Imagine trying to survive in the forests, grasslands and mangrove swamps of India and Bangladesh. For many animals, a habitat like this would be impossible. Yet the Bengal tiger, a mammal up to 3 meters long, including its tail, thrives there, thanks to features that scientists call adaptations: traits that help a living thing survive in its environment.
Consider orange fur with dark stripes: this adaptation helps it hide in tall grass and shadows while it stalks prey. The word camouflage refers to colors or patterns that help an animal blend in. Equally important is padded paws, which let it creep up silently. Without these traits, the Bengal tiger would struggle to last a single season.
As a carnivore, the Bengal tiger is an animal that eats other animals; it depends on deer, wild pigs and water buffalo. Its behavior matters as much as its body: it hunts alone, mostly at dusk and at night, and is a strong swimmer. Behaviors like this are adaptations too, even though you cannot see them in a photograph.
The next generation faces the same challenges. Young Bengal tigers, called cubs, depend on their surroundings and on adult care. Cubs stay with their mother for about two years while they learn to hunt.
Perhaps most remarkable of all: no two tigers have the same stripes, and the tiger is the national animal of India. Facts like this remind us that every animal's body tells a story about the place it lives.