kingdom: animalia
phylum:chordata
class:mammalia
order: carnivora
family:felidae
genus: panthera
Species: tigris
sub-species: sumatrae

Sumatran tigers (Panthera tigris sumatrae) are similar in appearance to the Bengal, but are somewhat smaller and their stripes are darker, more prominent and are closer together. Their forelegs are also striped. Its coat is thinner than that of the Siberian, as it inhabits the islands of Indonesia, where temperatures become warm. Males have a "ruff" surrounding the back of the head and neck that is more distinct in this sub-species than others. Sumatrans are the smallest existing tiger today, with the Bali tiger being the smallest of all the sub-species but is also extinct. Measuring between 220cm to 264cm for males and 215cm to 231cm for females, the Sumatran generally weighs about 100kg to 140kg for males while females are a small 75kg to 110kg. 
The Sumatran tiger's name derives from the area that it inhabits, where it is exclusively confined to the Indonesian island of Sumatra. They dwell in the tropical forests of the island, never straying far from water as this assists in cooling the cat off when temperatures become hot. They also enjoy swimming, and often chase prey into the water's depths. Apart from the jaguar (of South America), the tiger is the only big cat to love water.

Population Status
  The status of the Sumatran tiger is critical, with numbers thought to be around 400 to 500 in the wild, leaving them the second most endangered amongst the remaining tiger sub-species. There appears to be five National Parks and two reserves in which the tiger is abundant in numbers and also a fairly good population scattered about the remaining areas on the island. Unfortunately, they face hunting and poaching along with loss of habitat with the expanding agricultural areas and human population. In 1978, there were an estimated 1,000 in numbers, but the Indonesian island has had much agricultural developmental change in the last few years that populations have declined.

There are apparently about 26 protected areas on the island where tigers may dwell, and if these habitat regions are abundant with tigers then it is possible that numbers could be as high as 800 Sumatran tigers, although it is unlikely.
The current status puts approximately 400 tigers inhabiting the five National Parks and two game reserves, with another 100 dwelling in various unprotected regions of the island that may become vulnerable to poaching and agricultural expansion.

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