MAMMALIAN SPECIES wo.15, Panthera tigris. By Vratislay Mazak pp. 1-8, 3 figs. Published 8 May 1981 by The American Society of Mammalogists Panthera Oken, 1816 Panthera Oken, 1816:1082, see Remarks. Type species Felis ppardus Linnaeus, 1756 Tigris Oken, 1816-1066, Type species Felis tigrs Linnaeus, 1758. Leo Oken, 1816:1070. Type species Felis leo Linnaeus, 1758 Leo Brehm, 1829:637. Type species Felis leo Linnaeus, 1758 Jaauarius Severton, 858306. Type species Felis onea Li ‘nacus, Pardas Fitzinger,1868:459. Type species Felis pandas inna 1738, CONTEXT AND CONTENT. Order Carnivora, Family Felidae, Subfamily Pantherinae. The genus Panthera includes four living species, Panthera pardus, Panthera ona, Panthera leo, aid Parshera tigrs, and several fossil species. Two subgen- ‘era may be recognized: Panthere Oken, 1816, for the fist three of the above mentioned species, and Tigris Oken, 1816, forthe fourth species (Hemmer, 1956, 1978). For a key to species of the genus Panthera see Hemmer 11966) Panthera tigris (Linnaeus, 1758) Tiger Felis tigrs Linneeus, 1758:41. Type locality “Bengal” (Thomas, wid. Tigris stratus Severtzov, 1858:386, Renar raeus, 1758. Tigris reqalis Gray, 1967-268. Renaming of Felis tigris Linnaeus, 1738, of Felis tari Line CONTEXT AND CONTENT. Contest given above. Bight ing subspecies have been recognized by the lates revises (Ma- 1979; se also Mazak, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1976), a follows: Pt, tigris (Linnaeus, 1758:41, see above (striatus Severtzor, ‘regalis Gray, montanus Sterndale, and fluviatilis Stendale are synonym). P. 1 trgata lige 1815:98). Type locality Mazanderen, north ern Iran (Harper, 1940) (seprentionalis Satunin, leco Schwarz, rrabara Schwarz, and probably sudanensis Der niyagala, are synonyms), P. ccaltaica (Temiminek, 18H:18), Type locality Korea or more ‘exactly Pishan Mountains in northernmost Korea longs Fiteinger, amurensis Dode, coreensis Brass, mikadot Sati nin, and manushurica Bajkor are synonyms) Pe sondaica (Temminck, 18b413). Type locality Java (sondai- ‘cus Fitzinger isa synonym) i (Hilzheimer, 1905:598), Type locality near Han- Kau (=Hankow), Hupek, China (styani Pocock, is a syn ‘onym) P. .balica (Schwarz, 1912:325), Type locality Denpasar, South ‘Bal (Sehwars, 1913). P. t.sumatrae Pocock, 1929:585. Type loeality Dei, Sumatra. 19681105. Type locality Quang-Tsi, Anna. DIAGNOSIS. The tiger isthe largest species of Felidae, Ground coloration is reddish orange to reddish ochre, with dark stripes that are generally vertical (Fig. 1. Underpants are white ‘The skulls large, rivalled in the existing Felidae only by that ofthe lion, Panthera leo. The tiger skull (Fig. 2), when ‘compared to that ofthe lion, i mote vaulted and thus more cat- Iike, with shorter and relatively broader eostrum and a more con- vex frontal region. Skulls of large males ate as massive as those bf lons. The total skull length is more than 288 mm, and usually between 285 and 360 mm. The skull i robust, relatively short, ‘road in its facial and rostral prts, and very wide inthe 2yB0" matic arches (Fig. 2). Sagittal snd temporal crests, especially in Lirge males ofthe subspecies aliaica and viata, are very strong And prominent. Nasal bones are elongated, projecting always bes yond the frontal processes of maxillae. The frontal area ia ele- ‘ated in the region of postorbital processes, The anterior nasal aperture is rather narrow and heart-shaped. The lower edge af the mandible is slightly concave or, very rarely, straight in the imide: mental apophyss is generally prominent: frontal part of mmanulbular symphysis is at and more or less concave. (Compiled “cock, 1929, 1939: and my observations.) formula is +38, © Wi'p 32, mM, toa 30 The ‘monotypic subyenis Tigris differs from ather Pantherina following dental characters: PA witha strong and welldev tccloparassls tal with a more or les dating: hypoconid (absent In other species of Pantherinac): pi with a strongly developed hhypoconid