Panthera tigris sudanensis
Encyclopedia
The Panthera tigris sudanensis is a claimed subspecies of tiger
, not scientifically recognised, allegedly living in Africa
. It was described in 1951 by Paul E. P. Deraniyagala
, based on a fur he saw on a Cairo
bazaar. When he asked the seller for information, Deraniyagala was told that the animal was shot in Sudan
. As Mazák
wrote in 1980,, it was either a joke or the seller felt obliged to be polite and answer any question, whether with truth or an invention. Deraniyagala took a picture of the specimen's fur, which, when published, made the scientists say that according to the pattern of stripes it was most likely a fur of the Caspian Tiger
(Panthera tigris virgata) and that the fur must have been smuggled from Iran
or Turkey
. At that time the Caspian Tiger was nearly extinct. If a photo was enough for a scientific description, Panthera tigris sudanensis would now be one of the Caspian Tiger synonyms – as Mazák wrote, "the situation is half-humorous, half-ironic."
Tiger
The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...
, not scientifically recognised, allegedly living in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. It was described in 1951 by Paul E. P. Deraniyagala
Paul E. P. Deraniyagala
Dr. Paules Edward Pieris Deraniyagala was a paleontologist, zoologist, and also an artist from Sri Lanka. He specialised in fauna and human fossils of the Indian subcontinent. Between 1939 - 1963 he was the Director of the National Museum of Ceylon, and between 1961 - 64 he was also the Dean of...
, based on a fur he saw on a Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
bazaar. When he asked the seller for information, Deraniyagala was told that the animal was shot in Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
. As Mazák
Vratislav Mazák
Vratislav Mazák was a Czech biologist. He specialised in paleoanthropology, mammalogy and taxonomy, and he was also a painter, often illustrating his books about animals and men....
wrote in 1980,, it was either a joke or the seller felt obliged to be polite and answer any question, whether with truth or an invention. Deraniyagala took a picture of the specimen's fur, which, when published, made the scientists say that according to the pattern of stripes it was most likely a fur of the Caspian Tiger
Caspian Tiger
The Caspian tiger, also known as the Turan tiger and Hyrcanian tiger, is an extinct tiger subspecies that has been recorded in the wild until the early 1970s, and used to inhabit the sparse forest habitats and riverine corridors west and south of the Caspian Sea, from Turkey, Iran and west through...
(Panthera tigris virgata) and that the fur must have been smuggled from Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
or Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. At that time the Caspian Tiger was nearly extinct. If a photo was enough for a scientific description, Panthera tigris sudanensis would now be one of the Caspian Tiger synonyms – as Mazák wrote, "the situation is half-humorous, half-ironic."