distribution of tigers in the past & in the present
Answers
Answer:Tigers are native to Asia, and historically they had a distribution from the Caucasus and the Caspian Sea to Siberia in the north and Indonesia and even in Borneo and the Philippines in the south, populating most of Asia and the Indian subcontinent. However, their distribution range has reduced dramatically in just one century.
At present, its distribution only includes Southeast Asia, India, some Russian regions and western China. In short, it is an Asian animal, found only in 13 or 14 countries including China, India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Laos, Malaysia, Cambodia, Burma, Russia, Thailand, Vietnam, Nepal and perhaps North Korea.
The last century saw the tigers disappear from two islands in Indonesia, Java, and Bali, so they now live on only one island in that country, Sumatra. The fossil evidence suggests that they also lived in Borneo and Palawan, Philippines. In the same way, they inhabited from the Caucasus region and the Caspian Sea to Siberia and from there to the south reaching the Indonesian islands.
Tiger distribution.
Tiger in its natural habitat.
SPECIFIC DISTRIBUTION RANGES
There are six subspecies of tiger that have survived extinction so far, although they have been at risk for several years. Each one has a particular distribution range.
The Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) is found mainly in Russian territory, in the east of Siberia and north China.
The Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) inhabits parts of India, but it is possible to find some populations in Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh.
The Indochinese tiger (Panthera tigris corbetti) dwells in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Burma, Thailand and southwest China.
The Malayan tiger (Panthera tigris jacksoni) lives only in the Malay peninsula.
The South China tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis) is native to southern China, but it is extinct in the wild and now survives only in captivity.
The Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) only inhabits the island of Sumatra, Indonesia.
Distribution range of tigers.
The distribution of tigers has gone through a series of environmental problems. / Image Courtesy Wikipedia.
Tiger Distribution. Image Courtesy Wikipedia
HABITAT
Tigers can adapt to different types of environments which range from the Siberian taiga to open grasslands and tropical mangrove swamps in Indochina. Regardless the kind of habitat, Tigers will look for three things in abundance when looking for habitat: Cover, Water, and Prey.
Among the wide variety of habitats where they dwell are tropical forests, savannas, grasslands, evergreen forests, conifer forests, mangrove areas, taigas and rocky terrains.
For example, Siberian tigers thrive in the cold Russian forests, often covered with snow, so they have a slightly thicker fur than the other subspecies. On the other hand, some tigers living in Southeast Asia tend to have smaller dimensions, like the Sumatran tiger, which is considered the smallest subspecies of all.
However, while tiger habitats may vary between each subspecies, they must have some essential elements as:
Close to a water source
Tigers need it to hydrate, and from time to time they stalk prey that approach to drink water while keeping their body submerged. Tigers are good swimmers because of their partially taped toes; sometimes they drag their victims into the water.
Abundance of prey
As evident, Tigers need access to prey to survive. A large percentage of their diet are ungulates.
Dense vegetation.
This requisite is paramount because tigers lurk their prey hidden in the tall grass until they decide to attack. Their stripes are designed to allow them to camouflage with the vegetation.