Tigers - Panthera Tigris

The tiger had nine subspecies.  Three of these are extinct and the other six are on the critically endangered or endangered list according the IUCN (Union for the Conservation of Nature) Red List.  Tigers are the world’s largest cat.

 

1.       The Sumatran Tiger – Panthera Tigris Sumatrae

The name of the tiger is due to the fact that these tigers can only be found on the Indonesian island of Sumatra.  According the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, there are between 500 to 400 tigers left.  The Sumatran is the smallest of the remanding subspecies of tigers.  This tiger is on the critical endangered list.  The tiger has the darkest coat, and the black stipes are broad and closely spaced and even doubled.  It also has striped forelegs.  Most of the remaining tigers now live in five national parks, two game reserves and about 100 live in unprotected areas that most likely will be lost to agriculture in the future.  This is the greatest threat to these tigers, followed by poaching.  It is illegal to hunt the tiger but this does not stop them.  China is a large consumer of tiger parts, as well as Taiwan and South Korea and even in some North American cities.

Most of the remaining Sumatran tigers now live in five National Parks, two Game Reserves, though around 100 live in an unprotected area that will most likely be lost to agriculture in the near future.

Sumatra Tiger

 

2.      The Bengal Tiger – Panthera Tigris Tigris

This tiger is found in India and Bangladesh and also in Nepal, Bhutan and Burma.  They are also called the Royal Bengal Tiger.  They are the most common subspecies of the tiger and are the second largest of the remanding subspecies of tigers.  There orange coat can black or brown stripes.  Each cat has their own unique striping patterns.

Bengal tigers hunt medium and large sized animals, wild boar, badges and water buffaloes.  Their prey can also be small elephants and rhino calves.  The tiger can drag prey 5 times their own body weight.  The tiger hunts mostly at night, and they kill their prey by severing the spinal cord or by inflicting a suffocation bite, which is generally done on larger prey.  Habit loss and poaching are threats to the survival of this tiger.  They are not only killed for their skin but for their body parts which is used to make traditional Asian medicines.

Bengal Tiger

 

White Bengal Tiger has a striking white coat.  This is caused by a double recessive allele in its genetic makeup and this only occurs once in every 10,000 births.

White Bengal Tigers

 

3.      The Indochinese Tiger – Panthera Tigris Corbetti

            This tiger is found in Cambodia, Laos, Burma and Thailand.  They are also called

            the Corbett’sTiger.  They have the darker shade of orange than any other subspecies of

            tigers.  The stripes act to help camouflage the tigers from their prey.  There are an estimated

            number of 1500 of these tigers left in the wild but because the tiger has a wide range some

            scientist believe that there could be only as few as 1200 left in the wild.  The tiger diet consist

            most of wild pig, wild cattle and wild deer.  The male tiger is about 8 to 9.5 feet long (2.43 to

            2.89 meters) and females are 7 to 8.5 feet long (2.13 to 2.5 meters).  The male weigh from

            330 to about 430 pounds (149 to 195 kilograms).  Habit close is also a bit concern, plus

            poaching.  Use of body parts in traditional medicines also put this tiger at risk.

Indochinese Tiger

 

4.        The Malayan Tiger – Panthera Tigris Jacksoni

               This tiger is a separate subspecies of the Indochinese tiger.  The Malayan tiger is very

               similar to the Indochinese tiger but it is smaller in size.  They are found exclusively the in the

               Subtropical forest in the southern tip of Thailand, and the peninsular Malaysia in

               South East Asia.

 

Malayan Tiger

5        The Siberian Tiger – Panthera Tigris Altaica

They are the largest of the subspecies of tiger.  They are also called amur tiger.  There are about 350 to 450 in the wild.  They are     found in the Primosky and Khabarovski Krais areas of the Russian Far East, with a smaller population of about 35 individuals are found in the areas of the Russian Far East.

The tiger does not have strips on its forelegs like the sumatran tiger.  The tiger can weigh up to 660 pounds (300 kilograms).  The males can grow up to more than 10.5 feet (3.3 meters) from head to tail.  The same threats exist for these tigers, habit loss, poaching and body parts used for medicinal purpose.

