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What is the difference between a Sumatran Tiger and a Bengal Tiger?

Atula GuptaNovember 16, 2014

10 year old Jelita from Bali, Indonesia asks,

What is the difference between a Sumatran Tiger and a Bengal Tiger?

Tigers were once found in most parts of Asia and they were so widespread that each population living in different ecosystems became distinct subspecies with some characteristic differences from each other.In the world today there are 5 subspecies of tigers namely – Bengal, Siberian, Indo-Chinese, Malayan and Sumatran tiger. There is another subspecies, the South china tiger which is believed to be extinct with no recent reports of sighting.

Bengal Tiger

Here are the differences between a sumatran tiger and a bengal tiger,

The Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) lives in the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It is estimated to have a population of less than 500. The Bengal tiger ((Panthera tigris tigris) lives in India, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar with 1706 tigers found in India.

An average Bengal tiger weighs around 220 kilograms (500 pounds) stands 36 inches high at the shoulder, measure 10 feet from the tip of their nose to end of their tail.

Sumatran tigers are smaller. They weigh an average of 120 kilograms (264.5 pounds) measure about 8 feet from the end of their nose to the tip of their tail.

Sumatran Tiger

In appearance, Sumatran tigers are darker with a tan colored coat and their stripes are much closer together than other species including the Bengal tigers.

The Sumatran tiger is the last of the “island tiger” subspecies. The neighboring Indonesian islands of Java and Bali were once home to their own distinct tigers, but the Bali tiger (Panthera tigris balica) and the Javan tiger (Panthera tigris sondaica) each died out during the 20th century.

Hope this answers your question Jelita!

If you are 16 years old or younger and have a question like Jelita related to Indian wildlife, just write to us at contact@indiasendangered.com We will answer your question and publish it right here!

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Atula Gupta

Atula Gupta is the Founder and Editor of indiasendangered.com. Her work has appeared in a number of international websites, dailies and magazines including The Wire, Deccan Herald, New Indian Express, Down to Earth and Heritage India on issues related to environment and its conservation. She is also the author of Environment Science Essentials, a set of books for school children. She hopes this website provides a platform for people to be aware about species in the verge of extinction and heighten their conservation efforts.

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