Hunting &
Feeding - Page 1:
Concealment | 2&3:
Technique | 4:
Failures | 5:
The Lethal Bite |
| 6:
Feeding Before Making The Kill
| 7:
The Menu | 8:
The Food Chain | 9&10:
Feeding |
11&12:
In Captivity
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Successes and the kill:If a tiger correctly calculates the angle and distance from the prey, then it will hit with the full force of its heavy body, bringing the target to the ground. To kill its victim the tiger normally administers a lethal bite to the throat or back of the neck. |
Which bite is used depends upon the size of the prey, with the neck bite, which severs the spinal cord, normally being applied to small or medium-sized prey. The throat bite, or strangle hold, causes suffocation and is the bite of preference for larger prey. This is applied for up to ten minutes to ensure that no life remains. It was once believed that a tiger in this position was sucking blood from the prey, but it is not physically possible for any cat to do this. Neither bite causes much bleeding from the victim and the correct hold brings a quick release; from the first grip until death is only 30-90 seconds. There is little sound from the prey other than a short choke. An adult tiger must make a medium-sized kill about once every seven days, while a female with cubs must do better -- she'll need to kill about once every five days. |
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Hunting &
Feeding - Page 1:
Concealment | 2&3:
Technique | 4:
Failures | 5:
The Lethal Bite | |