Bengal Tiger

The Bengal tiger, or Royal Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris), is a tiger subspecies native to India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. It has been classified as endangered species by IUCN. Its population is estimated to be fewer than 2,500 individuals.

Its coat is yellow to light orange, and the stripes range from dark brown to black; the belly is white, and the tail is white with black rings. The total body length, including the tail, of males is 270 to 310 cm, while females are 240 to 265 cm. The average weight of males is 221.2 kg, while that of females is 139.7 kg. The Bengal tiger's roar can be heard for up to 3 km (1.9 mi) away.

Scientific classification

Kingdom:        Animalia
Phylum:          Chordata
Class:      Mammalia
Order:             Carnivora
Family:            Felidae
Subfamily:      Pantherinae
Genus:      Panthera
Species:         P. tigris
Subspecies:  P. t. tigris

Bengal tigers are defined by three distinct mitochondrial nucleotide sites and 12 unique microsatellite alleles. The pattern of genetic variation in the Bengal tiger corresponds to the premise that these tigers arrived in India approximately 12,000 years ago. This recent history of tigers in the Indian subcontinent is consistent with the lack of tiger fossils from India prior to the late Pleistocene and the absence of tigers from Sri Lanka, which was separated from the subcontinent by rising sea levels in the early Holocene. However, a recent study of two independent fossil finds from Sri Lanka, one dated to approximately 16,500 years ago, tentatively classifies them as being a tiger.

Estimated Population and Density of Tigers in Four Protected Area in Terai Arc(Nepal) in 2010