Caspian Tiger Facts
Kids often find extinct animals facts to be particularly interesting. It is an unfortunate fact that three subspecies of the Eurasain tiger have gone extinct in the last century, one of which is the Caspian Tiger. These tigers were often found living in forests, near water throughout central Russia, Afghanistan, Turkey, Iran and Mongolia as well as some other territories bordering Russia. With the amount of Caspian tigers that were killed and slaughtered by Russians who deemed them pests; it is no wonder why this animal is no longer in existence. The Caspian Tiger was found living in the wild until the 1970s when it is believed the last one died. Read the Caspian Tiger facts and information below to learn more about their habitat, diet, close living relatives, and when they became extinct.Caspian Tiger General Facts
- The Caspian Tiger is also known as the Hyrcanian Tiger and the Turan Tiger.
- As most tigers are, the Caspian Tiger was a solitary animal and sought company only during mating season.
- To keep them insulated in the winter, the Caspian Tiger would grow a thicker coat of hair which was reddish-brown in color.
- What caused their disappearance from the earth was a combination of hunting and destruction of their habitat. They began retreating from the forest ranges they were familiar with to mountains and unfamiliar territory where they dwindled in numbers until they all died out.
- The Amur Tiger is the closest living relative to the Caspian Tiger.
- This formidable and robust member of the Panthera tigris family reached up to 500 pounds (226 kg) and had an average body length of approximately 10 feet (3 meters).
- The Caspian Tiger preferred to live near a water source and close to prey such as wild boar, deer, and camels. Their food also included livestock like sheep, cows and goats. These tigers were often killed to protect livestock.
- If the Caspian Tiger had been left to live its life without human interference, it had a life expectancy of 10-15 years.
- Caspian Tigers generally hunted between dusk and dawn. In typical tiger fashion, they would first stalk their prey and then go in for the kill by chasing and leaping at their victim until they were able to get a bite into the neck of the prey. The fight was usually over at that point.
- It was not until the Caspian Tiger was virtually extinct, in the 1940s, that a ban on tiger hunting went into effect. Unfortunately, it was too late to save this beautiful creature from extinction.
Caspian Tiger Cub Facts
- Caspian Tigers had a gestation period of between 3 and 4 months and could have anywhere from three to six cubs per pregnancy.
- The cubs of the Caspian tiger were born blind and generally weighed between 2-3 pounds (.9 kg - 1.3 kg).
- Caspian Tiger cubs did not leave their den at all for the first two weeks and would begin to hunt on their own at about 11 weeks of age.
- Caspian Tiger cubs were looked after and fed exclusively by the mother.
EXTINCT ANIMALS FACTS