Amur tiger on a white background. The Ussuri (Amur) tiger is an animal of the Red Book: description, pictures and photos, video of the Amur tiger

The largest and most beautiful subspecies of tigers, the Amur, lives in the Primorsky and Khabarovsk territories of Russia. This noble predator is larger than its southern relatives, its fur is thicker and lighter. The Amur tiger is included in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the Red Book Russian Federation as an endangered species.

On Far East in taiga and mixed deciduous forests There are about 450 tigers. These giants are not guests, but the real masters of the Far Eastern taiga. They are perfectly adapted to cold winter conditions, hardy and amazingly beautiful. Harsh conditions made these noble animals strong and hardy; they are not afraid of snowy, frosty winters.

90% of the total population of Amur tigers is concentrated on the territory of our country, so Russia is responsible for the conservation of this rare species.

In the section " Wildlife» can be found detailed information about the study and conservation program Amur tiger. Today, scientists use the most modern equipment to study the predator's population, such as satellite transmitters and camera traps. These high-tech devices make it possible to monitor the movements of animals, count them, and explain to scientists their habits and features of “social” behavior.

Every fourth Russian does not know that tigers live in the country - these are the results sociological research conducted by the World Wildlife Fund.

Meanwhile, the Amur tiger lives in Ussuri taiga thousands of years. Softly touching the ground, these large cats proudly and confidently walk through the taiga forest.

Tiger coloring

The harsh conditions of the taiga have made the animal strong and resilient; it is not afraid of snowy, frosty winters. The Amur tiger is larger than its southern relatives, its fur is thicker and lighter. Along the reddish background, forming a complex pattern, there are transverse dark stripes. The pattern on a tiger's skin is unique, like a person's fingerprint: you will not find two tigers with the same pattern.

Black stripes, despite their brightness, serve as camouflage for the tiger. But the large white spots on the black back of the ears have a different purpose. When a tigress walks through the forest, she puts her ears so that the black and white field is clearly visible to the cubs following her.

In winter, when the temperature is very low and freezing winds blow, the skin of tigers lightens, becomes thick and fluffy, and a thick layer of fat forms on the belly. The tiger is not afraid of large snows - its wide paws help it walk on it.

Tigers are conservative

Most researchers believe that all species of this predator existing today originated from South China tiger. So the ancestors of today's Amur tigers walked very close to their current habitats - the Primorsky and Khabarovsk territories of Russia.

Tigers, indeed, are almost constantly on the move. Walking around their territory, they look for prey. Tigers, like other cats, mark the boundaries of their territory with odorous marks. They also scrape the ground or, standing on their hind legs, tear off the bark from trees. Such “bullies” can sometimes be found at a height of 2–2.5 meters above the ground.

Tigers are conservative - they use the same paths for years and, if there is enough food within their territory, they never leave them.

The sizes of tigers' habitats vary. They depend on the sex and age of the animal and on how many ungulates are found in the area. Tigresses with small cubs, for example, use a much smaller territory for living and hunting than solitary animals.

Amur tigers hunt at any time of the day, but in summer they prefer to look for food at dusk because they do not tolerate heat well. The darkness is not a hindrance for them, because at night they see five times better than a person.

The Amur tiger has enormous strength and well-developed sense organs. At the same time, he has to devote a lot of time to hunting. Tigers hunt mainly large ungulates. To catch prey, a tiger crawls towards its prey, arching its back and resting its hind paws on the ground. Only one out of ten attempts is successful. And if the throw ends in failure, the tiger will prefer not to pursue the victim, but to look for a new one. When there is little game in the forests, Amur tigers sometimes attack large livestock and dogs.

Little hunters

It is believed that Amur tigers are polygamous. Their periods of reproduction and the appearance of tiger cubs are not confined to any specific time of year. And yet, tigers most often produce offspring in April-June.

After three to four months of waiting, the female gives birth to two or three blind tiger cubs. The mother tries to make a den for her cubs in the safest, hard-to-reach places: in dense thickets, caves, rock crevices - where they will be invisible to other predators.

Around the ninth day after birth, tiger cubs' eyes open, and at the age of two weeks, sharp teeth begin to grow.

The mother feeds her children with milk for six months. Leaving the shelter, two-month-old small predators taste game for the first time - their mother begins to bring them meat.

Tiger cubs play a lot, becoming dexterous and strong, learning the skills necessary for hunting. From the age of six months, grown-up tiger cubs accompany their mother during the hunt and learn the wisdom of searching and obtaining food. Such preparation for the independent life of striped hunters lasts several months. Employees of the Lazovsky Nature Reserve tell how a female with tiger cubs watched for deer near one of the hills in order to teach the cubs to hunt.

