What if Tigers Were Introduced Into the Amazonian Rainforest?

What if Tigers Were Introduced Into the Amazonian Rainforest? There are 40 species of wild cats… 7 are classified as big cats. You know which ones we mean, leopards, jaguars, lions… they’re fierce hunters… they’re apex predators. They are some of the largest land predators on the planet. The largest of the big cats is the tiger. The tiger is an unmatched predator in the feline family. It rules the forests in which it inhabits. But what if you took tigers away from their habitat and introduced th

em to a brand new one… say, the Amazon rainforest? How would tigers adapt… if at all? Could they continue on… or would they die out? Tiger Habitats Currently, tigers can be found in several different kinds of habitats such as swamps, grasslands, and especially in temperate and tropical forests. They live in these types of habitats in South and Southeast Asia, China, some parts of Korea, and even Eastern Russia. This is impressive when you consider the wide range of locations. Some tigers’ habita

ts are as far south as the equator, and some of them can be as far north as 50 degrees North! This is unique for a species of big cat. Compare the tiger to the jaguar and the lion. Jaguars range from southern United States, through Central America and South America, and as far south as northern Argentina. They basically range from 30 degrees North of the equator to 30 degrees South of the equator. Similarly, lions can be found as far north as the southern parts of the Sahara and as far south as

northern South Africa. About 15 degrees North of the equator to 30 degrees South of the equator. Similar ranges. And similar climates that range through those lines of latitude. Not a whole lot of change in the climate when staying that close to the equator. But the habitats of tigers change dramatically when you span from the equator up to 50 degrees north. Tigers are adaptable overall as a species. They can live near the equator and handle constant hot temperatures… in the tropical forests wit

h constant rainfall… but they can also withstand the seasonal changes in places like Russia… in temperate forests where there are actually four seasons throughout the year. It’s rare that an animal could live in a tropical forest with hot temperatures, no true seasons, and more than 80 inches of rainfall a year… or… the same animal could be just fine in a temperate forest that goes through spring, summer, fall, and winter and only gets between 30-60 inches of rainfall a year. Usually, a species

could thrive in one or the other… not both. But tigers are special, they make it work wherever they are. So, could they handle the Amazon? Tiger’s Background But before we pick up all the tigers in Asia, airlift them to South America, and plop them down amongst the trees of the Amazon… let’s take a look at them in more detail. What’s their diet like? Tigers will eat a variety of animals, including wild boar, deer, water buffaloes, and pigs. They’ve also been known to hunt and eat monkeys. If hum

ans are nearby and have cattle and goats they seize those opportunities. And they’ve even been known to eat crocodiles! Tigers hunt at night for their prey. Their stripes allow them to camouflage in a variety of settings. They hide… wait… and use their sight and excellent sense of hearing… and when their target is close enough, they pounce! They usually hunt once a week and eat about 75 pounds of food in one night. Tigers are fast… they can reach speeds of 40 miles per hour and can jump 18 to 20

feet! Not many animals are getting away from a tiger. We mentioned tigers are the world’s largest cat. But just how big are they? They can vary in size through the different subspecies, but the largest ones, the ones people most commonly associate with the image of a tiger like Siberian tigers and Bengal tigers… they can easily reach lengths of 10 feet and can weigh in at 650 pounds! So, now that we know more about tigers… let’s go plop them into the Amazon rainforest! The Amazon The Amazon is

huge. It covers a roughly 4.2 million square mile area of South America. About 60% of the Amazon is situated in Brazil and the rest of it stretches across portions of Bolivia, Peru, French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador. Yes, Ecuador… as in… equator. Because the Amazon falls right on the equator and stretches north of it just a bit, about 5 degrees north… and south of it about 15 degrees south. The Amazon is a tropical rainforest and we already know tigers live in tro

pical forests in Asia. This is something that tigers would be able to handle quite well. We know the climate won’t affect the tigers much. They can handle the heat and the rainfall, they’re very adaptable. But tigers won’t have the comforts and usual foods of home back in Asia. They’ll have to adjust to South American cuisine… so to speak. What kind of food would the Amazon offer for the tiger? We know that tigers prefer a lot of larger mammals like wild boar, deer, pigs, and water buffaloes. We

also know they can adapt to what is offered. In the Amazon, there are capybaras, the world’s largest rodent. Those can get up to 150 pounds! Wild boars can often be between 170 to 220 pounds… so that might not be all that different. Probably a different taste… but a similar size. That’s a possibility for the tigers now lurking in the Amazon. What else? There’s also the lowland tapir. This ungulate, which is a relative to the horse and the rhino, will usually weigh between 330 to 660 pounds! Now

