Indian tiger: habitation, food, reproduction

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:40

The symbol of India is the tiger. The embassy of this country, located in Moscow, gave an exact definition of the national animal. It sounds like this:

The Indian tiger is a powerful predatory animal with thick red fur and dark stripes. It combines grace, great power, because of which the tiger has become the national pride of the country.” The official name of the animal revered in India is the Bengal or king tiger, which is most often called Indian.

General description of the animal

The Bengal tiger belongs to the "predatory" order. This is the national animal of India, China, Bangladesh. It has a number of distinctive characteristics: sharp, long claws, pubescent tail, powerful jaw. The predator has excellent hearing, excellent eyesight, allowing you to see in the dark.

The Indian tiger is capable of jumping nine meters. He runs fast, reaching speeds of up to 60 km / h. But, like all felines, Indian tigerslike to sleep about seventeen hours a night.

The color of the fur of the Bengal tiger can be yellow, orange, white. The belly is white, the tail is predominantly white, with black rings. The white color of the tiger is extremely rare.

Tigers live in India and other countries of the world. They have a long body, reaching three meters or more. Moreover, a third of the length is the tail. The height of the predator at the withers is 110 cm, weight is 230-300 kg.

The life of a predator

Tigers who live in India lead a solitary life. Sometimes they gather in small groups of 3-5 individuals.

Males fiercely guard their territory. The roar of a predator can be heard at a distance of 2-3 km.

Bengal tigers are nocturnal animals. During the daytime, they prefer to rest, gain strength before nighttime activity. With the onset of twilight, dexterous and strong predators go hunting and are never left without prey.

Indian animals are excellent tree climbers, excellent swimmers, not afraid of water.

Each male has his own, huge area. It usually covers an area of 30-3000 sq. km. The boundaries between sites are marked with feces. In some cases, the area of one male overlaps with the area of females. They are less territorial than males.

How many individuals live

Predators live mainly in humid climatic zones. Under such conditions, their life expectancy is about 15 years. In captivity in the same climate zone, a tiger lives up to 25 years.

Rare whitecolor

Among all representatives of the Bengal tigers, white individuals obtained by breeders to decorate zoos are of particular interest. In the wild, such animals would not be able to hunt because of the too noticeable coat color, so they are practically never found. Although occasionally white Bengal tigers with blue eyes come across in the jungle.

Where the predator lives

The symbol of India - the tiger, lives in the tropical jungle, savannas, rocky areas located at an altitude of up to 3000 meters above sea level. These predators can be found in Pakistan, Eastern Iran, China, Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh. Very often they are met in the vicinity of the Ganges, Rabbi. This species is categorized as numerous subspecies.

Food

Adult individuals are able to hunt different animals: wild boars, roe deer, antelope, and even young elephants. Wolves, foxes, leopards, small crocodiles often become prey.

The tiger does not refuse to feed on various vertebrates, including fish, frogs. They eat snakes, birds, insects, monkeys. For one meal, the tiger absorbs about 40 kg of meat. After such a feast, the animal can starve for several weeks.

Male individuals do not eat rabbits, fish, but females, on the contrary, willingly eat such food. They kill small prey by biting their necks. After being killed, they take the food to a safe place where it is eaten.

Reproduction

Puberty female comes to four years. Males becomeready to continue offspring in the fifth year of life. After mating, the male returns to his territory, which is why he does not take part in the rearing of offspring. Tiger breeding occurs throughout the year, but the most active period is from November to April.

Pregnancy in tigers lasts an average of 105 days, after which 2-4 tiger cubs are born, weighing about 1000 grams each. Babies are born blind, helpless and need maternal protection and attention. Up to two months of life, they feed on mother's milk, then the female begins to accustom them to meat.

Young animals can hunt on their own from 11-12 months, but most often they stay with their mother until the age of one and a half years.

Tiger Enemies

Like all animals, Indian tigers have enemies. These include: elephants, buffaloes, rhinos. It is not uncommon for carnivores to fall prey to human poachers who prey on them for cartilage bone used in alternative medicine.

The Bengal tiger species is listed in the Red Book as endangered. Today, there are about two thousand individuals on Earth, including those that live in zoos and circuses. Now you know what tigers live in India.