THE SUMATRAN TIGER: The Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) is a

rare tiger subspecies that inhabits the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

LOCATION: The rare animals are endemic to Sumatra, which is an island

located in western Indonesia by the Malaysian Peninsula. They occupy a wide
array of habitats, ranging from sea level in the coastal lowland forest of Bukit
Barisan Selatan National Park on the southeastern tip of Lampung Province to
3,200 m (10,500 ft) in mountain forests of Gunung Leuser National Park in Aceh
Province.

HABITAT: Sumatran tigers live solely on Sumatra, as their names convey.

Their typical natural habitat includes montane forest, peat moss forest, swamp
forest, lowland forest, tropical rainforest, evergreen forest and grasslands.
Once in a while these tigers even travel to mountainous regions. Sumatran
tigers often remain in spots that have ample dense underbrush, especially
when they're near bodies of water.

POPULATION: It was classified as critically endangered by IUCN in 2008 as

the population was estimated at 441 to 679 individuals, with no subpopulation
larger than 50 individuals and a declining trend.

EATING HABITS: The Sumatran tigers, because of their small size,

predominantly prey on smaller animals like fish, monkeys, and fowls. Despite
the fact they also feed on wild pig, spotted deer, Malayan Tapir and
Orangutans. Though occasionally, Sumatran tigers are also known to kill mice
or rats.
CHARACTERISTICS: Sumatran tigers are reddish-brown or orange in color,
and because of that are usually very adept at blending in with wooded scenery.
In general, Sumatran tigers go through their lives alone, with the exception of
mating rituals and mother-offspring care. The territorial and nocturnal creatures
are carnivores. Sumatran tigers aren't picky eaters, and often scavenge
anything that they encounter. These tigers are shed by a dark colored fur
together with the stripes that run across its body. The weight of the males
is 100 140 kilograms (220 310 lb), with the length measuring 220 225 cm
(87 89 inches). Sumatran tiger males has 295 335 mm (11.6 13.2) long
skull. The weight of the females is 75 110 kg (170 240 lb), along with their
length of about215 230 cm (85 91 inches). They have a skull of about 263
294 mm (10.4 11.6 inches).

SUMATRAN TIGER ENDANGERED: Habitat destruction and deforestation

are few of the widespread causes of the reduced population of Sumatran tigers.
Despite the fact that many tigers have been kept under captivity by different
wild life associations in their national parks, still there are few that are
susceptible to these threats.

These tigers are the strong territorial animals in that they dont often allow
other males to enter into their territory and start wandering around. Sumatran
tigers are known to forage at the twilight hour or at night. Besides, these types
of tigers also travel almost 20 miles in a single night. They are considered to be
sit-and-wait predators in that they do not make their presence feel to their
victims. Like other tigers, Sumatran tigers also akin to swim which is why they
are often found in the swamps, streams or freshwater lakes.