Indochinese Tiger
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| 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, Laos, Malaysia, Burma, 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 metres (8.37 to 9.35 ft) in length, weigh 150 to 195 kilograms (330 to 430 lb), and have the greatest skull length of 319 to 365 millimetres (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 (550 lb).
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 that was killed in 1984 near the Vietnam-Laos border. This tiger, with a total length of 2.8 m (9 ft) and a total weight of about 250 kg (550 lb), had terrorized villages in its territory for a number of years before being killed. It had killed over ten buffaloes in the villages, despite the villager's attempts to stop it. When one village built a 3 metre (9.8 ft) fence around the cattle enclosure, the tiger managed to jump this fence, kill a calf, and jump back over, holding the 60 kg (130 lb) animal in its mouth. The tiger was finally killed when villagers set up a gun trap on a discarded buffalo carcass, which the tiger set off when he tried to take the buffalo away. The tiger's body was found by a stream about 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) away from the trap site, meaning that the tiger could still go that far after suffering a mortal wound.[citation needed]
[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. The Indo Chinese Tiger have 2-3 cubs at a time.
[edit] Population and 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 fraction of the subspecies was in Malaysia, where illegal poaching is strictly controlled, but experts have found out that the tigers in Malaysia are actually another subspecies of tiger, the Malayan Tiger, making the population of Indochinese tiger lower than expected. 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
