussuri tigers try not to leave their territory, trying to avoid contact with people. Very rarely, when food is scarce, the predator loses fear of humans, wandering to the outskirts of various settlements. In this case, tigers do not disdain anything, including livestock, fruits of plants and fish.
The main natural food of the Ussuri tigers is wild boars, roe deer and deer. The food requirement of the predator is about 10 kg of meat per day.
Mating in the Ussuri tigers does not occur with one partner and is absolutely not associated with any particular period or season. The male chooses his own female, with which he mates for 5-7 days. After that, he leaves her. The tigress carries babies for 92-110 days. Usually 3-4 cubs are born, absolutely helpless and blind. After a week and a half, their eyes gradually open, and after 2 - their teeth grow. During the first few years, small cubs stay near the mother, being under her protection.
Ussuriysk tigers are listed in the Red Book. This is due to their small number. For this period, there are no more than 450 individuals of this species. Today these animals are under protection.