But now the time comes for independent hunting. At one year of age, the cubs try for the first time to use all the hunting skills they have acquired. But the first attempts to get food do not always end in success. Teenagers will be able to defeat large prey on their own only by the age of two.

For the first few years of their lives, tiger cubs stay with their mother. The tigress hunts with young tigers until they reach sexual maturity. In the second year of life, young tigers separate from their mother, but continue to live on her territory.

"Amba" under protection

One cannot help but feel respect for this powerful predator as it confidently walks through the snowy taiga, its bright red skin with black stripes contrasting with the white background winter forest. The tiger is an object of worship for many peoples of the Far East. Instead of directly defining “tashu” - tiger, they often admiringly call it “amba” - big.

And yet, the main threat to the survival of these predators is man and his activities. These large cats suffer from persecution by poachers, strive to move away from places where forests are cut down, roads and industrial facilities are built, they die under the wheels of cars, and they starve because there are few animals in the forests.

At the beginning of this century, due to the intensive extermination of these predators and the reduction in the area of their habitats, the number of tigers began to fall sharply. By the end of the 30s, the Amur tiger was on the verge of extinction - no more than fifty individuals remained.

In 1947, the tiger was taken under protection - hunting for it was completely prohibited in Russia. This amazing animal is included in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the Red Book of the Russian Federation as an endangered species, included in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Species wild fauna and endangered flora (CITES).

IN recent years programs are being carried out to protect and study rare and especially important species of animals in Russia. Thanks to the work of scientists, the Amur tiger population has been stabilized, but this little-studied species still requires increased government attention.

That is why a new edition of the “Tiger Conservation Strategy in Russia” was prepared and adopted in 2010, which defines the main directions of activity to preserve the natural population of one of the most beautiful subspecies of large cats - the Amur tiger.

The Amur tiger is the largest representative of the cat family. This powerful predator lives in Russia in the Khabarovsk and Primorsky Territories, as well as in the northeastern regions of China. The total number of this subspecies in wildlife has just over 500 individuals. About the same number of cats live in zoos around the world.

Once upon a time, the living space of the beast was more extensive. It inhabited the lands south of the Caspian Sea and was even found on the eastern coast of the Black Sea. Lived in Central Asia, and in the east it spread to Alaska. That is, this large striped cat reigned supreme in the eastern regions of Eurasia. In the western regions of the vast continent, the palm belonged to the Asiatic lion. Man intervened in the established order of things and mercilessly destroyed both subspecies. Today, the Asiatic (Indian) lion ekes out its existence in the Gir forest in northwestern India, and the Amur tiger lives only in Primorye.

Appearance

This subspecies is taller than bengal tiger by 5-7 cm and reaches 112-120 cm at the withers. Body length in males ranges from 2.4 to 3.3 meters. Weight is 180-306 kg. Females reach 2.4-2.7 meters in length and weigh 120-170 kg. The tail of the Amur tiger grows up to a meter in length. Average weight The male usually weighs around 200 kg, and the height at the withers is 110 cm. The animal is capable of running at a speed of 50 km/h, and can drag large prey over a distance of 500 meters.

The animal's fur is thick and coarse summer period. On the back it reaches a length of 15-17 mm, 25-35 mm on the stomach and 14-16 mm on the tail. In winter, the fur becomes longer, softer and silkier. On the back its length is 40-50 mm, on the chest 60-100 mm, and on the stomach 65-105 mm. The predator's whiskers reach a length of 90-115 mm. The lower part of the body has a thick layer subcutaneous fat. All this protects the big tabby cat from the harsh cold. The color of the coat in winter is less bright and red than in summer. The general red background is crossed by black stripes. The belly and chest are white.

Reproduction and lifespan

The Amur tiger usually lives alone. Only for a while mating season males form pairs with females. There are 3.5 times more of the latter than representatives of the stronger sex. Therefore, the male, having fertilized one female, goes in search of another. Pregnancy lasts 3.5 months. From 2 to 4 cubs are born. They are born blind and absolutely helpless. The eyes open on the 10th day, the teeth erupt on the 15th day. Upon reaching 2 months, the cubs begin to leave the den.

Milk feeding lasts six months. Then the babies begin to accompany their mother during the hunt. The female teaches them this difficult task for many months. At one year old, a young Amur tiger is already capable of hunting on its own. At two years old, the animal turns into a seasoned predator, capable of defeating any prey. However, the tabby cat leaves its parent only after reaching puberty. It occurs at the age of 4-5 years. Males go as far as possible and occupy vast territories. Females do not move far from their mother. They also form their own plots of land and often visit their mother. It is not uncommon to see several females at once, resting peacefully, lying next to each other. The Amur tiger lives in the wild for about 15-17 years. In general, the life expectancy of this animal is 35-40 years.