that is generally larger than paraconid; pd with both hhypoconid and paraconid small and almost indstint (lemmes, 1960) GENERAL CHARACTERS. The hody structure corte- sponds to the general form of the Felidae. Tigers are museslar, ‘with powerful forequarters and, especially im males, with a rel {tively large head (Fig. 1). Total length of aduke generally ranges between 2200 and 3000 mm; females are somewhat smaller. The length of tail usually does not exceed one half ofthe head-and- body length. Hair length varies geographically. The halts are shor (7 fo 20 mm on the back and 15 to 35 mm on the belly in the southern subspecies P. -tigis, P.t. corbeti, Pf. sumatrae, Pot sondaica and P. 1. balica, and long, especially in winter 40 to 60 mm on the back and 7 t0 105 mm un the belly), nthe northern subspecies P. 1 virgata and, particularly, P.¢. alta. ‘The face is framed by lng haies which form whiskers: these a generally more conspicuous in males. The ears are rounded and father small, and are black on their dorsal side, with a eonspie= tious central white spo. Ground coloration varies between Tawny and Xanthine Or- ange or Cinnamon Brown inthe southeromost popalations to be- tween Ochraceous-Orange or Zine Orange and Capucine Orange inthe northernmost populations (espialized terms from Ridgway, 1912}. The ventral parts are usually White, bat in some southern populations 4 more orless intensive tinge ofthe ground coloration Fs present. The whole body is marked with dark stripes of various lengths, hreadths, andor forms. The color of stripes i generally Black or Chaetura Black, In the subspecies virguta and ulzaica the stripe color, especially on flanks, thighs, and proximal half of the tai, is ueually Fuscous, Hair Brown, Mikado Brown, or Benzo Brown. Black may then be found only on the head, back, boll and onthe distal half of the tal In some individuals stripes maybe reduced on forelegs, shoulders, and un the sides of thorax. Ficune 1. Male Ussurian tiger, Panthera tgris altaica, wi caught in the Ussuri Region of the Soviet Far East, and held in the Prague Zoo. Athis death the male measured 3190 mm in total Tength: Photo by V. Mazak in 1960Ficume 2. Left la ‘of skull and view of 0 column, from top to bottom: P. 1. tari, fom Nepal Terai, BM 85.10.23.1, g Quan greatest length 335 ming P. 1. virgat, from Turkrme PE altaien, from ortheramost Manchuria, NHMB. Ten Vietnam, greatest length 392.6 mm, BM 33.41.203; P. ¢. amoyensis, from northeastern Central China, BM 88.11.19, ZL 14907, greatest length 338.2 mm. Right columa, from top to bot greatest length 388 mm; Pt. sumairae, from Palembang in Soma 1636, greatest length 331.5 mm; P.t. sondaica, fom Popol Blitar in Java, BM 198171211, greatest length 882 mm; P. MAMMALIAN SPECIES 152 al region of adult males of individual subspecies of Pancheratigris. Left st Tength 364 ram Pt. corbett, holotype, fom 7MA ica, from Sondang in Bal, BM 1937-12'1.2, greatest length 297.6 mm. Note the typical elongated shape of the occiput in sondaica and balica. Drawings by V. Mazik. Tn southern forms, expecially in sumotra, sndaiza and bala the stipes tend to disintegrate into spots near their ends aad cr of mal ask specks between regular stripes may be found on the back, fanks and hind Togs Forefet have ve toes; the polles raved abore the othe sand doesnot touch the ground. The hind feet have ony fous toes, ‘he hallow being abecnt Al toes bear lage, exrved) and com> rested claws af ap to 0 to 100 mm lang, measured over ther free Claws are nocmally drawn back ito thei heath and are hare only fr catching pey or in defense, “Tooth of gers are exceptionally stout. Ca slightly curved: they ate the longest among living felds. The iil af erown ofthe upper canine sas much as 74.5 mum in P tr sltaica (Mesa, 1973) even 90 mm (Celt n it). "The Second upper premolar andthe single upper mar OM) are sal find have Livle fnetion either or bath of these tecth may occa Slonaly be absent. The carnacsle (PS and mi) are as