The Sumatran tiger is a population of Sunda Island tiger (Panthera tigris sondaica) on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. This is the only surviving tiger population in the Sunda Islands, where the Bali and Javan tigers are extinct. Sequences from complete mitochondrial genes of 34 tigers support the hypothesis that Sumatran tigers are diagnostically distinct from mainland subspecies.
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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ViviparousAmong animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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CursorialA cursorial organism is one that is adapted specifically to run. An animal can be considered cursorial if it has the ability to run fast (e.g. chee...
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Apex predatorAn apex predator, also known as a top predator, is a predator at the top of a food chain and has no natural predators. These animals usually occup...
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Ambush predatorAmbush predators are carnivorous animals that capture or trap prey by stealth, luring, or by (typically instinctive) strategies utilizing an elemen...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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NomadicNomadic animals regularly move to and from the same areas within a well-defined range. Most animals travel in groups in search of better territorie...
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PolygynyPolygyny is a mating system in which one male lives and mates with multiple females but each female only mates with a single male.
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Dominance hierarchyA dominance hierarchy (formerly and colloquially called a pecking order) is a type of social hierarchy that arises when members of animal social gr...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe Sumatran tiger is one of the smallest tigers. It is darker in fur color and has broader stripes than the Javan tiger. Stripes tend to dissolve into spots near their ends, and on the back, flanks, and hind legs are lines of small, dark spots between the regular stripes. The frequency of stripes is higher than in other subspecies. Males Sumatran tigers also have a prominent ruff.
Sumatran tigers are found in small and fragmented populations across Sumatra, from the coastal lowland forest of Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park on the southeastern tip of Lampung Province to the mountain forests of Gunung Leuser National Park in Aceh Province. Within natural forest areas, they range from lowland peat swamp forests to rugged montane forests. They prefer to use areas with higher elevation, lower annual rainfall, farther from the forest edge, and closer to forest centers. Sumatran tigers prefer forests with dense understory cover and steep slopes, and they strongly avoid forest areas with high human influence in the forms of encroachment and settlement. In acacia plantations, Sumatran tigers usually use areas closer to water and prefer areas with older plants, more leaf litter, and thicker sub-canopy cover.
Tigers are solitary animals and interact with each other only temporarily when special conditions permit, such as plentiful supplies of food. The basic social unit of the tiger is composed of a female and her offspring. Adult tigers are territorial and maintain home ranges, confining their movements to definite habitats within which they satisfy their needs and those of their cubs, which include prey, water, and shelter. On this site, they also maintain contact with other tigers, especially those of the opposite sex. Those sharing the same ground are well aware of each other's movements and activities. A male tiger keeps a large territory in order to include the home ranges of several females within its bounds, so that he may maintain mating rights with them. Territory disputes are usually solved by intimidation rather than outright violence. Once dominance has been established, a male may tolerate a subordinate within his range, as long as they do not live in too close quarters. Tigers usually hunt during the night, but they may also hunt in daylight. They generally hunt alone and ambush their prey as most other cats do. In most cases, tigers approach their victim from the side or behind from as close a distance as possible and grasp the prey's throat to kill it. Then they drag the carcass into cover, occasionally over several hundred meters, to consume it. Tigers are strong swimmers and often bathe in ponds, lakes, and rivers, thus keeping cool in the heat of the day. They roar to signal their presence to other individuals over long distances and can be heard 3 km (1.9 mi) away. When tense, tigers will moan. For aggressive encounters, tigers growl, snarl, and hiss. Chuffing is heard in more friendly situations. Other vocalizations include grunts, woofs, and miaows.
Tigers are carnivores and prefer hunting large ungulates or medium-sized mammals. In the Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park, Sumatran tigers often prey on Great argus, Pig-tailed macaques, Malayan porcupines, Malayan tapirs, Banded pigs, Greater and Lesser mouse-deer, Indian muntjac, and Sambar deer.
Little is known about the reproductive behavior of Sumatran tigers. In general, tigers are polygynous animals and don’t form pairs. Males within one area may compete for access to a female in estrus. Gestation lasts for about 103 days, and females can give birth to 1-7 cubs. They are born with their eyes closed and will open their eyes 6 to 14 days later. During the first 11 to 14 days following the birth, the mother tiger spends the majority of her time nursing her young. Weaning takes place at around 90 to 100 days. Cubs usually remain with their mothers until they reach between 18 months and 3 years of age. Young females become reproductively mature when they are 3 or 4 years old, and for males start to breed between 4 to 5 years of age.
The main threats to Sumatran tigers include habitat loss due to the expansion of palm oil plantations and planting of acacia plantations, prey-base depletion, and illegal trade primarily for the domestic market. Sumatra's largest tiger population in Kerinci Seblat National Park is threatened by a high rate of deforestation in its outer regions. The majority of the tigers found in the park were relocated to its center where conservation efforts are focused, but issues in the lowland hill forests of the outskirts remain. While being a highly suitable tiger habitat, these areas are also heavily targeted by logging efforts, which substantially contribute to declines in local tiger numbers. The expansion of plantations is increasing greenhouse gas emissions, playing a part in anthropogenic climate change, thus further adding to environmental pressures on these animals and other endangered species. In 1997, an estimated 53 tigers were killed by poachers, and their parts were sold throughout most of northern Sumatra. Numbers for all of Sumatra are likely to be higher. Farmers killed many of the tigers to prevent livestock losses. They sold them to gold and souvenir shops, and pharmacies.
According to a Wikipedia resource, in 2017 the total population size of the Sumatran tiger was estimated to be around 618 ± 290 individuals. This population was listed as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List in 2008.