Saberian Tiger

 

The cross between the Bengal and Siberian tiger has a paler orange fur than other tiger subspecies.  They have brown stipes instead of black stripes.  The fur is much thicker than that of any other tigers living in southern Asia to help them with the cold winters.

cross between the bental and siberian tale is paler orange (right)

 

6.      South China Tiger – Panthera Tigris Amoyensis

             These tigers are found in central and eastern China.  In 1970’s these tigers were

             considered as pest by the Chinese government and hunted to the brink of extinction.  They

             are on the critical endangered list and are nearly extinct.  There are about 47 tigers living in

             18 zoos in China.  There are no tigers left in the wild.  The tiger has a yellowish fur with 

             narrower and longer stripes than those of the Bengal tiger.  The male is bigger than the  

             female and is between 7.58 to 8.666 feet (2.310 to 2.64 meters) long.  The female is 7.25

             to 7.83 feet (2.21 to 2.38 meters) long.  The male weighs 287 to 386 pounds (130 to

             175 kilograms).  The female weighs 243 to 254 pounds (110 to 115 kilograms).  The tiger

             was known to attack man and cattle for invading its natural habitat.  The tiger could

             consume between 39 to 88 pounds in a single setting (18 to 40 kilograms).   The male

             tiger does not  mix with the female tigers, only when it is in the breeding season.  The tiger

             reaches maturity between 3 to 6 years.  The gestation period is 103 days.  The female tiger

             can deliver up to 7 cubs but the usual is 2 or 3 only.  The mother breast feed their cubs for 8 

             months and at the age of 2 months they start eating solid food and leave the den.   

             Between the age of 18 and 36 months, they are ready to hunt and become independent.

The future for these tigers does not look promising and it looks like they will be the next tiger to become extinct. Attempts are being made with breeding programs and so far they have been successful but a lot of work still needs to be done.

 

south china tiger

 

Extinct Tigers

 

1.        The Bali Tiger – Panthera Tigris Balica.

               This tiger used to be found only on the Bali Island in Indonesia.  It was the smallest tiger of 

               the tiger subspecies. The females could weigh as little as 14 pounds (75 kilograms) and

               the males could reach around 200 to 220 pounds (90 to 100 kilograms).  The Bali tiger

               reached extinction through hunting.  Bali tigers had darker, shorter fur than any other t

               tiger subspecies.  The tiger had a bar-shaped pattern on its head.  They had a lifespan

               roughly of 8 to 10 years in the wild.

 

bali tiger

2.        The Caspian Tiger – Panthera Tigris Virgata.

               This tiger was caller the Hyrcanian Tiger, Persian Tiger and even the Turan Tiger.  These

               tigers was lived around the Caspian Sea, through Turkey, Iran and Central Asia to the

               the Chinese desert of Xinjiang.  They were some of the biggest of the tiger subspecies, 

               together with the Bengal tiger.  Males usually exceeded 6.56 feet (2 meters) in length. 

               The tiger had a brighter golden coat, with brown-gold stripes.  In winter the coat would

               become less bright and the pattern would not be so pronounced.  The stripes were  

               narrower and closer together than any of the other tiger subspecies.  When the Russians 

               came to Turkey in the late 1800s, they hunted the Caspian Tiger.   They also hunted the 

               natural prey of the tiger so many of the tigers would die from starvation.  In the 1990s it 

               was believed the last of these tigers died, but nobody seemed to have interest in those

               days, so it was never investigated or confirmed.

 

caspian tiger

3        The Java Tiger – Panthera Tigris Sondaica

These tigers were found exclusively on the island of Java.  The male tigers were very small, about 250 pounds (115 kilograms) and the females were even smaller.  Their noses were         long and narrow.  Their stripes were also narrow.

 In 1947 these tigers were protected but it came too late.  It was in the 1970s that this tiger came extinct.  It was believed that the tigers were poisoned by the locals who wanted to protect themselves, and of cause hunted for financial gains.  They also faced starvation and their prey was being killed to the point of extinction.

java tiger

Banana Plants

Bananas have been in our diet for many years and there are references going back to around 500BC.

100 billion bananas are eating around the world and 51% of these are eaten at breakfast.  Bananas are the most popular fruit in the world.  Some horticulturists believe that the banana was the first fruit on earth.  There are 1000 different varieties of banana growing around the world which is subdivided into 50 groups.  The Cavendish banana is the most common banana that is exported worldwide. 

leaves of banana plant

The banana plant is a large perennial herb with leaf sheaths that form trunk-like pseudostems.  The plant has 8 to 12 leaves that can grow to 9 feet long 2 feet wide. 

root system of banana plant

The development of roots in loose soil can be up to 30 feet laterally.

pseudostem

The pseudostems is the part of the banana plant that looks like a trunk. It is formed by the tightly packed overlapping leaf sheaths.  .  Each pseudostem produces only one banana cluster before dying.  New stalks are produced from the rhizome so the plants will continue to make more bananas for several years. 

rhizome

Rhizome, horizontal underground plant stem that is capable of producing the shoot and root systems of a new plant. Rhizomes store starches and proteins and enable plants to survive underground during unfavourable seasons.



the inflorescence

 

The Flower first appears on the mother tree, the first tree roughly 9 to 12 months after first planting.

