The Sumatran tiger is the largest tiger species in existence today. The smallest subspecies of the species. The average male Sumatran tiger has an average body length (from head to tail) of 234 cm and an average weight of 120 kg. The average female Sumatran tiger has an average body length of 198 cm and an average weight of 90 kg. Its stripes are narrower than those of other tiger subspecies, and its beard and mane are thicker (especially in males).
The Sumatran tiger was named and established as a new species in 1929 by Pocock, a famous zoologist at the Natural History Museum in London, England. Its ancestors originated from mainland tigers in the early and middle Pleistocene. Rising sea levels 12,000 years ago isolated the Sumatra region from the Asian continent, and tens of thousands of wild tigers were separated into new subspecies with significant differences. The Sumatran tiger has dark orange fur and dense stripes, typical features that distinguish it from mainland tiger species.
