Ecology

A TIGER'S NICHE

The tiger is both an apex predator and a keystone species in its ecosystem. This means that not only is the tiger the top of the food chain, it also plays an incredibly crucial role in maintaining the existence of the environments it inhabits.

Because tigers are apex predators, they control prey populations - tigers feed on herbivores, which means they limit the population growth of those species. When the herbivore populations are affected, so are the populations of the primary producers they feed on. In essence, the presence of tigers in an ecosystem changes and manages the populations of all species below it on the food chain.

But a tiger is not just any predator - tigers are a keystone species. Without tigers, the entire food web of their ecosystem would get out of control and fall apart. Tigers define their entire ecosystem, and the environment needs tigers as much as tigers need the environment - they both rely on each other.

This simple food web diagram illustrates how tigers are tertiary consumers and apex predators in their environment.

This even simpler food chain shows the most basic relationships between producers, consumers, and predators in the tiger's environment.

HOW DO TIGERS INTERACT WITH OTHER ORGANISMS?

Tigers are solitary creatures, but this doesn't mean they never interact with any other animal. They still have to hunt for food, which means they have interactions with prey animals. They have to mate, which means they interact with other tigers. They have to defend themselves, which means they fight with other predators and compete for resources. They have their own territory, which they mark via interactions with plants. Tigers even have interactions with humans. Even the most solitary creature is never existing in a vacuum - the earth is constantly interconnected in complex and varied ways.

Golden jackals are omnivores, and eat about 54% meat and 46% plants. Their diet is highly adaptable, similar to that of an opossum - they will eat trash, insects, carrion, fruit, and several types of animals.

COMMENSALISM

Tigers and golden jackals exhibit a commensal relationship. Golden jackals (Canis aureus), a wild dog species, obtain a part of their food from the kills tigers make.

After a tiger finishes with its prey, a jackal will follow and eat what is left of the carcass.

This diagram shows the cycle of the worm and how tigers get it. Eggs in feces are consumed by earthworms, which are in turn eaten by mice. The boar eats the mice. When the tiger eats the boar, the worm is passed on.

PARASITISM

There is a parasitic relationship between feline roundworm, Toxocara cati, and tigers.

The parasite enters the intestines and swims freely. The parasite makes tigers and other cats sick, especially the young or elderly. In severe cases, the roundworm can kill the tiger.

Most strains of coliform bacteria are not pathogenic, but some are. Fecal coliform bacteria (FC) are found in mammals with warm blood. E. coli, which is discussed above, is a coliform bacterium.

MUTUALISM

A mutualistic relationship is demonstrated by tigers and coliform bacteria, which live in the gut.

The bacteria possess the enzyme galactosidase, which the tiger needs to ferment lactose. Both organisms obtain their energy from this process.

The dhole is a wild dog species that competes with the tiger for resources.

COMPETITION

Tigers compete for resources with other predators such as leopards and dholes . These three species coexist in a few different ways. Tigers are mainly nocturnal; leopards and dholes are diurnal. Territories are formed and used based on the habits of each species' preferred prey. Tigers go for wild pigs, leopards go for langur - but they do hunt some of the same species, which means that competition does exist.

It was found that tigers took precedence - they are the apex predator, after all. Their territory selection was only for prey availability. Leopards and dhole chose their territories in places that both had prey and were avoidant of tigers. There is strong competition between these three species for both land and food.

A male leopard in a tree. These big cats compete with tigers for prey.

This tiger is seen biting the back of a wild pig's neck in order to kill it.

PREDATION

Unlike lions, tigers are solitary hunters. The interactions between tigers and other organisms in this scenario are between the tiger and the prey animal, usually an ungulate mammal such as Sambar (a deer) or Guar (a bovine).

Tigers hunt their prey in the dark. Prey is located with sight and hearing, rather than with smell. They use stealth to stalk their prey, and then they ambush the animal. Once the tiger has pounced, they kill with a strong bite to the back of the prey's neck. This bite causes death via suffocation, blood loss, or a severed spinal cord.

Prey animals have acute hearing, and many of them run faster than tigers. These adaptions allow the to get away. This makes hunting difficult; most of a tiger's hunts will be unsuccessful.

This tiger carries its ungulate prey away to eat after a successful hunt.

THE ENVIRONMENTS OF TIGERS

Tigers only occupy 7% of their historic range. The places they still live in the wild are a wide range of various environments. These habitats include forests of many types, taigas, savannas, grasslands, shrublands, inland wetlands, and coastal marine areas. As long as there are enough prey animals to sustain off of, tigers are adaptable enough to live in all kinds of environments.

ORGANISMS THAT COHABITATE WITH TIGERS

TAXONOMY

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Cetartiodactyla

Family: Cervidae

Genus: Rusa

Species: Unicolor

An adult male Sambar deer. Like other deer species, males have antlers.

SAMBAR DEER: RUSA UNICOLOR

The Sambar is a common prey animal for the tiger. They are found in Southern Asia into Indonesia in a variety of habitats - forests, savannas, shrublands, grasslands, and inland wetlands. The Sambar deer are herbivores and ungulate mammals. They are thought to be nocturnal animals.