Behavior and nutrition

The mighty one hunts striped predator for deer and wild boars. They make up up to 70% of his diet. The menu also includes sika deer, elk, wapiti, musk deer and Amur goral. The cat does not disdain hares, rabbits, pikas, and her favorite fish is salmon. When there is little regular food, the animal attacks bears. In times of famine, it approaches people's homes. Here livestock and dogs become its prey. The Amur tiger is active at night. His eyes distinguish colors, and he sees in pitch darkness 5 times better than a person.

A striped cat is not a polar bear, which owns the entire Arctic. The mighty striped predator is a land owner. Each animal has its own huge territory. Its area can reach up to 500 square meters. km. Boundaries are marked by urine and scratches on trees. The domains of females often overlap with those of males. The male does not experience aggression towards the weaker sex. He behaves completely differently towards representatives of the stronger sex. Here, when boundaries are violated, conflicts cannot be avoided. The owner of the land makes it clear by all means that the newcomer should get out of his territory. In such cases, as a rule, it does not come to bloody clashes.

Enemies

In the wild, the Amur tiger has no enemies. Rather, the predator itself is a mortal threat to its colleagues. In this case we mean wolves. Where there are many tigers, the gray wolf is practically not found. The tabby cat mercilessly destroys these canines. This antagonism is apparently explained by similar appetites. Wolves eat the same things as tigers and create competition for the latter. Therefore, the formidable striped beast expels the gray colleagues from its possessions, acting in the most ruthless ways.

But the Amur tiger cannot cope with a person. People drove the beast out of the vast valleys into mountainous regions. He currently lives in the dense spruce forests, alternating with rocky areas teeming with wild boars, wapiti and elk. The animal avoids areas with deep snow and heavy snowfalls, trying to live in places more suitable for hunting. There are several programs to increase the size of this population. Experts want to transfer some of the animals to the northeast of Yakutia. There is also an opinion that this subspecies adapts perfectly to northern regions American continent. For now, these are just projects, and their implementation is a matter of the future.

I bring to your attention a photo gallery “Amur (Ussuri) tiger photo”.

Beautiful photographs from the life of tigers and not a lot of information about this beautiful animal.

Let's start with its name. Amur tiger, Ussuri tiger, Far Eastern tiger - these are all names of one animal. And in order not to confuse readers, I will (in this article) call the tiger both Amur and Ussuri.

The Tungus call the tiger "taskh" or "amba". Amba means great, huge, great. Amboy in Primorye is also called an evil spirit.

The Amur or Ussuri tiger lives in the Primorsky and Khabarovsk Territories on the banks of the Amur and Ussuri. The main population of animals is in Russia. China is home to no more than 10% of total number tigers.

Since the Ussuri (Amur) tiger “lives” in such harsh conditions (for tigers living in the tropics), its fur is thicker and longer, and the colors are not so bright. And besides, this is the only type of tiger that does not have a layer of fat. And this layer can be up to 5 centimeters thick. Pay attention to the ears. They are not big at all. And this is also due to winter frosts.

The Amur (Ussuri) tiger is a very large predator. Long body(up to 3.8 m including the tail), high withers (up to 115 centimeters) and solid weight (up to 300 kg). And it’s no wonder that such a predator is the real owner of the taiga. The female controls a territory of up to 500 square kilometers, and the male - up to 800. A tiger leaves its territory only in one case - there is not enough food in the controlled territory.

The tiger hunts mainly at night. And this is not surprising - the tiger, like all cats, sees perfectly at night. It must be said that even being such a formidable hunter, the tiger has to work very hard in order to “have lunch”. An adult requires about 7-10 kilograms of meat per day.

It is reliably known that the Amur (Ussuri) tiger never (almost never) attacks again. If dinner managed to escape, then the tiger goes in search of a new victim, but does not pursue the “old” one.

A tiger very rarely attacks a person. Even in the taiga, he tries to avoid meeting and leaves.
This taiga beauty lives, on average, about fifteen years.
That's probably all I wanted to say. And now the photo.

The Amur tiger is one of the most unique representatives of the felines, deserving special attention and respect from the person. Let's look and talk about the Amur tiger. The Amur aka Ussuri or Far Eastern tiger is also called the Siberian tiger. ( 16 photos)

The first thing I would like to note is the fact that the Amur tiger is the only tiger subspecies that lives in cold climatic zone, where frosts sometimes reach -40°C.

The Amur tiger lives in the Khabarovsk and Primorsky territories; several individuals also live in China, since their habitat is concentrated directly on the border. In total, about 450 individuals have been recorded in the wild, and approximately the same number are kept in zoos and circuses.

