Why is it so good? Because it is the only zoo I have seen that promotes cheetahs from Asia instead of Africa. Of course they are from both continents, but every other zoo goes with Africa. I love this for its uniqueness.
There was a study a few years ago (will try to find a link if I can) that concluded Sumatran Tigers were a full separate species (Panthera sumatrae) to 'mainland' tigers, Panthera tigris. If I remember correctly, they proposed to include the extinct 'island' subspecies in the new species as well (Javan, Balinese).
It was quite widely reported but I don't recall ever seeing this taxonomy applied in any context outside the original report, and Sumatran Tigers have remained as subspecies, Panthera tigris sumatrae.
It was quite widely reported but I don't recall ever seeing this taxonomy applied in any context outside the original report, and Sumatran Tigers have remained as subspecies, Panthera tigris sumatrae.
IUCN follow Luo et al (2004) for tiger subspecies - the article that proposed the widely-accepted new subspecies P. t. jacksoni. That report left all the forms as a single species.
On the subject of 'P. sumatrae', IUCN have this to say:
Cracraft et al. (1998) considered the Sumatran Tiger to have a sufficiently distinct mitochondrial DNA to warrant species status. Mazak and Groves (2006) also considered the Sumatran Tiger a separate species on the basis of morphology, as well as the Javan Tiger.
On the basis of morphology, however, Kitchener (1999) considered that there is little evidence for discrete subspecies and morphological variation was best characterized as clinal.
