The symbol of India is the tiger. The embassy of this country, located in Moscow, gave an accurate 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 country's national pride. ” The official name of the animal revered in India is the Bengal or royal 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 well-developed hearing, excellent vision, allowing you to see in the dark.
The Indian tiger is capable of jumping nine meters. He runs fast, developing a speed of up to 60 km / h. But, like all cats, Indian tigers like to sleep about seventeen hours a day.
The color of the fur of a Bengal tiger can be yellow, orange, white. The abdomen is white, the tail is predominantly white, with black rings. 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, the weight is 230-300 kg.
Predator life
Tigers who live in India lead a solitary lifestyle. Sometimes they gather in small groups of 3-5 individuals.
Males furiously guard their territory. The roar of a predator is heard at a distance of 2-3 km.
Bengal tigers are nocturnal animals. In the daytime, they prefer to relax, gain strength before night activity. With the onset of twilight, dexterous and powerful predators go hunting and are never left without prey.
Indian animals climb trees perfectly, swim beautifully, without fear of water.
Each male has his own, huge area. Usually it covers an area of 30-3000 sq. Km. The boundaries between the plots are marked by feces. In some cases, the area of one male overlaps the area of females. They differ from males in less territoriality.
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 climatic zone, the tiger lives to 25 years.
Rare white color
Among all the representatives of 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 color of the coat, so they practically do not occur. Although periodically in the jungle come across white Bengal tigers with blue eyes.
Where the predator lives
The symbol of India - a tiger, lives in the tropical jungle, savannah, 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 belongs to the category of numerous subspecies.
Food
Adult individuals can hunt different animals: wild boars, roe deer, antelopes, and even young elephants. Often prey become wolves, foxes, leopards, small crocodiles.
The tiger does not refuse to feed on various vertebrates, including fish and frogs. They eat snakes, birds, insects, monkeys. At one meal, the tiger absorbs about 40 kg of meat. After such a feast, the animal may starve for several weeks.
Males do not eat rabbits, fish, but females, on the contrary, willingly eat such food. They kill small prey by biting their neck. After killing, they take food to a safe place where they eat it.
Breeding
The puberty of the female comes to four years. Males become ready to continue offspring in the fifth year of life. After mating, the male returns to his territory, because of which he does not take part in the breeding of offspring. Tigers breed 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 cubs, weighing about 1000 grams each, are born. Babies are born blind, helpless and need maternal protection and attention. Until 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 remain with their mother until a year and a half.