large as ‘9'mm and 28 mm, respectively. "The subnpecies Pot tiers P virgata, and Pt. altica represent the largest living felis, and rank among the bigest Felide thet ever existed. The salle subspecies, Pt. sumac, Prt rondatca. and Pt. balica, ae about the sine of big leopards (es pardas) and jaguars (P.onca) Ofte data on sae {Table 1), {thoue onthe pretest length of sll are most reliae (being based ‘on my meaement fom 227 skulls), Data on ody length and teeight are based on both my data and those from the iterate No shooting sport sources ineading R. Werd's Records of Biz Game, were included are ong and ‘The largest Indian tiger (Pt. tgrs) known was the "Bach- lor of Powalgarh,” shot in 1990 in Kumaon: it measured 3228 ‘nm (10 ft'7 in) “over curves” which equals about 3070 to 3100 tm measured “between pegs” (Corbett, 1961). The biggest Us- surian tiger (Pr allaica) with reliable measurements was.a male ‘hot in the basin of the upper course of the Sungari River in ‘Manchuria, in 1943, The total length of the animal was 3807 mm 1116 i) measured “over curves Uankovski, in lit.) thus the tiger would be about 3300 to 3350 mm if measured “between re Fhe heaviest Indian tiger weighed 258.2 kg (Hewett, 1938), while the heaviest Usurian malo weighed 306.5 kg (Baud), 1968; Bouslione in i). The weight of the mentioned male from the Songar River in Manchuria was “certainly nt less than aboot 50 eg” Unnkovsk tm ite for details see Maoh, 1979, “he largest skull measured by me was that of an Ussuian male, shot in northern Manchuria, ud housed the Belin Nat {ral story Museu, ts measurements Gn mm) were a flows {reatest length 988; condylobasal length 382, rostral bs 113: inerobtal breadth 8: bieyeomatic breadth, 28: masttd tneadth, 148.5; length of mandi, 260; Ps Tength, 37-8 greatest eight of sagittal exest, 50 DISTRIBUTION. The distribution of tigers Fig. 3) once extended from easternmost Turkey, Transcaueasia, and north termmost Tran throvgh Soviet Central Asin and northern Afghat istan, and ftom upper Sind, Kumaon, and Punjab, through the Inalian Peninsula Indochina, the Malayan Peninsula to Sumatra,MAMMALIAN SPECIES 182 Java, and Bali. From Indochina, tigers once ranged through large ‘reas of eastern Ching, where they penetrated along the great ‘vers deep isto ceatral China. Further north the tiger was found fn Manchuvia, Korea, and in southeaste ia, where it reached the northerntiost limits ofits distribution, Tigers never inhabited the Tibetan plateau, Iran south of the Elburz Moun- tains, southern Afghanlstan, western and southwestern Baluchi- Stan (Pakistan, lower Sind and Cutch, Sri Lanka, oF other islands of the Malayan Archipelago (except Sumatra, Java and Bal, a= ‘mentioned above). ‘Occasionally tigers wander fr fom the atea of their regular ‘occurrence. In 1905. tiger was shot as far north ss some BO kim forth of Ust“Maja on the river Aldan about 60°40" north latitude) in eastern Siberia. In the last century in western Siberia, tigers Were rather frequently reported from the vilnity of Bamaul, Bijsk, Zmeinogorsk, and about 180 km northeast of Atbasar: they ‘were also known to croes the frozen Tatar Stat and visit Sakhalin Island (Ogney, 1985; Slade, 1958, 196) Presenly, tigers are extremely rare in many places, and have been exterminated Irom most of their former geographic range. estimate thatthe whole contemporary population numbers not ‘more than some 3,500 tigers, India, Nepal, and possibly Malaya hhave the largest extant populations, all ogether numbering about 2800, Much smaller tiger populations lve in the Soviet Far East ssuri and Amur regions); where some 100 or 120 sil survive, land perhaps in northern China. Possibly a fow tigers remain in Southeastern Turkey and northern Afghanistan. Tigers stl exist, ‘on Sumatra, bt this population is in a rapid decline: the Balinese population is definitely extinct, and # seems thatthe sare i true {or will be true very soon) for the Javan population. For details the distribution of tigers and their decline see Abramoy and Pinot, 1976: Baytop, 1974: Brass, 1911 Brongersm, 1939: Geptner’ and Sludski}," 1972; Gugecberg, 1975: Harper, 1945: Kumerloeve, 1974, 1975; Mazak. 