Facts about the Bengal tiger
Scientific name: Panthera tigris tigris
What does the Bengal tiger eat?
-Large and small mammals such as buffalo , deer, and pig. They will mostly eat any mammal they can eat. The tigers eat about 25 pounds of food a day.
Life expectancy- approximately 10 years in the wild. In captivity, they can live up to 18 years.
Reproduction/offspring- The female tiger is pregnant for about 16 weeks or 3 and a half months. They usually have 3 to 4 cubs. Sexual maturity is reached at 3-4 years old.
Description: Orange, white, and black. Fur is orange with black stripes. White around the face. They male tigers weigh about 390-570 pounds, while the females weigh about 220-350 pounds.
Adaptations: The Bengal adapts by having camouflage fur which blends into its environment. The fur is thin so it can adapt to warm temperatures.
Where they live at- India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, China and Myanmar. They can live in swamps, rain forests, jungles, and fields or plains. Surprisingly, they do not live in Africa. Before humans starting hunting the tigers, there was way more population in northern and western china and India.
Current Status: Endangered. Only about 2,500 in wild. Humans have killed 80% of the tiger population from hunting them.
Does the tigers live in groups in alone? They often do not live with other tigers or in groups. They like to have their own territory for everything. They only travel with another tiger when they are mating. They generally do not fight with other tigers unless one is trying to harm the tiger cubs or taking their food.
Interesting facts about Bengal tiger:
- They have night vision six times better than humans.
- Barely any tigers would ever eat humans, unless they are in extreme need of food.
- Tigers can run at about 40 mph.
- Tigers saliva contains antiseptic, that is why they lick their wounds to heal them.
How are humans killing tigers? Tigers are often killed for trophies and games.They like to skin the tigers and use the skins. Humans kill them for their tiger claws. Some people just kill them for fun. Some people also say that their body parts can be used for Chinese medicines. They believe that tiger body parts can heal certain diseases. Humans want their fur as well. Also, people cut down trees which is some of the tigers habitat. That is where they get their food. Before humans started putting this negative effect on tigers, there was around 100,000 tigers in the wild.
What can be done to help save the tigers?The way most people do it is donate. There are many websites and organizations you can donate to help save the Bengal tiger. To help the illegal hunting groups get stopped, do not buy stuff from them. If we stop buying from companies that sell tiger accessories, they will make less. The biggest way to help is spread word about the tiger. Post on social media, tell people and let people know about the tigers population decreasing. Reduce your use on paper because that means that will make more trees get cut down.
What will the outcome be if we work to help increase the population? We will get many more tigers back into the world. It will make the food chain stable. We will stop innocent tigers from getting killed, and their homes getting chopped down.
http://www.edu.pe.ca/southernkings/tiger.htm
http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/bengal-tiger
http://www.rainforestanimals.net/rainforestanimal/bengaltiger.html
http://www.tigers-world.com/bengal-tiger
http://www.rainforestanimals.net/rainforestanimal/bengaltiger.html