The Siberian tiger easily handles the cold winters of its habitat.
Averaging nearly 11 feet in length and weighing around 660 pounds, the Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) is the largest cat in the world, according to "National Geographic." The Siberian tiger is one of five remaining subspecies of tiger, with as few as 400 existing in the wild. The habitat of this huge predator gives it some advantages over its cousins, but there are drawbacks to living where it does as well.
Geography
Male Siberians develop what looks like a mane for insulation from cold.
Nearly all of the Siberian tigers in the wild live in a range of mountains in southeastern Russia called the Sikhote-Alin Mountains, according to Tigers in Crisis. This range lies east of the Amur River, the waterway and region that give the Siberian the alternate name of Amur tiger. Some Siberian tigers may exist in northeast China, where they were once plentiful. The former range of the cat included the Korean Peninsula and extended westward to Mongolia.
Habitat and Adaptations
The habitat of the Siberian tiger is the taiga of eastern parts of Russia, comprised of birch and coniferous forests. Indian Tiger notes that the Siberian subspecies possesses the lightest colored coat of all the tigers. The coat in winter takes on a much more shaggy demeanor, allowing it to survive in potentially subzero cold; the males develop what resembles a dense mane about their necks. The stripes are brown instead of the traditional black, enabling the tiger to have a camouflaged appearance as it stalks its prey.
Advantages of Habitat
The severe winters and heavily forested habitat give the Siberian tiger some advantages. One is that the number of humans living where it does is extremely low, due to the harsh conditions. Fewer humans equal fewer problems for this tiger. The habitat of the Siberian tiger offers them vast tracts of lands upon which to roam and hunt. Some Siberian tigers have a home range made up of thousands of square miles as it looks for prey such as elk and wild boar.
Negative Effects on Habitat
An increase in logging and mining throughout its habitat has meant bad things for the Siberian tiger. Fragmentation of its habitat -- cutting off one population from another by the encroachment of civilization -- hurts its chances of breeding with others of its kind. More logging and mining translates into more roads, giving easier access to poachers that seek to kill the beast illegally and profits from the unlawful sale of its body parts. The World Wildlife Funds notes there is not enough adequate law enforcement where the Siberian tiger lives to protect it properly.
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