| Photo Information |
| Copyright: Feroz Hamza (ferozhamza) (70) |
| Genre: Animals |
| Medium: Color |
| Date Taken: 2010-05-28 |
| Categories: Mammals |
| Exposure: f/4.8, 1/500 seconds |
| More Photo Info: [view] |
| Photo Version: Original Version |
| Date Submitted: 2010-06-17 20:14 |
| Viewed: 3732 |
| Points: 8 |
|
| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
The Bengal tiger, or Royal Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris[1], previously Panthera tigris bengalensis), is a subspecies of tiger, found in India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. The Bengal tiger is the most numerous of the tiger subspecies. According to WWF, there are about 2,100 Royal Bengal tigers in the wild today, including 1,411 in India, 200 in Bangladesh, 150 in Nepal and 100 in Bhutan.[2]
The Bengal tiger is historically regarded as the second largest subspecies after the Siberian tiger even though recent scientific studies have shown that Bengal Tigers are, on average, larger than the Siberian Tigers.[3] [4] The Bengal subspecies P. tigris tigris is the national animal of Bangladesh, while at the species level, the tiger Panthera tigris is the national animal of India. Behaviour
A male and female tiger in India interact with each other.
Tigers do not live in prides as lions do. They do not live as family units because the male plays no part in raising his offspring. Tigers mark their territory by spraying urine on a branch or leaves or bark of a tree, which leaves a particular scent behind. Tigers also spray urine to attract the opposite sex. When an outside individual comes into contact with the scent, it learns that the territory is occupied by another tiger. Hence, every tiger lives independently in its own territory.
Male Bengal tigers fiercely defend their territory from other tigers, often engaging in serious fighting. Female tigers are less territorial: occasionally a female will share her territory with other females. If a male happens to enter a female's territory, he will probably mate with her, if she is not already pregnant or has a litter. If she is pregnant or has a litter, he has no choice but to find himself a new territory and another potential mate. Similarly, females entering a male's territory are known to mate with him. Both males and females become independent of their mother around 18 months old, whereupon the cubs have to establish their own territories and fend for themselves. A male's territory is larger than a female's territory.
Previously it was considered the second largest subspecies, behind the Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica); however, a recent study suggests that maybe this subspecies could be, on average, the largest of the tigers.[6] The total length (including the tail) for males is 270-310 cm, while females are 240–265 cm;[7] the tail measures 85–110 cm long and the height at the shoulder is 90–110 cm.[8] The average weight is 221.2 kg (487.7 lb) for males and 139.7 kg (308 lb) for females;[9] however, those who inhabit the north of India and Nepal have an average weight of 235 kg (518 lb) for males and 140 kg (308.6 lb) for females.[10] Its coat is a yellow to light orange, and the stripes range from dark brown to black; the belly is white, and the tail is white with black rings. A mutation of the Bengal subspecies, the white tiger, has dark brown or reddish brown stripes on a white background, and some are entirely white. Black tigers have tawny, yellow or white stripes on a black background color. The skin of a black tiger, recovered from smugglers, measured 259 cm and was displayed at the National Museum of Natural History, in New Delhi. The existence of black tigers without stripes has been reported but not substantiated. [11]The Bengal tiger's roar can be heard for up to three kilometers (almost two miles) away.[12] From Wikipedia. |
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