The most graceful and dangerous predator of the entire cat family. The name comes from the name of the state of Bangladesh, where it is considered a national animal.
Appearance
The color of the body of this species is mostly red with dark and brown stripes. The chest is covered with white hair. The eyes are combined with the main color of the wool and have a yellow tint. It is not uncommon in nature to meet a white Bengal tiger with bright blue eyes. This is due to a certain mutation of the gene. Such species are displayed artificially. Being a formidable predator, the Bengal tiger attracts attention with its large dimensions. His body can vary from 180 to 317 centimeters in length, and this is without taking into account the length of the tail, which will add another 90 centimeters of the length. Weight can fluctuate from 227 to 272 kilograms.
The hallmark of the Bengal Tiger is its sharp and long claws. For fruitful hunting, this representative is endowed with very powerful jaws, a welldeveloped hearing aid and sharp vision. Sexual dimorphism lies in size. Females are much less than males. The difference may be 3 meters of length. The life expectancy of this species in the wild ranges from 8 to 10 years. Extremely rare individuals can live up to 15 years, upholstered on the territory of the wild fauna. In captivity, the Bengal tiger can live up to a maximum of 18 years.
Habitat
Due to their characteristic color, Bengal tigers are well adapted to all the features of the natural habitat. This species is considered popular in Pakistan, Eastern Iran, Central and Northern Part of India, Nepal, Myanmar, Butan and Bangladesh. Some individuals are located at the mouth of the Indus and Gang. As a habitat, they prefer to populate tropical jungle, rocky expanses and savannahs. At the moment, there are only 2.5 thousand individuals of Bengal tigers.
Habitat map of Bengal Tigers
Food
The prey of the Bengal tiger may literally be any major representative of the fauna. They encroach on animals such as wild boars, roe deer, goats, elephants, deer and guars. Quite often they can hunt red wolves, foxes, leopards and even crocodiles. As a small snack, he prefers to eat frogs, fish, snakes, birds and badgers. In the absence of a potential victim, it can also eat carrion. In order to satisfy hunger, the Bengal Tiger in one meal needs at least 40 kilograms of meat. During the hunt, Bengal tigers are extremely patient. They can observe their future prey for several hours, waiting for a good moment to make an attack. The victim dies from the bite to the neck.
Bengal tiger kills large predators by turning the spine area. He transfers dead prey to a secluded place where he can calmly eat. It is noteworthy that the female food habits differ slightly from the habits of the male. If males eat fish and rodents only in extremely rare cases, females prefer these mammals as the main diet. It is likely that this is due to the smaller dimensions of the female.
Reproduction
Most representatives of Bengal tigers last the propagation period for a year, and its peak begins in November. The process of mating occurs on the territory of the female. The resulting pair is together from 20 to 80 days, depending on the duration of the pop cycle. After the end of the cycle, the male leaves the territory of the female and continues a solitary life. The pregnancy period of Bengal tigers lasts from 98 to 110 days. From two to four kittens with a weight of up to 1300 grams come out of two to four. Kittens are born completely blind and deaf. Not even teeth have small animals, so they are completely dependent on the female. Mother cares for her offspring and, for two months, feeds them with milk, and only then begins to feed with meat.
Only by three weeks of life in the cubs there are milk teeth, which then change by constant fangs in three months of age. And already in two months they have been following their mother during the hunt to learn how to get food. By the year of life, small Bengal tigers are becoming extremely agile and are able to kill a small mammal. But they hunt only in small flocks. However, being still not quite adults, they themselves can become prey for hyenas and lions. After three years, the grown males go in search of their own territory, and many females remain in the maternal territory.
Behavior
The Bengal tiger can spend some time in the water, especially during the period of severe heat and drought. This species is also extremely jealous in relation to its territory. In order to scare away excess animals, he marks his area in urine and distinguishes a special secret from the glands. Even trees march, making notes on them with their claws. They can protect the territories of size up to 2500 square meters. As an exception, he can put only on his site a female of his type. And they, in turn, are much more calm about relatives in their space.
Lifestyle
Many people consider the Bengal tiger an aggressive predator that can even attack a person. However, this is not the case. These individuals themselves are extremely shy and do not like to go beyond the boundaries of their territories. But this predatory beast should not be provoked, since in the absence of alternative production, it can easily deal with a person. The Bengal tiger attacks large prey in the form of a leopard and crocodile only in case of inability to find other animals or various injuries and old age.
Red Book and Preservation of the Vid
Just a hundred years ago, the population of Bengal tigers totaled up to 50 thousand representatives, and since the 70s, the number has sharply decreased several times. Such a decrease in the population is due to the selfish hunting of people behind the carcasses of these animals. Then people endowed the healing power of the bone of this predator, and his wool was always held in high esteem in the black market. Some people killed Bengal tigers just for their meat. At the present stage of development of society, all actions that threaten the lives of these tigers are illegal. Bengal tiger is listed in the Red Book, as a type of extinction.
I could not refrain from commenting. Well written!