Range size of female and male Siberian tigers

Female Siberian tigers in Sikhote-Alin are estimated to have a range of 200-400 km². Male Siberian tigers have a range size between 800-1000 km². These range sizes have been estimated based on radio tracking data. The range of each male tiger overlaps with 1-3 females "but male ranges overlap almost completely". However, males do not use the same area at the same time. Between females, there appear to be no overlaps or little overlap between the ranges of neighbouring adult females.

Siberian tiger in the snow with cub. Photo: Pixabay.

The range sizes of Siberian tigers are considerably larger than those of the Bengal tiger. The differences are due at least in part to differences in prey density and because the prey is migratory in Siberia.

Male and female tigers communicate through a combination of scent marks, visual signals and vocalisations.

In the area mentioned, in Siberia, Sikhote-Alin, Siberian tigers live in a mixed coniferous and broad-leaved deciduous forest. The landscape is broken and hilly. It is dissected by river valleys. And in winter the higher elevations are dominated by a continental climate with deep snow and a bitter cold.

As a result, the density of prey animals is much lower than that found in Chitwan, Nepal. Also, prey animals migrate in large numbers to winter feeding areas along the coast. Therefore, Siberian tigers have to travel over large areas to meet their feeding demands. This accounts for the differences between Bengal and Siberian tigers.

Sikhote-Alin is a mountain range in Primorsky and Khabarovsk Krais, Russia, extending about 900 kilometres (560 mi) to the northeast of the Russian Pacific seaport of Vladivostok.

In comparison in the prey-rich flood plains of Chitwan tigresses required relatively small areas of 20 square kilometers and sometimes as small as 10 square kilometers.