The Royal Bengal Tiger
About The Royal Bengal Tiger
The famous Royal Bengal Tiger is found in all parts of India save for the Hot Desert regions of West India and the Cold Desert of the Trans-Himalayan Regions of the North. A symbol of strength and respect, it has a fascinating mythological and anthropological history with the people of India.
Today, it is every Nature and Wildlife Travelers bucket-list animal to view on safari in India, and India is the only place in the world one is likely to see the magnificient Tiger in the Wild. India has 50 Tiger Reserves today, and with strict Wildlife Laws and Protection, they are well protected within the confines of these Reserves.
Here we look at some interesting facts about the Royal Bengal Tiger and learn about it’s adaptations which it has perfected through thousands of years to become the apex predator in the Indian Subcontinent.
IUCN Status : Endangered
The Tiger count in India stands officially at 2967 (2018 All-India Census). This is a steep rise from the All-India Tiger Census in 2014 which showed that there were 2226 tigers in the wild in India.
One can only associate a number increase with a more effective counting method, and increased areas covered in the survey, as statistics show that the habitat for the Bengal tiger continues to shrinking exponentially.
While we laud the efforts of those on the field in terms of guarding against poaching. The policymakers of India leave a lot to be desired when it comes to increasing the threshold limit that has currently been met for the Tiger in India. It is difficult to see an increase in the current numbers.
Adaptations of the Tiger
• The Orange Coat and Black Stripes of a Royal Bengal Tiger help in breaking the shadows of the trees as the tiger moved through the jungle, its orange color absorbed by the sun’s rays which filter through. It also helps while stalking in the grasslands.
• The whiskers or vibrissae of a Bengal Tiger are an additional sensory tool, and they can sense the presence of other animals and sense motion.
• Like other Vertebrates, the Bengal tiger have an Olfactory Gland known as the Jacobson’s organ around the palate of the mouth and can learn of the presence of other Tigers from evidence such as urine, scat and smell.
• The Claws of a Royal Bengal Tiger are Retractable, hence helping them stay sharp and utilizing them only when required.
• A notable gap between the Molars and Canines of the Royal Bengal Tiger, which enables it to maintain a tight grip as it chokes its prey to death.
• The Jaw Muscles of the Royal Bengal Tiger are attached directly to the top of their skulls and the Bottom Jaw can only move up and down and not from side to side, hence enabling them to reinforce their tight grip on the animal which is in their grasp.
• The Large head and Powerful Jaws of the Royal Bengal Tiger enable them to deliver a deadly bite to prey animals that are far larger and heavier than them.
• The soft and sensitive Padding of Bengal Tiger on their Feet allows them to move in the jungle without making any notable sound.
• Long Hind Legs of the Royal Bengal Tiger give them spring and the ability to make long leaps: upto 30 feet in a stride.
Behaviour of the Tiger
• A Male Royal Bengal Tiger has a Large Home Range, extending between 50-150 sq km, and tries his best to keep off any rival males(including his own adult male offspring) from his area, guarding it ferociously.
• A Bengal Tiger must ideally be within 30 feet of its prey to stand a good chance of capturing it. It is said that 7 out of 10 hunts end in failure.
• The keen sense of hearing and smell of ungulates in their numbers and the watchful eyes of Primates as they sound an alarm in the event of any threat are detrimental to the Tiger’s attempts at finding a meal.
Courtship
• There is no fixed mating season for a Bengal Tiger.
• When a Female Royal Bengal Tiger is in oestrus and ready to mate, she leaves signs for in the form of Scent Mark or Sprays on visible trees which may lie in the path of a Male Bengal Tiger. These urinal sprays carry a heavy scent and have pheromones – which the Male Tiger can pick up by smelling it and using his Jacobson’s Organ to comprehend these chemical signals from it.
• A Female Bengal Tiger may “falsely-mate” with an intruding Male Tiger as well, if she is able to lure him away from the location of the cubs in order to pacify him. She will remain with him as long as is necessary for the significant danger to pass.
• A Male and Female Bengal Tiger typically remain together for a couple of days, copiously mating in the hopes of conception.
Motherhood of a Tiger
Tiger Subspecies of the World
Siberian or Amur Tiger
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Weight: 180kg – 320 kg
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Length: Upto 11 feet
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Population: 400 – 500 individuals
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Distribution: Russia
Royal Bengal Tiger
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Weight: 130 kg – 280 kg
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Length: Upto 10.5 feet
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Population: 3600 individuals
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Distribution: India, Nepal & Bangladesh
Caspian Tiger
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Weight: 100 kg – 240 kg
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Length: Upto 10.5 feet
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Population: Extinct
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Distribution: Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan
Indo-China Tiger
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Weight: 150 kg – 195 kg
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Length: Upto 10 feet
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Population: 1200 – 1500 individuals
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Distribution: China, Burma, Thailand
South China Tiger
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Weight: 110kg – 175kg
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Length: Upto 9 feet
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Population: Functionally Extinct
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Distribution: China
Javan Tiger
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Weight: 75 kg – 140 kg
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Length: Upto 8.5 feet
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Population: Extinct
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Distribution: Java – Indonesia
Sumatran Tiger
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Weight: 75 kg – 140 kg
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Length: Upto 08 feet
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Population: <400 individuals
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Distribution: Sumatra – Indonesia
Balinese Tiger
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Weight: 65 kg – 100 kg
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Length: Upto 7 feet
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Population: Extinct
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Distribution: Bali – Indonesia
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