- Indochinese tiger
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Indochinese tiger
Vietnamese: Hổ Đông Dương
Thai: เสือโคร่งอินโดจีน
Conservation status Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Felidae Genus: Panthera Species: P. tigris Subspecies: P. tigris corbetti Trinomial name Panthera tigris corbetti
Mazák, 1968The Indochinese tiger or Corbett's tiger (Panthera tigris corbetti) is a subspecies of tiger found in Cambodia, Laos, Burma, Thailand, and Vietnam and formerly in China. Tigers in peninsular Malaysia, formerly classified as Indochinese, have recently been reclassified as a separate subspecies, Malayan tiger Panthera tigris jacksoni. 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. No Indochinese tigers have been seen in China since 2007, and it is believed that the last specimen there was killed and eaten by a man now sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment for the crime.[2]
Contents
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); the skull measures between 319 to 365 millimetres (13 to 14 in) in length. The average male Indochinese tiger is approximately 2.74 m (9 ft) long and weighs about 180 kg (420 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), with a 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 (253 lb).
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. Mother tigers give birth to two or three cubs at a time.
Diet
Indochinese tigers prey mainly on medium- and large-sized wild ungulates. Sambar deer, wild pigs, serow, and large bovids such as banteng and juvenile gaur comprise the majority of Indochinese tiger’s diet. However, in most of Southeast Asia large animal populations have been seriously depleted because of illegal hunting, resulting in the so-called “empty forest syndrome” – i.e. a forest that looks intact, but where most wildlife has been eliminated.[3][4] Some species, such as the kouprey and Schomburgk's Deer, are extinct, and Eld's Deer, hog deer and wild water buffalo are present only in a few relict populations. In such habitats tigers are forced to subsist on smaller prey, such as muntjac deer, porcupines, macaques and hog badgers. Small prey by itself is barely sufficient to meet the energy requirements of a large carnivore such as the tiger, and is insufficient for tiger reproduction. This factor, in combination with direct tiger poaching for traditional Chinese medicine, is the main contributor in the collapse of the Indochinese tiger throughout its range.[5]
Population and threats
Estimates of its population vary between 420 to 1,000,[1] but it seems likely that the number is in the lower part of the range. The largest population of the subspecies was formerly considered to be in Malaysia, where illegal poaching is strictly controlled. However, as of 2004, tigers in Malaysia have been reclassified as another subspecies of tiger, the Malayan Tiger. This effectively means that the actual number of Indochinese tigers is less than half of the above estimates. All existing populations are at extreme risk from poaching, prey depletion due to poaching of deer and wild pigs, habitat fragmentation and inbreeding. In 2009 the last known wild Indochinese tiger in China was killed and eaten by nearby villagers from the village of Mengla.[6]
In Vietnam, almost three-quarters of the tigers killed provide stock for Chinese pharmacies. 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 view a live tiger as more valuable than a dead one. Some are starting to realize this and are hoping to use the tiger as a draw for ecotourism.
Cited references
- ^ a b Lynam, A.J. & Nowell, K. (2008). Panthera tigris ssp. corbetti. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 9 November 2009. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of endangered.
- ^ John R. Platt Man convicted for killing and eating China’s last Indochinese tiger. Scientific American. December 25, 2009
- ^ "Asia’s biodiversity vanishing into the marketplace". http://news.bio-medicine.org/biology-news-2/Asias-biodiversity-vanishing-into-the-marketplace-2548-1/.
- ^ "Wildlife trade creating “empty forest syndrome” across the globe". http://news.mongabay.com/2009/0118-hance_hunting.html.
- ^ Karanth, K.U., Stith, B.M. 1999: Prey depletion as a critical determinant of tiger population viability. In: Seidensticker/ Christie/ Jackson: Riding The Tiger: Tiger Conservation in human-dominated landscapes. Cambridge University Press, 1999 ISBN 0521648351
- ^ Le, Yu and Lucy Hornby (December 22, 2009). "Man jailed for eating rare tiger in China". Reuters.com. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5BL0R420091222.
External links
Categories:- IUCN Red List endangered species
- Tigers
- Mammals of China
- Mammals of Vietnam
- Mammals of Burma
- Mammals of Laos
- Mammals of Thailand
- Mammals of Malaysia
- Megafauna of Eurasia
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