The Endangered Bengal Tiger |
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Profile and Description of the Bengal TigerBengal Tigers are among the largest of the tiger family, tigers in general being the largest species of all wildcats.The Bengal tiger has a rich orange-brown coat which is distinctly marked with random vertical black or grey stripes. There is a noticeable white spot on the back of each ear. The fur gradually fades to a much lighter shade becoming nearly white on the throat, chest, belly and the insides of the legs. This coloration makes for perfect camouflage within his native hunting ground where he blends in naturally with the surrounding terrain and vegetation. They are strong and sleek, heavily muscled animals with beautiful green eyes. Along with long sharp fangs and powerful jaws and claws, they sport stiff white whiskers and a ruff of longer fur frames the face. The rare so-called white tiger is a blue eyed genetic variant of the Bengal Tiger with an all over white, cream or light tan pelt which is striped in shades of black and grey. No two individuals of either color have the same markings. A full grown male Bengal Tiger stands around 3 or more feet tall at the shoulder and can weigh in at up to 600 pounds with a total length of an impressive 10 feet or more, including a 3 foot tail. Not your average pussycat! Bengal Tigers are known to live up to 20 years and older in captivity such as zoos or in controlled wildlife preservation areas. Their estimated healthy life span in the wild is thought to be about 15 years of age. Much of their days are spent sleeping, becoming alert and active at dusk in search for prey. These tigers may hunt or feed all during the night and up until dawn when they once again seek shelter. |
