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The South China tiger (''Panthera tigris amoyensis'') is a tiger subspecies that was native to the provinces of Fujian, Guangdong, Hunan, Jiangxi in southern China, and has been classified as ''critically endangered'' by IUCN since 1996 as it is possibly extinct in the wild, making it the most threatened tiger subspecies. There is a small chance that some individuals are still extant. But already in the late 1990s, continued survival was considered unlikely due to low prey density, widespread habitat degradation and fragmentation, and other human pressures. No official or biologist has seen a wild South China tiger since the early 1970s, when the last verified record is of an individual brought into captivity. Since the 1980s, the South China tiger is considered a relict population of the "stem" tiger, living close to the possible area of origin. Morphologically, it is the most distinctive of all tiger subspecies.〔Herrington, S. J. (1987). (''Subspecies and the Conservation of Panthera tigris: Preserving Genetic Heterogeneity'' ). pp. 51–63 in: Tilson, R. L., Seal, U. S. (eds.) ''Tigers of the world: the biology, biopolitics, management and conservation of an endangered species''. Noyes Publications, Park Ridge, N.J.〕 The name ''Amoy tiger'' was used in the fur trade.〔 It is also known as the ''South Chinese'', the ''Chinese'', and the ''Xiamen'' tiger. ==Characteristics== In 1905, the German zoologist Max Hilzheimer first described the South China tiger as similar in height to the Bengal tiger, but differing in skull and coat characteristics. Their carnassials and molars are shorter than in his Bengal tiger samples; the cranial region is shorter with orbits set closer together, postorbital processes are larger. Their coat is lighter and more yellowish and the paws, face, and stomach appear more white; the stripes are narrower, more numerous and more sharp-edged.〔Hilzheimer, M. (1905). (''Über einige Tigerschädel aus der Straßburger zoologischen Sammlung'' ). Zoologischer Anzeiger 28: 594–599.〕 The South China tiger is the smallest tiger subspecies from mainland Asia, but bigger than the subspecies known from the Sunda islands such as the Sumatran tiger. Males measure from between the pegs, and weigh . Females are smaller and measure between the pegs, and weigh . The length of the tail does not usually exceed one half of the head-and-body length. Hair length varies geographically. Greatest length of skull in males is , and in females .〔Mazák, V. (1981) (''Panthera tigris.'' ) Mammalian Species 152: 1–8.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「South China tiger」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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