Sumatran Tiger

You will find the Sumatran Tiger in the area of Sumatra. They are smaller than other species of tigers with a full grown male only about 300 pounds. However, they can be up to 8 feet in length which gives them a very slender appearance.

Experts believe that they are smaller in size due to the limited natural habitat for them to reside in. They are also smaller in size due to the prey that they consume there being smaller than what other species of tigers have access to.

The stripes on the Sumatran Tiger are closer together than those found on any other species. This is due to the fact that their natural habitat is full of high grass and these close stripes allow them to easily blend in. This species of tiger also has more hair on the face and around the neck area than other species.

One of their best tactics is to chase their prey into the water. They are extremely fast swimmers so they can easily over take larger prey there that they may not be able to on land. They feature webbing between their toes which is why they are naturals in the water. They also confuse their prey due to the white spots on the back of their ears. Many animals think that these are eyes. This is believed to help them stay safe from predators though as they will be less likely to come up to them from behind.

As with many other species of tigers, a huge problem is that with low numbers remaining the genetic prospects aren’t very good. Too many of the tigers out there are related or have genetic materials that are closely related to each other. This is why they continue to do DNA testing before Sumatran Tigers are allowed to mate in captivity. When the genetic materials are too closely related it can result in offspring that isn’t healthy, that have physical problems, or that are two weak to survive in their natural environment.

The biggest through to those that do remain is the loss of their natural habitat. As a result it is harder for them to be able to survive. They have to move into new areas for a territory to call their own. They may also find it harder to find adequate food and water in these new environments that they have been forced into.

Sadly, the Sumatran Tiger is at a very high risk of being endangered. There are believed to be less than 500 of them remaining in the wild. Some researchers believe that there are some genetic markers of this species of tiger that could result in another subspecies being named. That is if they survive long enough though to be able to continue breeding and for these genetic markers to be activity identified and classified.

They continue to be hunted in the wild even with their high protection status. There are plenty of poachers out there making a ton of money from killing them so they aren’t going to stop doing so unless they are caught in the act. Others are destroyed due to their natural habitat being removed at an alarming rate. This is due to high logging activities taking place in their natural habitat.

Since 2007 there have been huge efforts in place to protect the future for the Sumatran Tiger. However, many people fear that it is simply too late and that we are only prolonging the inevitable extinction of them. However, most groups aren’t willing to give up on this species of tiger at all. They will continue to fight for them until they are no longer extinct or until they are all gone.