Adaptation
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The Sumatran Tiger has many advantages
when it comes to dominating the food chain in Sumatra. The first
adaptation is a characteristic of the Felidae: heavy
black stripes that surround the body (Dacrus, 2007). These stripes
help with camouflage, which in turn help with hunting. Once the prey
has been acquired, they must be able to hold on to it. Furthermore,
this tiger has a short rostrum and tooth row, which allows for
increased bite force (Etnyre, E. et al. 2011).
Additionally,
their posture allows for a rapid stride rate, and very powerful
forelimbs help keep hold of its prey. Felidae in particular have
hard papillae that are used to scrape flesh right off the bone of
the prey (Dacrus, 2007).
Also, Sumatran tigers have
the ability to retract their claws when not in use. This is crucial,
because otherwise they can get in the way
when chasing down prey. According to the Toronto Zoo, “this
subspecies has extremely long whiskers which form effective sensors
when moving through the particularly dense undergrowth of this
tiger's habitat”. Sumatran tigers also have partially webbed paws
that make them excellent swimmers. This is especially helpful when hunting, because the
tiger will
most likely, if not always, have the upper hand in the water. The
Sumatran tiger also has white spots,
known as “eye spots”, on the back of its ears. This is believed to be an adaptation that
wards off sneaking predators, as
these “eye spots” look very large from the back.
The Sumatran Tiger has many advantages
when it comes to dominating the food chain in Sumatra. The first
adaptation is a characteristic of the Felidae: heavy
black stripes that surround the body (Dacrus, 2007). These stripes
help with camouflage, which in turn help with hunting. Once the prey
has been acquired, they must be able to hold on to it. Furthermore,
this tiger has a short rostrum and tooth row, which allows for
increased bite force (Etnyre, E. et al. 2011).
Additionally,
their posture allows for a rapid stride rate, and very powerful
forelimbs help keep hold of its prey. Felidae in particular have
hard papillae that are used to scrape flesh right off the bone of
the prey (Dacrus, 2007).
Also, Sumatran tigers have
the ability to retract their claws when not in use. This is crucial,
because otherwise they can get in the way
when chasing down prey. According to the Toronto Zoo, “this
subspecies has extremely long whiskers which form effective sensors
when moving through the particularly dense undergrowth of this
tiger's habitat”. Sumatran tigers also have partially webbed paws
that make them excellent swimmers. This is especially helpful when hunting, because the
tiger will
most likely, if not always, have the upper hand in the water. The
Sumatran tiger also has white spots,
known as “eye spots”, on the back of its ears. This is believed to be an adaptation that
wards off sneaking predators, as
these “eye spots” look very large from the back.
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