The Tiger Scientific Name – Panthera tigris Location – Nagarhole National Park, Karnataka, India Date – January 2014 The Tiger (Panthera tigris) is the largest cat species, the species is classified in the genus Panthera. Tigers are apex predators, primarily preying on ungulates such as deer and bovids. They are territorial and generally solitary but social animals, often requiring large contiguous areas of habitat that support their prey requirements. This coupled with the fact that they are indigenous to some of the more densely populated places on Earth, has caused significant conflicts with humans. The tigers closest living relatives are the lion, leopard and jaguar, all of which are classified under the genus Panthera. Tigers have muscular bodies with powerful forelimbs, large heads and long tails. The pelage is dense and heavy; coloration varies between shades of orange and brown with white ventral areas and distinctive vertical black stripes, whose patterns are unique to each individual. Their function is likely for camouflage in vegetation such as long grass with strong vertical patterns of light and shade. The tiger is one of only a few striped cat species; it is not known why spots are the more common camouflage pattern among felids. The tigers stripes are also found on the skin, so that if it were to be shaved, its distinctive coat pattern would still be visible. They have a mane-like heavy growth of fur around the neck and jaws and long whiskers, especially in males. The pupils are circular with yellow irises. The small, rounded ears have a prominent white spot on the back, surrounded by black. These false eyespots, called ocelli, apparently play an important role in intraspecies communication. The skull is similar to that of the lion, though the frontal region is usually not as depressed or flattened, with a slightly longer postorbital region. The skull of a lion has broader nasal openings. However, due to variation in skulls of the two species, the structure of the lower jaw is a more reliable indicator of species. The tiger also has fairly stout teeth; the somewhat curved canines are the longest among living felids with a crown height of up to 90 mm. When hunting larger animals, tigers prefer to bite the throat and use their powerful forelimbs to hold onto the prey, often simultaneously wrestling it to the ground. The tiger remains latched onto the neck until its target dies of strangulation. By this method, gaurs and water buffaloes weighing over a ton have been killed by tigers weighing about a sixth as much. Tigers once ranged widely across Asia, from Turkey in the west to the eastern coast of Russia. Over the past 100 years, they have lost 93% of their historic range, and have been extirpated from southwest and central Asia, from the islands of Java and Bali, and from large areas of Southeast and Eastern Asia. The remaining six tiger subspecies have been classified as endangered by IUCN. The global population in the wild is estimated to number between 3,062 and 3,948 individuals, down from around 100,000 at the start of the 20th century, with most remaining populations occurring in small pockets isolated from each other. Major reasons for population decline include habitat destruction, habitat fragmentation and poaching. The tiger is the national animal of Bangladesh, India, Vietnam, Malaysia and South Korea. Device – Nikon D3x + Lens – Nikon AF-S 400mm f/2.8G ED VR AF + AF-S Teleconverter TC-20E II + Focal Length 800mm + Aperture – F/11 + Shutter Speed – 1/250s + Exposure Mode – Manual + Metering – Matrix + ISO – 800
Posted on: Wed, 27 Aug 2014 08:05:19 +0000