1965, 1967, 1968, 1976, 1979: Oznev, 1988; Pocock, 1929, 1939; Shou Chet Huang, 1962; and Sludski, 1966.) cedin the eatly Pleistoce {see Mazak, 1979) The eanliet forms averaged smaller than thre fof later Pleistocene times. It thus seems that the species has eached its mauituum size inthe living subspecies P.-altaia. ‘The early Pleistocene species Panthera palarosinenss Zansky, 1928), from northern China, appears to epresent an early tiger fr form ancestral tothe tiger (Hemmer, 1967). Fossil remains, definitely identified as P.tavs, are of lower to upper Pleistocene age and originate from the Alta! caves in central Asia (Brandt, 1871; Tscherski, 1892), eastern and north= fem China, including Choukoutien localities (Hooijer, 1947: Lou- Kashkin, 1938; Teilhard de Chardin and Ye span (Hemmer, 19682), Jana River in northern Siberia the Ljachow Ts dof the northern coast of Siberia (Techerski, 1892, (Brongerema, 1987 (Brongersma, 1985) In addition, several sub-Meecent i ‘were found in Caucasus region (Vereshchagin, 1959), Adekker, 1886), and Borneo (Medway. 1968). i ‘he material from Borneo represents a member of the nti Pleistocene fauns or slater inteeducton by hhsmans ther reliable evidence of tigers on Borneo within histori times) FORM AND FUNCTION. See General Charaeters for discussion of hair length and normal coloration. Density of hale ‘depends on season end geographical factors. InP. gris there fare about 1,700 to 2,000 hi the back, while in P. FIGURE 3. Geographic distribution (shaded area) of the tiger, Panthers tigrs, ait was known inthe second half ofthe TOU tcentury. Black dots outside of shaded area show the oececional ‘occurrences of tigers (stragglers) AL present, the tiger is extinet in most of the indicated area (see tex). Subspecies are: 1, Tigris; 2, P. 1. corbets 8, P. tamoyensis: 4, 1-eirgataz 5. P taltaica: 6, P.t sumatrae; 7, P.t. sondaica; & Pe. Tica winter coat, there areas many as 3,000 to 3,300 hhars por cm (Cerevitinoy. in Gepiner and Sludekj, 1972; and ‘unpubl. data. The pupil of the eye is circular and the itis normally yellow. As in other species of Pantherinae (ue., Pan- thera and Uncia), the short halts of the nose geow almost to its ‘anterior margin, So that in dorsal view none or ony a very narrow pert of the hailese thinatium is visible (Pocock, [9Lta, T9170; lemme, 1966). The shape of rhinarium i typical fr the subfam- ily Pantherine, differing from thowe of epresentatives of the sub- Tamilies Felinae and Atinonychinae (Pocock, 1917a; Hemmer, 1966). The cervical whorl of hai (Mahnemwirbel) is located wn the ides ofneck orat the base of the shoulder, rather than immediate: iv below the back of the ears, as in Uncie and members of the subfamily Felinae. It is generally not so far posterior shausen, 1950; Hemmer, 1966 ‘to pars of mammae situated in abdominal pos orth (1936, 193%), tion was described in detail and functionally interpreted by Kar bitasch (1960). The spinal column consists of 7 cervical, 13 thoravi, 7 lumbar, 3 stcral, and 25 1926 caudal vertebrae, The clavicle is very small, curved, and fupetionless. The thorax built of 13 pairs of ibs. The structure of hyo apparatusis typical ‘TABLE 1. Size variation in subspecies of Pantheretigris (adult specimens. Total length (mm) Greatest length of ("between pees) Weight (ke) skull (mn) Subspecies 3 2 é 2 3 2 tiaris 2100-8100 2400-2650) 180-258 100-160 go3m 875-3 corbettt 2550-2890 2300-2550 150-195 100-130 310-365 279-302 ‘amoyensis 2300-2650 2200-2400 130-175 100-115 Sess 278-301 virgata 2200-2980 2400-2600 170-240 85-135, Ble69 208-805, aliaica 2io0-s300 2400-2750 180-306, 100-167 aa3ss 2318 Sumatroe 2200-2580 2150-2800 00-140 75-110 Dosass —2as-208 Sondaica 2880 5 100-181 75-115 306-349 270-292 alica 2200-2800 1900-2100 ‘90-100 0 205-290 2-269)