The Bengal tiger (also known as the Royal Bengal tiger) is the most common subspecies of tiger, found across the Indian subcontinent. It is considered as the second largest species of tiger in the world.
It is commonly found in dense forests and mangrove swamps and jungles throughout India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal. Males attain a total nose-to-tail length of 270 to 310 cm (110 to 120 in) and weigh between 180 to 258 kg (397 to 569 lb), while females range from 240 to 265 cm (94 to 104 in) and 100 to 160 kg (220 to 350 lb. The Bengal tiger has a yellow or light orange coat, with black or dark brown stripes and a white belly. The white tiger is a Bengal tiger that has mutated genes, meaning that it is white in color with black stripes. Black tigers are known to have black fur with lighter colored stripes but are even rarer than the white tiger. The Bengal tiger is a dominant and carnivorous predator, hunting its prey by stalking it until the Bengal tiger has the opportunity to catch it off guard. Bengal tigers primarily hunt larger mammals including deer, wild boar, cattle, and goats.
Today, due to habitat loss caused by deforestation, and hunting by human poachers, the Bengal tiger is considered to be an endangered species. Despite being the most common of all the tiger species, there are thought to be around 2,000 Bengal tigers left in the wild.