Amur tigers are the biggest cats in the world. They have a round head with a heavy skull, strong facial muscles and an extremely powerful jaw. The "eye of the tiger" faces forward, giving the tiger depth perception useful during hunting. Even in the poorest light, a tiger's eyesight is six times greater than that of a human's. They also have a keen sense of hearing and equilibrium. Strong legs and silent paws help it hunt, run and jump.
Amur tiger’s fur is a very thick yellow to reddish color with a black stripe pattern. This thick coat and a layer of fat up to 2 inches (5 cm) thick on their belly and flanks help them tolerate temperatures as low as -45 degrees F (7 degrees C).
The tigers’ famous stripes help them to camouflage themselves from their prey while hunting. No two tigers have the same stripe pattern. Just as humans are identified through their own unique fingerprints, tigers are identified by their individual stripe patterns.
Longevity
The lifespan of a tiger is 16 years old.
Reproduction
Amur tigers can mate throughout the year, although mating usually occurs between November and April. The gestation period for the tiger ranges from 103-110 days. Females will give birth to a litter of 2-3 cubs, although they have been known to give birth to as many as 6 cubs.
A female reaches sexual maturity between 2-3 years of age. Through the next 10-12 years of a tigress’ life she may give birth to a litter every 2-3 years. The cubs will open their eyes between 9-12 days. She will nurse them and raise them alone for up to 6 months. Once the cubs are weaned they will have learned hunting techniques from mom. The cubs will be independent by the age of 18 months.
Behavior
Amur tigers may be active at all times of the day and night, however they are primarily nocturnal. They roam the Amur regions in the Russian Far East. The Amur river in this region forms a border between Northeastern China and the Russian Far East. Males and females come together only to mate and occasionally share large prey items. They are very territorial covering large stretches of their range. Although males will not overlap territories, several females may have smaller areas inside the territory of one male.
Both males and females mark their territory by spraying a strong odor along its borders. They will also scratch and claw trees to show others that they are nearby.
More than any other cats, Amur tigers rely on their sense of sight. Tigers will stalk their prey and get as close as possible before pouncing on it. Once the prey is killed, it is dragged off to a safe place where the tiger will consume the meat until it is full. The prey is then covered and hidden so that the tiger can return at a later time to eat again.