What is a Bengal tiger?

The Bengal tiger is a subspecies of tiger that’s native to the Indian subcontinent. Also known as the Indian tiger, and previously the royal Bengal tiger, the species is the most numerous of the tiger species. However, the species is still endangered, and there are estimated to be between just 2,603–3,346 individuals remaining.

Bengal tigers have been present on the Indian subcontinent for around 12,000 to 16,500 years. They’re considered to be one of the world’s charismatic megafauna – that is, a large animal species with symbolic value and popular appeal.

If you’re interested in Bengal tigers, why not learn about more Indian animals?

What are the characteristics of a Bengal tiger?

A Bengal tiger’s fur is yellow to light orange, and features stripes that range from dark brown to black. Each tiger’s stripes are unique.

The creatures have a white stomach and an orange tail with black rings. Males can grow up to around 3.1 m in length and weigh between 175 and 260 kg. Females grow to around 2.65 m in length and weigh between 100 and 160 kg. A Bengal tiger’s average height at the shoulders is 90 to 110 cm.

In the wild, Bengal tigers live up to 15 years, while in captivity they can live up to 20 years.

Bengal tiger habitat

Bengal tigers in the Sundarbans in India and Bangladesh are the only tigers in the world that thrive in mangrove habitats. The population of tigers in this region was estimated to be around 86 to 90 in 2018.

In the Indian subcontinent, Bengal tigers occupy:

• Tropical moist evergreen forests
• Dry evergreen forests
• Tropical and subtropical moist deciduous forests
• Mangroves
• Subtropical and temperate upland forests
• Alluvial grassland

In Nepal, a Bengal tiger habitat is typically in prime lowland forest. In Bhutan, they’re found in subtropical regions in the foothills of the Himalayas and in north temperate forests.

Tiger Conservation Units exist at the outer foothills of the Himalayas, exhibiting high densities of the species, thanks, in part, to the large biomass of ungulate prey.

Bengal tigers prefer to live in areas removed from human populations. As undisturbed habitats are rare, populations of the species are fragmented and far apart. They live in small islands of habitat encompassed by vast swaths of land where no tigers can survive.

The solitary creatures scent-mark large territories to keep other tigers away and travel miles within their environment to hunt large mammals. The tigers require huge living spaces which can exceed over 100 km2.

Bengal tiger diet

Bengal tigers are carnivores, and hunt a range of animals, such as chital, sambar, gaur, barasingha, water buffalo, nilgai, serow and takin. They also kill wild boar, hog deer, porcupines, hares, and peafowl.

The tigers have even been known to hunt other predators. Indian leopards, Indian wolves, mugger crocodiles and, on rare occasions, Indian elephants have all been prey to Bengal tigers.

As a hunting technique, the tigers get as close to their prey as possible, attacking from behind or the side. They’re most active at dusk and dawn using tall grass and trees as cover as they silently creep up on their prey

What threats face Bengal tigers?

Habitat loss and poaching remain the most significant threats to Bengal tigers. Their skins and body parts are illegally traded, while the illicit demand for bones for medicines puts the tigers at further risk. Factors like deforestation and climate change threaten further habitat loss for the species.

‘Royal’ Bengal tiger facts for kids:

• In the 19th century, the tigers were known as royal Bengal tigers. However, the ‘royal’ was dropped somewhere along the taxonomic line, and now they’re most commonly known as Bengal tigers.
• The tiger is a member of the subspecies Panthera tigris. ‘Panthera’ comes from the Lain word ‘panthēra’ and the Greek word ‘pánthēr’, which both roughly translate to ‘that which is hunted’. The Sanskrit word ‘pând-ara’ translates to ‘pale yellow, whitish, white,’ and is thought to have influenced the animal’s name.
• Bengal tigers generally give birth between April and December. An average litter is one to four cubs, who can weigh up to 1.6 kg.
• Every now and again, a white Bengal tiger is born! These tigers have an all-white coat with brown to black stripes, and tend to grow faster and larger than their orange counterparts.
• The largest Bengal tiger ever recorded was 11 feet long and weighed 857 pounds!
• Cubs visit their mothers’ territories during their first year living alone.
• They have giant teeth that fall from between 3 and 3.9 inches from the gum line. These are the biggest canines of all cat species.
• Human inhabitants of jungle villages that share space with Bengal tigers sometimes wear face masks on the back of their heads. Tigers prefer to attack from behind, so if they think a person is looking directly at them, they’re more likely to find another target.
• In the late 19th and early 20th century, a Bengal tiger known as the Champawat tiger was responsible for the deaths of around 436 people.
• They are the national animal of India and Bangladesh.