About South China Tigers

The South China tiger, also known as the Chinese, South Chinese, or Xiamen tiger, is a tiger subspecies that occupies a small range in the southeast of China. Its scientific name is Panthera tigris amoyensis, from which their other nickname, "amoy tiger," a term predominantly used historically in the fur trade, arose.

One of the smaller subspecies of tigers, the South China tiger on average measures between 87 104 inches between the pegs and weighs between 243 and 386 pounds. These measurements vary by sex, as female South China tigers are smaller than males. They differ in appearance from the more well-known Bengal tiger, to which it is fairly similar in size, in that the South China tiger has a differently shaped head and teeth, has a lighter coat, is more yellow in color, and has thinner stripes.

The South China tiger is a carnivore and a predator, preferring to feed on large ungulates, gray langurs, and wild pigs. It will also prey upon smaller animals such as peacocks, hares, and porcupines, though this occurs much less frequently. South China tigers have also preyed on domestic animals as a consequence of the destruction of and inhabitation of their habitat by humans.

Typically, the South China tiger hunts by approaching their prey from behind or the side from as short a distance as possible. It captures and kills prey by attacking and holding its prey's neck. Once a South China tiger has killed its prey, it drags it to an area with cover before eating it. Given the relatively large size of most of its prey, the South China tiger can consume up to 88 pounds of meat in one sitting.

The South China tiger is the most seriously endangered subspecies of tiger and one of the 10 most gravely endangered animals in the world. The subspecies' numbers were reduced dramatically in the second half of the 20th century by a number of factors, including a pest elimination campaign under Mao Zedong, hunting, and significant deforestation. It is considered critically endangered by the IUCN, but may be extinct in the wild; no official sightings of the South China tiger in the wild have occurred since the early 1970s.

There are currently 59 known captive South China tigers, all of which reside within China. These tigers are descended from only six animals, a consequence of the species' critical endangerment and an impediment to the species' prospects of survival; the genetic diversity and rates of successful breeding necessary to maintain the subspecies are gravely low. Currently, breeding efforts to reintroduce the South China tiger to the wild are responding to this problem.

About the Author
Jacob Maddox manages content for Wildlife Animals http://www.wildlife-animals.com an educational wildlife and animal website.