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The Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica), also known as the Amur tiger, Manchurian tiger, or Ussuri tiger, is a rare subspecies of tiger (P. tigris) confined completely to the Amur region in the Far East, where it is now protected. It is considered to be the largest of the nine recent tiger subspecies and the largest member of the family Felidae. The Siberian tiger is typically 2-4&_160;inches taller at the head than the Bengal tiger, which is about 107-110&_160;cm (42-43&_160;in) tall.[1] Mature males reach an average head and body length of 190-220&_160;centimetres (75-97&_160;in). The largest male with largely assured references was 350&_160;cm (138&_160;in) "over curves" (3,30&_160;m/130 in. between pegs) in total length.[2] The tail length in fully grown males is about 1 m (39 in). Weights of up to 318&_160;kg (700&_160;lb) have been recorded[2] and exceptionally large males weighing up to 384&_160;kg (847&_160;lb) are mentioned in the literature but, according to Mazak, none of these cases can be confirmed via reliable sources.[2] A further unconfirmed report tells of a male tiger shot in the Sikhote-Alin Mountains in 1950 weighing 384.8&_160;kg (846.6&_160;lb) and measuring 3.48&_160;m (11.5&_160;ft).[3] Females are normally smaller than males and weigh 100-167&_160;kg (220-368&_160;lb),[4] probably up to 180&_160;kg (400&_160;lb).[5] The "Siberian Tiger Project", which has operated from Sikhote-Alin Zapovednik since 1992, found that 215&_160;kg (474&_160;lb) seemed to be the largest that they were able to verify, albeit from a limited number of specimens.[6] According to modern research of wild Siberian tigers in Sikhote-Alin, an average adult male tiger (>35 months) weighs 167.3 - 185.7&_160;kg (the average asymptotic limit, computed by use of the Michaelis-Menten formula, gives 222.3&_160;kg for male tigers) and an adult tigress – 117.9 – 122.6&_160;kg, respectively. The mean weight of historical Siberian tigers is supposed to be higher 215.3-260&_160;kg for male tigers.[7] At least one authority suspects that this is the difference between real weights and hunter's estimates.[1] Dale Miquelle, program director of the Siberian Tiger Project, writes that, despite repeated claims in the popular literature that the Siberian is the largest of all tigers, their measurements on more than fifty captured individuals suggest that body size is, in fact, similar to that of Bengal tigers.[8] Based on skull measurements, it appears that the biggest Siberian tigers came from Manchuria, where today the cats are reduced to a handful of individuals. The largest Manchurian skull on record measures 406mm in length, which is about 20-30mm more than the maximum skull lengths achieved by tigers from the Amur region and northern India.[9]
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