A Bengal Tiger's Diet
Bengal tigers are very large cats native to the jungles of Asia and India. They are very strongly colored, with striking orange and black stripes and white on their faces and paws. They are closely related to Sumatran and Siberian tigers, and rate among the largest of land carnivores in the world. Their diets cover a wide array of creatures.
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The Facts
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Tigers are the largest of the cats, and present a unique and specialized set of characteristics. Their stripes camouflage them in the jungle, making them deadly stalkers and hunters. These tigers are solitary, except for when they come together to breed, and when females have cubs. Young tigers live with their mothers for two to three years and depend on them for food at that time.
Environment
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Tigers live in jungles, and are unique among cats in that they enjoy water and commonly go swimming. They need large areas of land to themselves and can be aggressive about marking and protecting their territory.
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Meat
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Tigers, like all cats, are nocturnal. They do most of their hunting at night. Bengal tigers will hunt and kill buffalo, deer, pigs, cows, sheep and any other large mammal. As carnivores, tigers will eat almost any meat. They will also fish, if no other prey is at hand. Specific diets depend on what is available in any given area.
Hunting
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Bengal tigers get their food by stalking and hunting throughout the night. They are very quick to pounce, and kill their prey by snapping its neck. An adult Bengal tiger will eat up to 60 pounds of meat every day. Bengals do not normally kill humans, unless they are threatened or have no other prey at hand.
Considerations
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Bengal tigers are an endangered species, and have been threatened through loss of environment, trophy hunting and poaching. They are also threatened by a lack of food; as the environment is destroyed by industrialization, a tiger's food sources are killed off, leaving tigers with little to eat. They are now protected by both national and international law, though poaching is still a problem. There are 5,000 to 7,000 left in the wild.
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References
- Photo Credit bengal tiger image by kds from Fotolia.com
