Panthera tigris altaica
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English: Ussurian tiger
German: Amurtiger
French: Tigre d'Amour
Spanish: Tigre de amur
Distribution areas
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The Ussurian tiger is one of the seven
tiger species living at the present time.
It can be found in the Far East between the
Amur and Ussuri rivers and in North-Eastern
Siberia.
Description of the fur The surface structure
---------------------- of the skin, 200x
The hide from the Ussurian tiger is over
2 m long. The coat is distinctly striped. The basic colour of the coat is red-
brown or yellow brown, the belly is light brown or white, and the transversely
situated stripes are dark-brown or black. In the winter season, the coat is
denser and thicker than in the summer.
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Panthera tigris altaica
-----------------------
English: Ussurian tiger
German: Amurtiger
French: Tigre d'Amour
Spanish: Tigre de amur
Structure of the hair
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The microscopic structure of the skin
surface is furrowed. The hair follicles are
narrow with straight edges and each contains
a cluster of hair shafts.
The fine fur fibres are circular in
cross-section, measuring from 8 to 15 µm The cuticular structure
in diameter. The cuticle is covered by of the fine fibres, 1500x
cornet-like scales in the lower part of the
fibres and comb-like scales in the middle and upper parts. The scale surface
is smooth, or in some cases also non-regularly grooved, and the scale margins
are straight. These fibres are non-medullated.
The intermediate fibres are circular in cross-sectional outline with
a diameter measuring from 25 to 40 µm. The cuticular scales are even tile-
like, or in some cases comb-like, with a smooth surface and straight margins.
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Panthera tigris altaica
-----------------------
English: Ussurian tiger
German: Amurtiger
French: Tigre d'Amour
Spanish: Tigre de amur
The medullar column is narrow or, in some
cases, the medullar structure is not
visible.
The medulla is unbroken longitudinally, and
is central symmetrical-shaped in cross-
section. The overall medullar structure is
of the spongy-lattice-like type and the
infilling material has a foam-like struc- A group of hairs of the fine
ture. and guard type, 1000x
The guard hairs are circular or, in the upper parts of the shaft,
ellipsoidal in outline. The diameter is from 60 to 95 µm. The cuticular scales
are even tile-like or, at the tip of the shaft crenated tile-like in shape.
The cuticular surface is smooth; the scale margins are straight or, at the tip
of the shaft , rippled. The medulla is wide, unbroken and central symmetrical
shaped in cross-section. The overall structure of the medulla belongs to the
spongy-lattice-like type with a foam-like infilling substance.
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Panthera tigris altaica
-----------------------
English: Ussurian tiger
German: Amurtiger
French: Tigre d'Amour
Spanish: Tigre de amur
Longitudinal section
of a fine fur fibre, 2000x
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Panthera tigris altaica
-----------------------
English: Ussurian tiger
German: Amurtiger
French: Tigre d'Amour
Spanish: Tigre de amur
Longitudinal section
of a guard hair, 600x
Numerical code for Ussurian tiger skin structure
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Surface of the skin: 3-4-3
Fine fur fibres: 1-5.6-1.3-1-4-0-0-0-0-8.15-8.30
Intermediate fibres: 2.1-2.6-1-1-3.4-1-1-6-5-25.40-15.45
Guard hairs: 2.1-2.4-1-1.2-2-1-1-6-5-60.95-25.55
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