Tigers are one of the most famous wild and vicious animals in the world. Tiger is a carnivorous animal, feeding on meat. That is why the tiger is also said to be a predatory animal that is feared by either many other animals or humans as well.
Until now, there are at least 5 species of tigers in the world. Some of them are Bengal, Siberian, Indo-Chinese, Malayan and Sumatran tigers.
Unfortunately, some of this wild animal species in this entire world have to live in endangering population.
Well, both 2 types of tigers that are quite well known are the Sumatran tigers and Bengal tigers. Both Bengal and Sumatran Tigers are naturally ranging in two regions of Asia. Even though they look the same but in fact, they have a lot of differences.
Here are the differences between a Sumatran tiger and a Bengal tiger you should know. Let’s check it out.
Their Habitat
Habitat is one of the things that can differentiate these two types of tigers. As its name, The Sumatran tiger can be found only in one of the Indonesian islands named Sumatra.
The Sumatran tiger which has Latin name Panthera tigris sumatrae is an endemic Sumatran animal that can only be found along the forest on the island of Sumatra.
Meanwhile, the Bengal tiger spreads more widely in the world. The Bengal tiger can be found in India as its habitat. The Bengal tiger which has Latin name Panthera tigris tigris can be found in China, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and even Myanmar as well.
They are a carnivorous mammal. Both the Bengal tiger and the Sumatran tiger feed on meat as their main diet. That is why both of them live in the forest as their habitat. Most of their preys live in forest as well. But, their habitat will be related to their way to adapt.
The Bengal tigers can usually be found in some forests in the distribution area such as in the tropical forest, mangrove forest and grassland. Meanwhile, The Sumatran tiger can be found mostly in the rainforest, you can read about other Animals in Indonesia’s Rainforest.
Their Body Size
We can be easily identified between the Sumatran tiger and the Bengal tiger by comparing their body size. The Bengal tiger has relatively bigger than the Sumatran tiger.
The Bengal tiger has a weigh approximately of 220 kilograms or 500 pounds with a height of 36 inches at the shoulder. They are mostly about 10 feet from the tip of their nose to end of their tail. For your information, here are The Differeneces Between A Lion and A tiger.
The Sumatran tiger is smaller than Bengal tiger. It has an average weight of 120 kilograms or 264.5 pounds. It is about 8 feet from the tip of their nose to the end of their tail. In fact, The Sumatran tiger even is the smallest tiger species in the world.
Their Appearances; Body Colour and Tail
The differences between Sumatran tiger and Bengal tiger can be seen by comparing their skin colour and their coat stripes. The Bengal tiger has a yellow to light orange coat colour with black or dark brown thicker stripes.
It is different from the Sumatran tiger which has a yellow to golden coat colour with black thinner stripes. Here are The Distinctive Features of A Sumatran Tiger you should know.
There are other differences that we can meet between both the Sumatran tiger and the Bengal tiger. The Bengal tiger has a white tail with black rings. It is different from the Sumatran tiger tail which has a very light yellow tail with black rings.
Their Existence
Unfortunately, this wild animal is a type of mammal that is also classified as an endangered animal. In addition to massively deforestation and illegal logging, there are even those who hunt them to get their skin for sale.
Well, nowadays these two tigers can be rarely found in the world. The Bengal tiger is a type of tiger that is now rarely found. In contrast to the existence of the Sumatran tiger that is extremely rare to find.
Well, actually What Are The Differences Between Rare Animal and Extinct Animal? Let’s see the answer. The population of the Sumatran Tiger is critically endangered, being estimated only approximately from 250 to 400 tigers.
Meanwhile, the population of the Bengal tiger in wild is classified as an endangered mammal, being estimated only from 2226 to 2500 tigers. Such a pity, here Reasons Behind The Sumatran Tiger’s Population Decline.
Well, even though they live in the same region namely Asia, they have still many different things. Those are some things that can distinguish between a Sumatran tiger and a Bengal tiger. It will be knowledge for you to know these two types of tiger species.