Amur Tigers Have Adapted for the Cold. Your Cat Has Not!

January 6, 2014 by

The Amur Tiger Adapted to Survive Harsh Cold WintersSiberian tiger in snow

The Amur tiger, you might know this cat by the name Siberian tiger, lives in the coniferous, scrub oak and birch woodlands of the Primorsky Krai region of the Russia far east.
This tiger has adapted to live in a the harsh cold climate where extreme cold temperatures and deep snow are common.
  • Their large size, the biggies cats in the world, allows them to conserve heat better than their smaller cousins living in Sumatra.
  • The Amur tiger has a layer of fat on its belly and flanks to protect them from the bitter cold.
  • This tigers fur is thick and long providing protection from freezing cold during the winter months.
  • Their paws have extra fur that protects them like wearing snow boots from the snow and ice.

Your Cat Has Not Adapted to Survive the Harsh Winter

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Filed Under: Cat Health, Joanne's Blog, Tigers Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Amur Tigers Need You! Please Sign To Ban Tiger Trade Now

September 11, 2012 by

A Moment of Silence for the Amur Tiger

I have something super serious to tell you. Eight Amur tiger skins have been seized from a citizen in the town of

Amur Tiger with Gracey

A Moment of Silence for the Amur Tiger.

Arseniev in the Russian Far East. Wildlife experts think the poachers killed the entire tiger family including two cubs estimated to be 1-2 months old.

The deaths of these tigers is a crushing blow to wild tiger conservation. There are only an estimated 8-10 adult Amur tigers living in the Lazovsky Nature Reserve, one of the largest nature reserves in the Primorye, the far south-eastern edge of Russia.

Amur Tiger Conservation Efforts

The Amur tiger is in a battle against extinction. Scientists are worried that even though there are around 500 Amur tigers  surviving in the wild, low genetic diversity is making the subspecies vulnerable to disease. In fact the effective population was estimated at just 14 individuals remaining.  The troublesome low effective population size dims the hope for the recovery of the big cat.  To lose 8 healthy tigers, an entire family, to poachers is devastating.

It is important to understand there are many people in the Russian Far East that are protective of the Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica), you might know this tiger better by the name Siberian tiger. This tiger subspecies is listed as  critically endangered in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and in the Red Books of the Russian Federation. Following the International Tiger Forum in St. Petersburg in 2010 the Russian Government began allocating  money to conserve Amur tigers in protected areas. But they are facing a formidable opponent and that is the demand for tiger skins and  tiger derivatives, such as bones and other parts for tiger wine, soups and traditional medicinal practices. As the tiger population dwindles, the price of tiger parts goes up because of scarcity.

Younger Generation is Driving the Illegal Trade!

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