Status: Vulnerable

TAXONOMY

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Cetartiodactyla

Family: Bovidae

Genus: Bos

Species: Gaurus

Gaur are prey to tigers. Other common bovines include cattle, buffalo, and antelope.

GAUR: BOS GAURUS

The Gaur is another common prey animal for the tiger. They are bovine animals, and are found in parts of Southern Asia. The habitats of the Gaur include forests, savannas, shrublands, and grasslands. Like the Sambar, they are herbivores. Guar form temporary and fluid herds.

Status: Vulnerable

TAXONOMY

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Passeriformes

Family: Cisticolidae

Genus: Prinia

Species: Gracilis

The Graceful Prinia is a small bird with a long tail. It is found in India and the Middle East.

GRACEFUL PRINIA: PRINIA GRACILIS

These birds are very similar to another Prinia, the Delicate Prinia. Graceful Prinia are quite small, and live in forests, savannas, and shrublands. Graceful Prinia are monogamous. For the most part, they are insectivores, but occasionally eat plants.

Status: Least Concern

TAXONOMY

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Reptilia

Order: Testudines

Family: Geoemydidae

Genus: Melanochelys

Species: Tricarinata

Tricarinate Hill Turtles inhabit an incredibly small range. This turtle is terrestrial.

TRICARINATE HILL TURTLE: MELANOCHELYS TRICARINATA

These turtles are also called Three-Keeled Land Turtles. They are found exclusively in India and Nepal, in the Himalayan foothills. It is possible, but not certain, that they have been observed in Bangladesh. They are partially fossorial.

Status: Endangered

TAXONOMY

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Odonata

Family: Libellulidae

Genus: Trithemis

Species: Kirbyi

This dragonfly is sometimes called the scarlet rock glider. The larvae develop in 50 days.

ORANGE-WINGED DROPWING: TRITHEMIS KIRBYI

This dragonfly is found across almost all of Africa and most of India. It is also known as Kirby's Dropwing. Among desert freshwater environments, this species is the most common. The larvae develop quite quickly.

Status: Least Concern

TAXONOMY

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Lepidoptera

Family: Nymphalidae

Genus: Danaus

Species: Chrysippus

These butterflies have a large range. They feed on milkweed and have 3 subspecies.

PLAIN TIGER: DANAUS CHRYSIPPUS

The Plain Tiger butterfly is found in Africa, Europe, Asia, Oceania, and Australia. They are also known as African Monarchs and African Queens. It is likely that this population has a very high number of individuals. Plain Tiger butterflies are also likely very adaptable, because they live in so many habitats.

Status: Least Concern

TAXONOMY

Kingdom: Plantae

Phylum: Tracheophyta

Class: Magnoliopsida

Order: Lamiales

Family: Bignoniaceae

Genus: Tecomella

Species: Undulata

The flowers of this tree are red, orange, and yellow. The quality lumber is desirable.

DESERT TEAK: TECOMELLA UNDULATA

This small tree (or large shrub) lives in small parts of the Middle East and India, usually in drier areas. It is also known as the Marwar Teak, the Orange Tecoma, and the Rohida Tree. The Desert Teak is deciduous and produces flowers.

Status: Endangered

TAXONOMY

Kingdom: Plantae

Phylum: Tracheophyta

Class: Magnoliopsida

Order: Zygophyllales

Family: Zygophyllaceae

Genus: Tribulus

Species: Terrestris

The Puncture Vine has small yellow flowers. It is invasive in many places worldwide.

PUNCTURE VINE: TRIBULUS TERRESTRIS

This plant is also known as Burnut or Small Caltrops. It has worldwide distribution, and lives in habitats such as savannas, grasslands, and deserts. Puncture Vine produces woody fruit, which has spines. This plant is considered a weed and can be harmful to animals.

Status: Least Concern

TAXONOMY

Kingdom: Fungi

Phylum: Ascomycota

Class: Lecanoromycetes

Order: Lecanorales

Family: Parmeliaceae

Genus: Parmotrema

Species: Crinitum

Lichen is a combination of fungus and photosynthetic algae or bacteria.

SALTED RUFFLE LICHEN: PARMOTREMA CRINITUM

This lichen has distribution in all continents except Antartica. It lives in habitats such as forests, savannas, and shrublands. Salted Ruffle Lichen is epiphytic. It mostly grows on the bark of trees, but can also grow on rocks in humid conditions.

Status: Least Concern

TAXONOMY

Kingdom: Bacteria

Phylum: Proteobacteria

Class: Gammaproteobacteria

Order: Enterobacteriales

Family: Enterobacteriaceae

Genus: Escherichia

Species: Coli

E. coli is rod-shaped and anaerobic. This bacteria reproduces via binary fission.

E. COLI: ESCHERICHIA COLI

The bacteria E. coli is found in the lower intestine of most warm-blooded animals, including tigers and humans. E. coli is a gram-negative and rod-shaped bacterium, with distribution almost worldwide. Certain strains are pathogenic. E. coli has been found in Amur tiger stool.

Status: Least Concern

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Cite this page:

Morgan, M. I. C. (2022, August 4). Ecology. Tigers. https://sites.google.com/unity.edu/tigers/ecology

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