Ussuriysky tiger - northern beauty

The Ussuri tiger (also known as the Amur tiger)recognized as one of the largest predators in the world. At the same time, it is considered to be the least aggressive towards humans, in comparison with other subspecies of such felines. It is this animal that is depicted on the coat of arms of Primorsky Krai. In ancient times, the peoples of the Far East even worshiped him.

Ussurian tiger. A photo

Appearance and habitat

Ussuriysky tiger differs from other subspeciesmore pale coloring. The tone of its color is ohristo- or reddish-red. The tiger's body is decorated with brown or black cross strips. In the summer, its color is brighter. But in winter the fur becomes longer and thicker. The weight of the male Ussuri tiger can exceed 300 kg. Females are slightly smaller. As a rule, they weigh about 130 kg. In this case, the body length of the Ussuri tiger varies between 1.6 m and 2.9 m, and the tail size is 1.1 m.

The Ussuri tiger is the most northern subspeciesamong the big cats. Its main habitat is the south of the Far East of Russia. At the moment Amur tigers can be found in the forest part of Primorsky Krai and the southern part of Khabarovsk. The main population of these animals lives on the territory of the mountain system Sikhote-Aline.

general information

The Ussuri tiger is known for its enormous physicalforce. In particular, it is able to drag the carcass of an adult horse more than 500 m. In addition, the Amur tiger can develop a speed of up to 80 km / h, moving on snow. In fact, in speed, it is second only to cheetah. It should be noted that low temperatures have almost no effect on the vital activity of this species. This he stands out among his other brethren.

To the shelters of the Ussuri tiger can be attributed nichesunder fallen trees and rock ledges. His favorite habitats are forests with high and steep cliffs and caves. Here the predator will always find food, and from high points can survey its possessions. By the way, each tiger has its own habitat, which regularly bypasses. In most cases, predators stick to the once-chosen route.

The Ussuri tigers are single beasts anddo not recognize life in the pack. The time of their activity falls on the evening, the first half of the night and the early morning. In the afternoon they tend to lie on the crest of a ridge or on a rock for a better view of their territory. It is known that cats do not like water. Tigers, on the contrary, can stay in it for hours and swim well. Under natural conditions, these animals live 10-15 years. The Ussuri tiger has almost no enemies, because such a strongman can only be overcome by a very large bear.

Already in the 30-ies of the last century, the Amur tigermet only in the most inaccessible places of the Ussuri taiga. On the verge of extinction, it was due to mass shooting of adult individuals, catching young and reducing the number of wild cloven-hoofed animals. Negatively, its population was affected by low-snow winters. Thus, the Ussuri tiger is also among the animals protected by the state. The Red Book refers him to those rare animals that, under adverse factors, can quickly become a category of threatened species.