The habitat of the Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) is the tropical rainforest on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The big cat is the southernmost and smallest subspecies of the tiger. The Sumatran tiger was once widespread throughout the island. Today it is on the IUCN Red List and is threatened with extinction with a population of 600 individuals (as of 2021).
The male tiger has a total length (including tail) of up to 250 cm and a weight of up to 140 kg. The total body length of the female tiger is 230 cm and her body weight is up to 90 kg. The shoulder height is up to 75 cm, whereas the Siberian tiger reaches a shoulder height of up to 110 cm in comparison.
The coat of the Sumatran tiger is short and has a very strong basic coat colour. This varies from a very dark orange to red. The light colouring of the Sumatran tiger on the belly or the inside of the legs is never pure white but more of a cream colour. The very dark overall impression of the coat is reinforced by the stripes, which are deep black, very broad and partly doubled or even tripled. Towards the end of the pattern, the stripes partly turn into spots. The number of tail rings is eight to ten, whereby these are mostly doubled.
The hair of the Sumatran tiger is 10 to 15 mm long, with a mane often indicated in the male tiger. The length of the hackles is between 110 and 130 mm, and the fur on the chest is also comparatively longer than on the rest of the body. The whiskers, whose hair length can be 80 to 120 mm, are particularly pronounced in this subspecies and thus underline the mane-like overall impression of the animal.
The pictures were taken at Zoo Augsburg.