The South China tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis) is a rare tiger species which lives in captivity in the southern China. Scientists believe that the tiger had become extinct since 1996. Currently there is not a single south china tiger that is found in the tropical forests.
South China Tiger Facts for Kids
In China the tiger is mainly found in the provinces of Hunan, Fujian, Jiangxi, and Guangdong.
Max Hilzheimer, a German zoologist, was the first person who recognized South China tiger as a separate species. He said that the tiger had a height of a Bengal tiger but the characteristics of its coat were quite different.
Unlike Bengal tigers the South China tiger has light yellow coat and their belly is mostly white. The black stripes are pretty narrow but the distance between them is lesser as compared to Bengal cats.
The South Ch
ina tiger is the smallest of the Asian tigers. The size of a male is about 230 to 265 cm and it weighs up to 287 to 386 lb. Females reach a length of 220 to 240 cm and the weight averaging 243 to 254 lb.
They have shorter tail the length of which is less than one-half of its entire body length.
South China tigers like to hunt larger prey such as hog deer, muntjac, wild pig, and grey langur. They also eat hares, porcupines, sambar, serow, and tufted deer.
These cats eat up to 18–40 kg (40–88 lb) of meat at one time. They will attack the prey from the side and try to get as close as possible without getting noticed.
At the age of 5 years females give birth to 3 to 6 cubs in a den. The mother feeds milk for as long as 60 days.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed South China tigers as critically endangered species.
