Animal Facts

The Bengal Tiger is the most common of the six surviving sub-species of tigers in the world with a population of about 2,500. Even so, Bengal Tigers are still classified as an endagered species, due to human interference and loss of habitat. Bengal Tigers live mostly in India, although they have territories in other countries in Southeast Asia as well, such as Nepal and Bhutan.

Tigers are the largest species of cat, and Bengal Tigers in particular can range from 110 to 120 inches (270 to 310 cm) and weigh up to 580 lbs (261 kg). Males are statistically much larger than females. Coat colors very from yellow to light orange, while stripes appear in colors ranging from dark brown to black. The belly of a Bengal tiger is white, while their long tails are white with black rings. White Bengal Tigers do appear, although their coloring is a result of a recessive mutant gene that results largely from inbreeding to create the desired effect for zoos. White Tigers are not their own species, as many assume, and they also rarely occur naturally in the wild. Black Tigers have also been seen, although they are incredibly rare and only one such sighting has been credible in the past decade.

The most common social structure of Bengal Tigers is the relationship between mother and offspring. Females usually have litters ranging from one to four cubs, which will leave their mother after reaching two to three years in age. Besides the interaction between family units, though, Bengal Tigers tend to be generally solitary creatures that hunt large deer-like creatures both by day and night, including the chital, guar, and sambar. However, Bengal Tigers also kill other types of mammals and even smaller predators if they have to, often eating large quantities of meat at one time and then going without food for several days on end when prey is scarce.

All species of tigers face population problems, mostly due to human poaching, both in the interest of protecting livestock and fur their luxurious fur. Of the nine species of tigers that once populated the world, three of them-- the Bali, Caspian, and Javan species-- have gone extinct. Attempts at breeding tigers in captivity have mostly failed due to the tiger's feral nature, but cross-breeds have been successful, the most well known of which is the liger, or a cross between a male lion and a female tiger.

Bengal Tigers appear heavily in relics from the Indus Valley Civilizations in India, and they are also the national animal of Bengladesh and India. Despite this reverence, their most common enemy is man, as they have been both hunted for their fur and killed to protect livestock, driving them to an endangered status. In addition, deforestation causes habitats to shrink drastically, an action which the wide-ranged Bengal Tigers cannot afford. However, prominent conservation centers have appeared in India, Bangledesh, and Nepal in attempts to help this majestic species recover to its previous glory.