What Are the Dietary Needs of a Tiger?
Tigers are beautiful creatures recognized by their characteristic striped pattern. They are the largest of all cats and as such, they need an adequate amount of food to meet their dietary needs. Although they are not the best hunters of the great cat species, they must hunt and at times even scavenge to maintain an adequate food supply.
History
Tigers are solitary hunters. They roam a wide range of habitats including savannahs and tropical rainforests. These great cats now exist only in a fragment of the range they once occupied. Tigers usually claim a large territory in which to live and hunt. Male tigers usually occupy a much larger territory than females. They will often allow other tigers to pass through their territory without any conflict. Once a territory is occupied it remains so and even if the tiger dies, other tigers will normally leave it unoccupied. Tigers are one of the top predators and tiger young are already able to kill prey at less than 1 year of age.
Features
Tigers are the heaviest of the great cats. They can weight between 200 to 400 pounds, with the Siberian tiger being the heaviest. They can measure from 8 to 10 feet in length. Tigers are carnivores that need at least 20 pounds of meat per day to survive. However, they don't always eat every day, so when they make a kill (which is usually once or twice a week) they eat as much as they can. Some tigers will eat 50 to 80 pounds of meat at the time of the kill. They are known to cover their kill with grass to hide it from vultures and other predators for later feeding. Tigers may finish consuming their prey over a period of 2 to 3 days after making the kill.
Types
Tigers prey primarily on deer and wild pig although they will feed on a variety of prey including buffalo, wild dogs, wolves, monkeys, hare, fish and birds. They have even been known to take down elephant and rhinoceros calves. Tigers need a steady supply of prey to sustain their necessary intake of meat. Tigers are also scavengers and will feed on dead carcasses especially when there is not a sufficient supply of prey available. They eat grass to improve their digestion and have been known to supplement their diet by eating fruit.
Significance
Tigers will stalk prey from behind, moving in as closely as possible. They are patient and quiet. Tigers pounce on their prey by grabbing it on the neck with their powerful jaws and teeth and suffocate it. Tigers have strong paws that allow them to hold onto prey. For the most part, tigers will avoid each other but occasionally will share a kill. Male tigers will usually let females and cubs feed first. Tigers will fight to defend their prey from being stolen by other species.
Considerations
Tigers are an endangered species. Out of the 9 subspecies 3 of them are already extinct. It is estimated that there are only about 4,000 tigers left in the wild. Tigers have been persecuted throughout the ages. They have been shot, poisoned and trapped for illegal trade of their coats and body parts for use in Chinese medicines. There are many threats to the survival of tigers including loss of habitat and depletion of prey. Tigers now only exist in small populations in areas where they used to be abundant. Dire predictions have been made that suggest tigers could become completely extinct within the next few years. Tigers play an important role in the ecosystem by keeping prey populations under control and in balance with the natural system of vegetation where overgrazing may occur. Steps are being taken to support conservation efforts to ensure the survival of these magnificent creatures but even if tigers do survive it is likely that they will remain in danger for some time. Tigers need international support if they are to survive and increase in numbers.
Warning
There have been cases of tigers killing humans for prey in certain areas, such as India. This is not the natural way of tigers. They typically do not look upon humans as prey and mostly will try to avoid humans if possible. Tigers do not normally approach human settlements. The reason for such a turn of events is uncertain but most likely is explained by the loss of habitat and regular prey. As humankind continues to encroach and expand upon the natural environment of wildlife, depleting prey and other natural resources, more attacks by wild species may occur. These animals are literally fighting for their lives. The human desire for expansion into forests, grasslands and other areas as well as the consumption of natural resources continues to happen at an alarming rate. Such actions are bound to have devastating consequences for all the species of earth.
Tags: have been, tigers will, their prey, been known, Dietary Needs Tiger, great cats, humans prey