 

 

The inflorescence (flower stalk) grows through the centre of the pseudostems. Flowers develop in clusters and spiral around the main axis. In most cultivars, the female flowers are followed by a few "hands" of neuter flowers that have aborted ovaries and stamens. The neuter flowers are followed at the terminal ends by male flowers enclosed in bracts. The male flowers have functional stamens  but aborted ovaries.

Fruits mature in about 60 - 90 days after flowers first appear. Each bunch of fruits consists of variable numbers of "hands" along a central stem. Each "hand" consists of two transverse rows of fruits ("fingers").

The fruit quality is determined by size (finger length and thickness), evenness of ripening, freedom from blemishes and defects, and the arrangement of the clusters.

Mature bananas are 2.5 to 12 inches in length and 0.75 to inches in width.  Banana peels can be red, yellow, or green or another colour depending on the type of banana plan.  The flesh of the banana can be white to yellow in colour.  The texture of the banana is firm and gradually turns tenderer as it ripens.

The yellow banana is called Cavendish banana and originated from China and Vietnam.  This banana was named after the man who obtained the specimen of this plant., the sixth Duke of Devonshire, William Cavendish.  Other names for this banana is canary banana and Chinese banana.

Red bananas are smaller in size than a common banana and the peel is a deep red or purple. It has a creamy white to pink flesh, with a slight raspberry-banana flavour. The overall taste is similar to a common yellow banana. They are imported from Costa Rica and are a favourite in Central America.

Blue Java Banana are blue in colour.  They have large burgundy flowers that make the trio of colours.

Its a beautiful tree and must be seen to believe.

Pink velvet bananas measure 3 inches long and they have seeds.  The plant grows 6 feet in height and flowers just after a year.  This banana is eatable.  The banana is sweet tasting.  When the banana is ripe it peels itself.

The purple banana plant is an ornamental plant.

Some Interesting facts about bananas

• The scientific name for banana is 'musa sapientum' which translates as 'fruit of the wise man'
• The word banana comes from the Arabic word "banan", meaning finger
• The banana plant is not a tree, it is the world's largest herb
• The "trunk" of a banana plant is not made of wood, it is made of tightly overlapping leaves
• Bananas could help you to feel happier, as they contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to promote relaxation and improve mood
• The inside of a banana skin can be used to calm an itchy mosquito bite - many people find that rubbing the bite with the skin helps to reduce irritation
• A medium-sized banana contains only 95 calories, and provides a quick-but-sustained energy boost in a natural, nutritious and easily digestible form with no fat, cholesterol or sodium
• British Banana supplier, Fyffes, received its first consignment of bananas 124 years ago, in September 1888
• A stem of bananas consists of “hands”, which consist of 10 to 20 bananas.  When a hand is split, the bananas become “clusters”, which generally consist of between three to eight bananas
• The inside of a banana skin can be used to polish shoes!

For a flatter stomach and a much healthier life

A good posture will help, straighten the spine and your will automatically use the stomach muscles and tone them at the same time.  Do exercises to help strengthen the back muscles.

 

Drink a lot of water, about 8 cups a day.  Dehydration also affects your ability to think and to remember things.  Stay away from cold drinks with sugar in it.  Dehydration also makes you hoard water making you carry excess weight around your middle.

 

Eat a lot of fruit or vegetables.  Start you meal of with a salad, or a soup.

 

Snack on nuts but avoid the salty nuts.  Nuts are rich in monounsaturated fats.  Nuts can lower cholesterol.

 

Caffeinated coffee is also beneficial.  As coffee is a natural diuretic it helps with regular bowl movement and this too makes one stomach flatter.  Coffee also helps to eliminates excess water in the body.

 

Green tea is also good for you, for a number of reasons.  Green tea increases your metabolism rate.  Green tea also helps with cholesterol and reduces it.  Green tea helps regulate the rise of blood sugar after eating preventing high insulin spikes which then will prevent fat storage.  Theanine is an amino acid, found in the tea, gives a tranquil and relaxing effect and is beneficial to the drinker. 

Green tea has catechins.  Catechins are strong antibacterial and antiviral agents, used for treating flue to even cancer.  Green tea can help prevent tooth decay as well.  Green tea also helps wrinkles and the signs of aging.  Green tea has antioxidants as well as anti-inflammatory properties.  Regular drink of green tea can prevent high blood pressure.

 

Eat your meals slowly.  Chew your food properly.  The body has to work hard to break down the food in the stomach and intestines.  Eating food fast can cause gas and indigestion.

