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A Bengal tiger walking through dry grass at the edge of a forest.
Photo: Tisha Mukherjee, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Bengal Tiger

Panthera tigris tigris

An endangered striped big cat of India and nearby countries that hunts alone and is an excellent swimmer.

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About the Bengal Tiger

Bengal tigers live in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and China. Tigers live in forests, mangrove swamps and grasslands. They hunt large animals such as deer, buffalo and wild boar, but only about 1 in 10 to 20 attacks succeeds. When a tiger does catch large prey, it can eat 18 to 40 kilograms of meat at once. No two tigers have exactly the same stripes.[1][2]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Panthera tigris tigris[1]
Size
Tigers range from about 2 to 3.7 meters (6.5 to 12 feet) long, depending on the kind.[1]
Weight
Tigers weigh 91 to 423 kg (200 to 930 pounds), depending on the kind.[1]
Lifespan
Usually 8 to 10 years in the wild. 16 to 18 years in captivity, up to 26.[1]
Diet
Carnivore. Large hoofed animals such as deer, buffalo and wild boar.[1][2]
Habitat
Forests, mangrove swamps and grasslands.[2]
Where it lives
India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and China.[1]
Group life
Solitary, except when mating or raising cubs.[2]
Babies
Pregnancy lasts about 103 days. Usually 2 to 3 cubs, sometimes up to 7.[1]
Conservation status
Endangered (IUCN Red List, tiger, assessed 2021).[3]

Fun facts

  • Bengal tigers have the longest canine teeth of any living big cat: 7.5 to 10 cm (3 to 4 inches).[1]
  • Tigers can swim across rivers 6 to 8 km wide.[1]
  • No two tigers have exactly the same stripes, so scientists use stripes to tell them apart.[2]
  • Only about 1 in every 10 to 20 tiger attacks ends in a catch.[1]

Vocabulary

solitary
Living alone rather than in a group.
home range
The area an animal regularly travels through to find food and shelter.
canine teeth
Long, pointed teeth used for gripping and tearing.
mangrove
A tree or swamp forest that grows in salty water along tropical coasts.
endangered
A conservation label meaning a species faces a very high risk of dying out in the wild.

See it in person

Sources

  1. [1] Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. “Panthera tigris (tiger).” https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Panthera_tigris/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [2] Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. “Tiger.” https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/tiger (accessed 2026-10-02)
  3. [3] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Panthera tigris (Tiger).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/15955/214862019 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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