The expensive skin and the prestige of hunting the Amur tiger did their job. The Amur tiger has been listed in the Red Book as a threatened species since 2007. Fortunately, numerous methods for preserving and protecting animals have helped maintain the population and even increase it slightly.

The color of the Amur tiger is somewhat different from the usual color, for example. The Amur tiger is somewhat lighter in color and has a large white spot on its belly, covering the entire belly and the inside of its paws.

The weight of an adult male can reach 300 kg. This is one of the largest representatives of cats. Body length is about 220 cm without tail. The paws are small, the body is elongated, the head is massive, the front legs and chest are large.

The Amur tiger is one of the few animals that distinguishes colors! Sees almost perfectly at night, better than during the day. Therefore it leads mainly night look life.

Tigers hunt wild boars, deer, roe deer and other ungulates, and sometimes lynxes. Ussuri tigers are also good fishermen; during spawning they can eat fish. And if the year is really hungry, they don’t disdain frogs, lizards, and rodents.

Tigers lead an exclusively solitary lifestyle. Only the mother raises her cubs for a while, teaches them to hunt and that’s it. Cases of attacks on humans are extremely rare, one might even say that they are almost non-existent. Because if something similar happened, it was in the form of a bajak or funny stories. On the contrary, the Amur tiger tries in every possible way to avoid contact with humans. Humanity also knows many stories when a tiger helped and saved the life of a helpless person in the taiga.

The body length of males to the tip of the tail reaches 2.7-3.8 meters, in females it is less. Height at withers up to 115 cm, weight 160-270 kg. The Amur tiger is capable of reaching speeds of up to 80 km/hour in the snow!

Among some peoples of the Far East, the Amur tiger is an object of worship. The Amur tiger is depicted on the coat of arms and flag of the Primorsky Territory. And in China, the death penalty is imposed for killing this unique animal.

Proud and beautiful - the Amur tiger and its photographs.

The Amur tiger is the most large predator in the cat family, it is currently on the verge of extinction, and is therefore listed in the Red Book. The mammal is graceful and very beautiful. The weight of an adult can reach up to 300 kg, with a body length of up to 2.9 meters. The Amur tiger lives in the Russian Far East. Lives in the Ussuri taiga. The animal has incredible strength. There are known cases when a tiger dragged a large horse that it had killed along the ground for up to half a kilometer. Among cats he has no equal. The color of the Ussuri tiger is also impressive. He has a very beautiful and thick orange coat. At the same time, the tiger’s belly is always white. The animal is very fast and agile. He has lightning-fast reactions, jumps well and can run at a speed of 80 km/hour.

The animal is perfectly adapted to existence in extremely low temperatures. A thick layer of subcutaneous fat protects it from hypothermia. The animal has acute color vision and is able to distinguish objects in complete darkness.

The Ussuri tiger is a unique business card Primorsky Krai. His image is even on his coat of arms. The tiger habitat is protected. It includes the territories of the Amur and Ussuri rivers, located in the Primorsky and Khabarovsk territories. IN lately The Amur tiger can be found in some areas of China, indicating an increase in its population.

The Amur tiger is the ruler of a vast territory (male up to 800 square kilometers, female up to 500 sq. km). As a rule, the animal does not leave its possessions. This only happens when there is a shortage of food. In this case, the tiger may approach human habitation and attack domestic animals. He hunts at night. Males prefer to live completely alone. Females live in small groups. Tigers communicate with sounds. Being in a good mood, they rub their bodies against each other and touch their heads.

The tiger spends hunting large number strength and energy. This is due to the fact that out of ten attempts to catch prey, only one is successful. The animal tracks the victim and tries to get as close to it as possible, while remaining invisible. This is followed by a lightning-fast throw and an attempt to grab the victim by the throat. If unsuccessful, the tiger does not pursue the animal, but prefers to look for a new victim. He drags his prey to a pond, where he eats. The remains are hidden in a secluded place, which he guards.

The tiger feeds on large artiodactyls, which include sika deer and wapiti. Can hunt small animals, frogs, birds, mice. Sometimes he enjoys fruit. He eats up to 10 kg of meat per day. Doesn't attack humans. Lives for about 15 years.

The mating period is not tied to a specific season. This can happen at any time. Pregnancy in a female Amur tiger lasts 3.5 months, after which two to five tiger cubs are born, weighing up to 1 kg. They are blind and helpless. They begin to see only after two weeks. Up to two months they feed only on mother's milk, and only then they begin to eat meat little by little. They switch completely to a meat diet at the age of six months. The mother feeds her offspring for two years. After this, the cubs become independent and begin to live separately. The male does not take part at all in raising and feeding the cubs.