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The 'Bali tiger' (''Panthera tigris balica''), also called the 'Balinese tiger', is an extinct subspecies of tiger found solely on the small Indonesian island of Bali. The tiger was one of three sub-species of tiger found in Indonesia along with the Javan tiger (also extinct) and Sumatran tiger (severely endangered)
It was the smallest of the tiger sub-species; the last tiger to be shot was in 1925, and the sub-species was declared extinct on September 27, 1937. Given the small size of the island, and limited forest cover, the original population could never have been large, and it is considered unlikely that any survive today.
The species became extinct due to habitat loss and hunting.[1]

Contents

Characteristics

Weight

Length

Appearance

Life

Prey/Predators

Cubs

Lifespan

Relationship to the Javan tiger

External links

Characteristics

Weight

★ The weight of a male tiger was usually 90-100 kg (198-221 pounds).

★ Females weighed in at 65-80 kg (143-176 pounds).

Length

★ A male Bali tiger's length was around 7'-3" to 7'-7".

★ A female's length would have been 6'-3" to 6'-6".

Appearance

Bali tigers had short fur that was deep orange colored and darker, fewer stripes than other tiger sub-species. Occasionally, between the stripes, there were small black spots. Bali tigers also had unusual bars on the head.

Life

Prey/Predators

The only known predators of Bali tigers were humans. Tigers are carnivorous, Bali tigers preyed upon most large and smaller mammals, including deer, pigs, birds, etc.

Cubs

Female Bali tigers, after mating, had a gestation period of 103 days on average. They beget two or three cubs each mating, and the cubs weighed two or three pounds at birth. They were born blind. Cubs became weaned at around one year of age, and were fully independent at 18 months to two years of age. Sometimes the cubs stay with their mother for another year.

Lifespan

Bali tigers lived around ten to fifteen years in the wild. Apparently, living in zoos and circuses increases the lifespan of all tigers.

Relationship to the Javan tiger

There are two common theories regarding the relationship of Balinese and Javan tigers.
The first idea suggests that the two subspecies were once of the one type, but during the Ice Age Bali became isolated from Java by the Bali Strait. This split the tigers into two groups which then went onto develop independently.
The second option considers that the tiger swam the narrow channel from one island to colonize the other. The Bali Strait is only 2.4 kilometers wide, making it well within the swimming ability of the average tiger. Whichever it was, the two went on to become quite different.

External links

★ Tijgeritorium Tiger information in Dutch and English

★ The Bali Tiger

★ The Extinction Website - Species Info - Bali Tiger

★ Save The Tiger Fund - The death of the Bali Tiger