Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Harimau Sumatera (Panthera tigris)

Jambi’s Big Cat
 



 About the Sumatran Tiger
In Jambi, Sumatera, you will be able to meet the gorgeous big cat called the Sumatran Tiger or Harimau Sumatera (Panthera tigris). This animal is one of the six sub species of tigers that are still existing until know. However, this amazing tiger is critically endangered. It is on that status because there are only about 400 Sumatran Tiger known to be still living in the wild. As tigers are sitting on the top of the food chain, they are the predators that can also control the population of the animals under them in the food chain. And therefore, should this tiger be extinct, the balance of the forest may be disturbed as there will be no population control for certain animals anymore. There are factors that make the tigers’ population decrease. Among the factors are the lost of habitat because of the deforestation and the illegal hunting.  


The Physical Appearance 
The Sumatran tiger has the smallest body size when compared to the other sub species. The male is around 60 cm in height and length from head to feet of around 250 cm. With the average weight of 140 kg, the male Sumatran Tiger is usually about 50 kg bigger then the female ones. The female Sumatran Tiger’s average length is 91 kg. Their have body stripes in the colors of dark orange, black and white. There is a distinguishing feature in the stripes of the Sumatran Tiger, it is that they have thinner stripes on its coat when compared with any other type of tigers out there. These thinner stripes often help them hide and camouflage their presence and their small bodies help them to move with so much more agility and precision. They seldom miss their targets because of these advantages. The male Sumatran tigers have longer fur around the head and face. This key feature is usually used to differentiate the Sumatran tiger with any other types of tigers.
 

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