Caspian Tiger
By: Alex Reyes
Panthera tigris virgata
Decades ago, the second largest tiger once roamed the earth.
Habitat
The Caspian tiger once roamed the tugai in Central Asia. A tugai is a floodplain in a desert with thicketed spots in the surrounding area. Prey in this area consisted of boars and deer.
Discovery & Extinction
There is no known official date for the discovery of this animal. The extinction date however is in February of 1970. In the 19th century, the Russian government ordered extermination of all tigers for agricultural purposes. The remaining tigers retreated up into the mountains while their once habitat was converted into farmland.
Ecology & Behavior
The Caspian Tiger is known for following packs or herds of animals to catch a meal. They were willing to travel far for food. They had the nickname " traveling leopards." There were many stories of attacks involving these animals.
Ecological effects
with a starting population of about 3,000, one obvious effect is that the biodiversity of that ecosystem will dwindle down. The deer and boar populations will increase because of one less predator, and it has this ripple effect that will extend all down the food web.
Preventitives
Hunting could have been outlawed in Russia before it was too late. The complete extermination would have kept the species alive if they had not gone through with it.
- The Extinction Website - Species Info - Caspian Tiger. (n.d.). Retrieved February 18, 2016, from http://www.petermaas.nl/extinct/speciesinfo/caspiantiger.htm
- Dybas, C. L. (2015, February 21). Is “Extinct” Forever? Central Asia’s Caspian Tiger Traverses the Comeback Trail. Retrieved February 18, 2016, from http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2015/02/21/is-extinct-forever-central-asias-caspian-tiger-traverses-the-comeback-trail/