the sunda island tiger is a subspecies of "panthera tigris", not a whole species by itself. this means their genes are a little different from those of tigers from other places. they are smaller than other tigers and more likely to have beards or manes of fur around their faces. they have thick black stripes over their orange fur. scientists believe the sunda island tigers became different from other tigers many years ago when the sea level rose and surrounded what is now the islands they live on.