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Bengal Tiger
The Bengal tiger
lives in a wide range of habitats, including the high-altitude, cold, coniferous
Himalayan forests, the steaming mangroves of the Sunderbans, the swampy reedlands,
the scorched hills of the Indian peninsula, the lush wet forests of Northern India,
and the arid forests of Rajasthan.
Male Bengal tigers average 2.9 meters
(9 1/2 feet) from head to tail and weigh about 220 kilograms (480 pounds). Females
are smaller, measuring about 2.5 meters (8 feet) in length and weighing approximately
140 kilograms (300 pounds).
Bengal tigers prey primarily on wild deer
and wild cattle.The tiger is found in Neora Valley, Buxa, Mahananda, Sajnekhali,
Jaldapara and in the Sunderbans. |
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 | | Jungle
Cat
In
into India and South East Asia, the species inhabits a greater range of habitats
which, as well as marsh and swampland on forest margins, also includes tropical
deciduous and evergreen forest. The jungle cat is not a particularly shy creature
and can be often found close to human habitation, hunting in crop fields and plantations
for small rodents. In India, it has been reported to inhabit disused buildings
on the edge of human settlements.
The jungle cat can be distinguished
from other wild cat species within its range by its long legs and uniform coat
colour, which ranges from sandy yellow to reddish brown. On closer examination,
the adult jungle cat can be seen to have faint stripes on the legs and tail, which
is tipped with black. On the head the nose and chin areas are often white, the
rather large ears tipped with darker fur and in certain sub-species faint 'tear
stripes' are noticeable beneath the eyes. The
jungle cat
is found in Senchal, Lothian island etc. |
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 | | Leopard
The
leopards, with more than 20 subspecies described, are included in the genus Panthera
on the basis of several features. It is one of the roaring cats, capable of producing
a deep sawing roar similar to that of the jaguar. The leopard is also like the
jaguar in coat pattern, with dark spots or rosettes. Although the size of the
rosettes varies over geographical region, leopard rosettes remain empty of markings
while jaguars generally have one to four dark spots inside the open spots. The
background color of the leopard's coat varies from shades of yellow through a
reddish brown, with some albino, although quite rare, specimines reported.
The size of the leopard varies greatly in different geographical regions.
The leopard averages between five and eight feet in length and weighs from 60
to 210 pounds in the wild.
The leopard's remarkable adaptability to different
environments is an indication that it is basically an unspecialized animal, favoring
forest and forest boundary habitats where it can utilize trees for protection
and observation platforms. The
leopard
is found in Singalia, Neora Valley, Buxa, Gorumara, Senchal, Mahananda, Chapramari,
Jaldapara etc. |
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 | | Batagur
Terrapin
The giant Asian river terrapin, or batagur (Batagur baska), and the closely related
painted batagur (Callagur borneoensis) inhabit estuaries and tidal reaches of
medium to large rivers throughout Southeast Asia. Both belong to monotypic genera
and represent the largest emydid turtles, reaching a carapace length that may
exceed 60 cm.
The river terrapin Batagur baska is restricted to the estuaries
of the Ganga and Brahmaputra, the Sundarbans and Bhitarkanika. Overexploitation
of eggs and destruction of its mangrove habitat poses a threat to this species.
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 | | Leopard
cat
The
leopard cat is cat sized and shaped, with a well-balanced carriage and build.
Its coat varies in ground color from grey to red with white or very light underparts.
It is randomly patterned with dark brown or black spots over its entire body.
Its head has strong black and white striped markings.
The leopard cat
may be found all over southern and central Asia from India to the Philippines,
Mongolia, Manchuria, Siberia and Japan, where it hunts by night or day, from trees,
and seeks game birds, fish, squirrels, hares, and other small animals.
One interesting fact about the leopard cat is that is the only wild cat to be
successfully used in a domestic-wild hybrid-breeding program in recent years,
giving rise to the beautiful and mild-mannered Bengal breed. The
leopard cat is found in Neora valley and few other places. |
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 | | Marbled
Cat
A rare cat, the marbled cat resembles a long-tailed cat in size and build. Its
beautiful, striking coat is pale brown, with irregular slightly darker brown blotches
sharply outlined in dark brown or black. Its long cylindrical tail is full from
rump to tip and carries its body pattern.
The marbled cat hunts by day,
from trees, and seeks birds and eggs. This rare cat was reported earlier to have
been sighted in the Buxa tiger reserve but in recent years have not been sighted.
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 | | Golden
Cat
The Asian golden cat is remarkably polymorphic in its pelage. The most common
coloration is fox-red to gold-brown, but it can also be black, brown, or grey.
Very little is known of the golden cat's behavior and ecology. However it is believed
to be predominantly nocturnal and prey mainly on large rodents, but its diet also
includes amphibians and insects, and probably also birds, small reptiles etc.
It was reported earlier to have been sighted in the Buxa tiger reserve but in
recent years have not been sighted.
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 | | Goliath
Heron
The Goliath Heron - with an overall length of between 4 to 5 feet this really
is a huge bird! In flight it has a slow and rather ponderous look and, unlike
some other herons, its legs are not held horizontallly. The only similar species
is the purple heron, which is much smaller.
It prefers to feed in or
near water taking fish, frogs, lizards and insects. They use a variety of hunting
techniques ranging from standing still at the edge of, or in some water waiting
to spear a fish, through acts like stirring the water or grass with a foot or
flicking the wings, to disturbing or startling prey, to walking rapidly through
the environment. Prey flushing actions such as 'Foot Stirring' and 'Wing-flicking'
can be used in conjunction with a slow walk or a walk-stop-walk-stop hunting method
as well as when standing still. | |
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