Expert: Malcolm B. Sullivan Date: 2/15/2008 Subject: some questions on tigers
Question QUESTION: Hello Malcolm,
Can you tell me how thick is the skin of tiger? plus how thich is their fur?
2, Why only lions have manes? why don't tigers have it?
3,In all documentries I saw about lions, they show that male lion is rather lazy,but I don't belive it, but I also don't think that they can run fast. So what is the top speed of male lion?
4,, I saw the documentry ''Living with tigers'' and after watching it, I think that tigers can be as 'atheletic' as lions. Do you agree?
5, is it true that tigers evolved from lions?
thanks
ANSWER: Hi, Sam
1- A tiger's fur is about 7-20 mm on the back, and up to 35 mm in the belly. Tigers have lose skin with thick fur in their bellies to protect themselves from the kicks of hoofed prey.
A Siberian tiger's fur is usually longer than that of tropical subspecies; its fur can be up to 100 mm thick!
I remember having the skin thickness somewhere between my notes from when I worked in zoos, I'll search them and add to this answer later ;)
2- Tigers have somewhat of a mane (usually called a ruff), specially male tigers. However, it is true that they didnīt develop a full mane. In order to know why, we must know what the lion uses its mane for.
As you probably know, a lion with a fully developed mane is seen as a stronger, healthy rival by other male lions. It is mainly an exhibition. But this kind of visual exhibition would only work in an open habitat, such as the savannah where the lion usually lives. In the dark, densely forested habitat of the tiger, a visual exhibition such as this one would not be as effective.
Now, the lion's mane can be of great help when facing rivals, but it is somewhat of a handicap when it comes to stalking and hunting. This is not so much of a problem for them, because after all, they have hyenas and the other lions of their pride to hunt for them. Tigers on the other hand are solitary, and both males and females must hunt by themselves to survive, so any handicap such as a large, conspicuous mane would mean great trouble to them.
3- Male lions earned the reputation of being lazy because dominant pride males usually donīt hunt, and rely on lionesses to provide them with food.
This is not laziness, however. The function of the male lion in the pride is to defend it from other males who want to take over the pride. Pride males often have to fight fiercely to protect their pride and their cubs, and obviously, they need a lot of energy to do this. They must always be prepared for an invasion. This means that they canīt waste their energies hunting. So, lions are not lazy. We could say that each lion has its duty within the pride; the lions are warriors, they protect the pride, while the females provide the food. Everyone wins.
As for the lion's top speed, it is said to reach an incredible 80 kms p/h. This has been debated, but I donīt doubt they can reach such speeds in short distances. Even male lions can run incredibly fast when they need to, but of course, lionesses are usually faster simply due to their smaller size.
4- Tigers are widely considered as being more agile than lions, actually. They are better leapers and as fast as lions, although perhaps have less endurance in long chases.
5- No, it isnīt true. They do, however, share a common ancestor. According to some recent studies, however, lions are more closely related to leopards and jaguars than to tigers.
Best regards
Malcolm
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Hi again Malcolm,
Thanks for your previous answers.
So you tigers are more agile than lions, isn't it?
My second question is, why is the jaguar is believed to be relatively the strongest cat alive? is it because it has more muscle mass?
I know you don't answer interspecies conflict questions, but I just wanted to know your your expert opinion on ''cougar vs leopard''.
And the bad news is that there are now only 1411 tigers left in india.
To save tigers they are making new tiger reserves,is it a good idea? what is your opinion?
thanks.
Answer Hi again, Sam
Yes, tigers are somewhat more agile when it comes to leaping and the like, but lions might be better runners. (They usually chase prey only for short distances, though).
The jaguar's whole body, not only muscles, make it stronger than other similar sized cats. See, the structure of bones, for example, is as important as muscle. A jaguar has pretty much the same skeleton design than other cats, but its bones are more solid and thicker, and this makes it stronger. Also, the jaguar's very body shape is important (lower, stockier than other cats, with shorter legs and a bigger head).
The third question, well, it would depend on size and, if they were of similar size, temperament and individual traits.
And yes, the shrinking numbers of Bengal tigers in India are alarming. I still have hope that the species will survive in that country, but creating new parks is just not enough to guarantee the survival of tigers. Their prey must also be protected, and humans and cattle should be banned from these parks.
Unfortunately, the government has been known to be in good terms with poaching networks, and for years, we were told lies about the number of tigers living in the wild. Now, there might be less tigers than we thought. Inmediate actions must be taken if the tiger is to survive in India.
And of course, what would India be, without its tigers?
