Amur Tiger

Amur Tigers are the world’s largest cats which hunt the remote, northern forested Amur River region of Asia.  With their huge, thickly-furred bodies, these cats can endure brutally cold temperatures down to 40 degrees below zero!  They roam vast forested ranges in search of large prey such as Red Deer and Wild Boar.  Like all great cats, they are secretive and stealthy creatures which are very rarely seen despite their enormous size.  Humans who coexist with these great cats may spend their whole lives seeing little more than a line of giant, rounded tracks in fresh snow.

Physical Description

Amur Tigers are huge!  Male tigers are generally 1.5 times larger than females and may grow to more than 12 feet in length and 650 pounds in weight...although the record weight is an astonishing 850 pounds!  These cats are extremely muscular in build and grow long thick fur coats, which may be up to 3 inches thick.  They are the largest and palest of all tiger subspecies.  Amur Tigers coats range from light orange to yellowish-orange in color with widely-spaced thick brownish-black stripes.  They are nearly white on their undersides or bellies.  Like all tigers, each cat has its own unique stripe pattern.

Family Life

Mother Amur Tigers typically give birth to 1 to 3 cubs.  Tiger cubs are born blind and helpless.  They nurse or drink milk from their mother for their first 8 weeks.  At 8 weeks of age, they can start exploring outside the den with their mother.  The cubs will often accompany her on hunts by 1 year of age and will leave her side to start their own lives at 1.5 to 2.5 years of age.  Cubs are full grown by the age of 3 and can start families of their own by 3 to 4 years of age.

Diet

Red Deer, Wild Boar, Roe Deer, Serow, hares, birds, fish and rodents