Indochinese tiger

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Indochinese tiger
Indochinese tiger

Indochinese tiger

Systematics
Subordination : Feline (Feliformia)
Family : Cats (Felidae)
Subfamily : Big cats (pantherinae)
Genre : Real big cats ( Panthera )
Type : Tiger ( P. tigris )
Subspecies : Indochinese tiger
Scientific name
Panthera tigris corbetti
Mazák , 1968

The Indochinese tiger ( Panthera tigris corbetti ), also Hindu Indian tiger or Corbett tiger , is a subspecies of the tiger . For a long time, the Indochinese tiger was considered the only subspecies of the Indochinese peninsula in Southeast Asia. It has therefore been assumed that the Malay Peninsula's tiger populations are also Indochinese tigers. In 2004, however, it was proven that the Malaysia tiger , native to the Malay Peninsula, is a subspecies of its own.

features

The Indochinese tiger is the Bengal tiger most similar subspecies. This is due to the geographical proximity and borderline of the original habitats. Both the Bengal tiger and the Indochinese tiger are represented in Myanmar .

anatomy

An Indochina tiger shows its teeth.

Males can be 255–275 cm long, while females only 230–255 cm. The weight of the male is between 170 and 190 kg, that of the female between 110 and 120 kg. The skull of the Indochinese tiger is largely shaped like that of the King Tiger, while there are more obvious anatomical differences in other subspecies.

hide

The basic color of the fur is reddish to ocher brown. The white-colored areas in the lower body sections and around the eyes correspond to those of the Bengal tiger. The stripes are generally pure black. They are numerous, quite short and narrow.

Young Indochinese tiger at the Cincinnati Zoo

Occurrence

The center of the range of the Indochinese tiger is Thailand . Other countries where the Indochinese tiger can be found are Cambodia , Laos , the western part of Myanmar and Vietnam . In southern China, the subspecies is likely to have become extinct in recent years. According to a report by Reuters news agency , the last specimen of the Indochinese tiger may have been killed on Chinese territory in 2009. As shown in the table, the populations of the Indochinese tiger are distributed among the five countries that still have occurrences of this subspecies:

country Minimum number Maximum amount
Laos 20th 20th
Myanmar (West) 50 85
Cambodia 20th 20th
Thailand 200 250
Vietnam 20th 20th

This results in an estimated population size of less than 400 wild Indochinese tigers. The numbers of approx. 1000 copies assumed by the WWF and IUCN in 2010 have therefore fallen drastically. The previously high number for Thailand of up to 750 tigers was classified too high because it was extrapolated from the population densities of the Huai Kha Khaeng National Park . In 2009, the WWF assumed a total of around 350 wild Indochinese tigers. On the Red List of Endangered Animal Species (2010) of the IUCN, the subspecies is listed under the status EN ( endangered - critically endangered).

etymology

The zoological name of this subspecies ( Panthera tigris corbetti ) is dedicated to the British hunter and later animal rights activist Jim Corbett . Corbett, Colonel in the British Indian Army , made a name for himself in the early 20th century as a hunter of tigers and leopards , which had become a threat to the local population. Later on, Corbett tried very hard to protect the species of big cats on the Indian subcontinent, u. a. through the participation and demand for protected areas for the animals.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. on anatomy see: Vratislav Mazák: Der Tiger . Reprint of the 3rd edition from 1983. Westarp Wissenschaften, Hohenwarsleben 2004, ISBN 3-89432-759-6 .
  2. Man jailed for eating rare tiger in China. Press release on Reuters.com , December 22, 2009.
  3. a b Panthera tigris ssp. corbetti in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010.4. Posted by: Lynam, AJ & Nowell, K., 2010. Retrieved December 2, 2012.
  4. See The Corbett Foundation

Web links

Commons : Panthera tigris corbetti  - collection of images, videos and audio files