, that’s a big meal. Do we think that a tiger could take one down? Well, they take down water buffalo which usually start at 660 and can hit 1,200 pounds. The tiger should have no problem. There are also a lot of sloths in the Amazon which tigers could probably make meals of… and those wouldn’t be difficult to catch. There are species of deer in and around the Amazon… perfect! Tigers love deer! There are also monkeys. Perfect! Tigers eat them too! So, food shouldn’t be an issue. It would be a bi

t of an adjustment, but there is plenty of sizable and catchable prey found in the Amazon. But our 10-foot, 600-pound tiger isn’t just going to waltz right into a rainforest and have no other predators to compete with. What other predators are in the Amazon? Apex Predators of the Amazon The apex predator of the skies in the Amazon would be the Harpy Eagle. 3 and a half feet in length and 20 pounds… the tiger doesn’t have to worry about that. In the water, there’s a few other apex predators. Ther

e are electric eels there, 8 feet long, and 40 pounds. Tigers significantly outweigh them, but they’re still big, and they have an amazing attack and defense mechanism. Not to mention, the Amazon river also contains bull sharks. They can weigh between 200 and 300 pounds. Weight advantage goes to the tiger. But bull sharks get between 8 and 13 feet long. And they are vicious. Pure muscle. Even though tigers are excellent swimmers and agile in the water, they’d be in the territory of the bull shar

k. Advantage goes to the bull shark. Tigers would need to learn early on that the water wouldn’t be completely safe for them. Getting a drink of water would require a cautious approach. Another apex predator of the waters… that also hunts on the land… the black caiman. We know that tigers have hunted and eaten crocodiles… but not often. Also, that’s different from hunting a deer. If you don’t catch the deer, no problem. If you don’t catch the croc… the croc might catch you. The black caimans in

the Amazon are 16 to 20 feet long and get up to 1,000 pounds. That’s a size and a weight advantage for the caiman. We have no doubt that the tiger could hold its own and use its agility to battle the caiman… but it might be best to do its hunting a little farther from the water. Are there any large land predators? Yep. The green anaconda gets up to 30 feet long and weighs 550 pounds. This is another situation where tigers could hold their own, but they’d absolutely need to be cautious. We don’t

think the anaconda is necessarily looking to eat a tiger, but if threatened, it might have something to say about the new cat in town. In addition to the green anaconda, the other apex predator of the land is the jaguar. Jaguars have thrived in the Amazon… cunning, intelligent, skilled hunters. They’re about 8 feet long including their tail and can weigh about 350 pounds. They’ve ruled much of the Amazon. But jaguars are only the third largest cat on the planet. Yeah, tigers are the largest. So,

there isn’t much a jaguar can do to hold its own against a larger, heavier tiger. That actually would be a good sign for the tiger. To see a jaguar in the Amazon. Because, if a jaguar can live and thrive as an apex predator in the Amazon, then a tiger should be able to do the very same. They already exist in similar climates. Once again, there would be the period of adapting to the new environment. But that shouldn’t take very long. Then, tigers would supplant jaguars as the apex feline in the

area. The jaguars would be no match for them, having to slide down the totem pole from apex predator to just predator. Tigers would instantly be the apex predators of the land in the Amazon, still being wary of the formidable opponents in the jaguars and anacondas, but knowing that there was no match for them, their power, their size, their agility. They’d rule those lands. And nothing to worry about in the sky, of course. But the water… the tigers would need to be wary around that water. The ca

imans, the bull sharks, the electric eels… the water would be strictly for drinking, and that’s it. Hunting would have to be done inland. So, could tigers adapt to the Amazon Rainforest? It looks like they could. It looks like they could thrive. It looks like they’d hardly miss a beat. But it also looks like the jaguars wouldn’t be too happy about losing their crown. So, they better hope it never happens.