Indochinese Tiger
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| Panthera tigris corbetti Mazák, 1968 |
The Indochinese tiger or Corbett's tiger (Panthera tigris corbetti) is a subspecies of tiger found in Cambodia, China, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. The "Corbett's" name stems from the scientific name of the subspecies, Panthera tigris corbetti, which in turn is named in honor of Jim Corbett.
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[edit] Physical Characteristics
Male Indochinese tigers measure 2.55 to 2.85 m (8.37 to 9.35 ft) in length, weigh 150 to 195 kg (330 to 430 lb), and have a greatest skull length of 319 to 365 mm (13 to 14 in.). The average male Indochinese tiger is approximately 2.74 m (9 ft) in length and weighs about 180 kg (400 lb). Large individuals can weigh well over 250 kg.
Female Indochinese tigers measure 2.30 to 2.55 m (7.55 to 8.37 ft) in length, weigh 100 to 130 kg (221 to 287 lb), and have greatest skull length of 275 to 311 mm (11 to 12 in). The average female Indochinese tiger is approximately 2.44 m (8 ft) in length and weighs about 115 kg (250 lb).
Indochinese tigers are very powerful. In Vietnam, there is a documented case of a large male killed in 1984 near the border VietNam-Laos. This tiger, with a total length of 2.8 m and weighed about 250 kg, had rained terror for the nearby villages for a long time before it was trapped. It had killed more than 10 buffaloes of the villagers. Despite the villagers' effort to build 3 metre high fences surrounding their cattle enclosure, this tiger managed to jump into the enclosure, killed a calf and jumped out of the fence holding the kill, about 60 kg in weight, in its mouth. The tiger was finally killed when it came back to the village field, killed a large buffalo with its powerful forepaw swipe and dragged the prey away. The villagers appeared in time, scared the tiger off, and made a gun trap on the dead buffalo. In the next evening, when the tiger came back for the prey, it stumbled on the trap, thus triggered the rifles and was shot dead in the end. Its body was found by a stream about 2 km away from the trap site, meaning this tiger was still able to flee quite a long distance after suffering the mortal wound.
[edit] Habitat
Indochinese tigers live in secluded forests in hilly to mountainous terrain, the majority of which lies along the borders between countries. Entrance to these areas is frequently restricted, and as of late biologists have been granted limited permits for field surveys. For this reason, comparatively little is known about the status of these big cats in the wild.
[edit] Diet
The Indochinese tiger hunts antelope, wild boar, wild pig, wild deer, monkeys, baby elephants, and wild cattle, including gaur, kouprey, and water buffalo. Occasionally they will kill leopards, bears and other tigers. They are also known to feed on fish and turtle, when ungulate preys are short.
[edit] Population & Threats
Estimates of its population vary between 1,227 to 1,785, but it seems likely that the number is in the lower part of the range. The largest current population is in Malaysia, where illegal poaching is strictly controlled, but all existing populations are at extreme risk from habitat fragmentation and inbreeding.
In Vietnam, almost three-quarters of the tigers killed provide stock for Chinese pharmacies. Also the tigers are seen by poor natives as a resource through which they can ease poverty.
The tiger's numbers will be difficult to increase unless residents can see that a live tiger is more valuable than a dead one. Some are starting to realize this and are hoping to use the tiger as a draw for ecotourism.
[edit] See also