 

Introduce pro-biotic into your diet, they are good bacteria.  Pro-biotic helps to break down the food in your stomach.  Have yoghurt with your cereal rather than milk.  People on antibiotics should also eat yoghurt as it helps line the stomach, therefore protecting the lining of your stomach. 

 

Dairy products are loaded with calcium, a mineral that may be nature method of fat reducing.  A diet high in calcium can suppress the cortisol that can enlarge fat cells and increase your fat storage.  Your need to get your daily recommended amount of 1000 milligrams in order to make your body break down the fat more effectively.

 

Walking helps boost the metabolism.   It’s simple and will burn fat around the middle.

Take 20 minutes a day just to relax.  When you are tired your body produces more steroids and stress hormones which can affect your digestive system negatively and that cause major constipation.  Cortisol production also increases.  Cortisol is a “fight or flight” hormone that sends fat directly to your midsection in order to protect vital organs.

 

Snacks every three to four hours helps prevents you from over doing it when you do eat.  It also helps with regulate the metabolism rate in your body.  Starving or not eating correctly is not the answers, as when you do eat, everything seems to head for the hips.  It’s the body’s way of storing up food.

 

Make sure that you have the recommended seven hours of sleep.  Lack of sleep also slows down metabolism rate in the body.

 

Eat a well balance breakfast in the morning.  You will eat less during the day than those that skip

breakfast in the morning.  Eating breakfast in the mornings will help you cope with the day to come.

Children that go to school on an empty stomach have a harder time concentrating and learning. 

 

Include sea food in your diet which includes fish.  Fish has lower calories than compared to red meats.  Fish has omega-3 fatty acids which turn on the fat burning process providing that you take a walk daily.

 

Use spices and herbs to flavour your dishes, instead of oil, butter and cream.  Chile peppers can be a powerful appetite suppressant, metabolism booster and fat burner.

 

Eat whole wheat brown bread.  Whole wheat is digested slowly so can control your blood sugar levels better.  White bread is refined and may cause to worse constipation.  Whereas whole wheat brown bread with assist in regular bowl movements. Keep away from refined foods.

 

Substitute foods for another.  Take for example spaghetti.  Normal spaghetti has no nutritional value.  Use squash spaghetti.  It’s easy to cook and low in carbohydrates and calories and very nutritional for you.  It has a good source of calcium, potassium, magnesium and niacin.

 

Gluten-free flour for normal wheat flour.  Your will lose the stickiness that helps combined the ingredients so you would need to use 1 teaspoon xanthan gum per cup of flour.

 

Couscous is made from processed wheat flour so substitute it for quinoa.  Quinoa is a whole grain superfood packed with proteins and nutrients and has almost the same texture as couscous.  You can even substitute oats for quinoa.  Cooked in whatever milk (cow’s, coconut, almond) one has available with some cinnamon can make a very tasty and nutritional breakfast.

 

Substitute flour tortilla with corn tortilla.

 

Use nuts instead of croutons to give your salad that extra crunch.

 

Use unsweetened apple sauce for sugar.  Just remember to reduce the amount of liquid by the amount of apple sauce used.

 

Use natural peanut butter instead of reduced-fat peanut butter as they are inclined to put a lot more sugar and preservatives into it.

 

Instead of sugary drinks, use sparkling water with a few slices or lemon or oranges to give it the flavour.

 

Use stevia for sugar.  It’s an artificial sweetener that is 300 times sweeter than sugar.  Get the ratio right.  One cup sugar can be replaced with about 2 tablespoons stevia powder.  You can even replace sugar with vanilla essence.  Cut down 2 teaspoon sugar with half a teaspoon of sugar.

 

Replace cacao nibs with chocolate chips as you cutting out the sugar and preservatives.

 

Sprinkle cinnamon on your coffee instead of cream.  It gives your coffee a pleasant taste.

 

Pre-flavoured yoghurt has lots of sugar.  Use plain yoghurt and mix your own fruit selection in it.  Add honey if you want a bit of sweetness in it.

 

Drink a glass of red wine rather than white as it has health benefits including cancer fighting compounds and cholesterol checks.

 

Use sweet potatoes instead of normal potatoes.  Sweet potatoes has extra fibre, vitamins A,C and B6.  It also cuts 20grams per 1 cup servings.

 

Eat popcorn rather than potato chips.  Its low in fat and you can add your own flavouring on the popcorn.

 

Cook brown rice rather than white rice.  Brown rice has more fibre and nutrients.

 

Used avocado smash instead of mayonnaise on sandwiches as it is full of healthy fat or use some Greek yoghurt and add lemon for taste.  You will not even notice the difference.

 

Rather oven cook chicken pieces and grill steaks. This is much healthier.