The mammals are the class of vertebrate animals characterized by the presence of mammary glands, the presence of hair or fur; specialized teeth; the presence of a neocortex region in the brain; and endothermic or 'warm-blooded' bodies. The brain regulates endothermic and circulatory system, including a four-chambered heart. In India there are 410 species, 186 genera, 45 families and 13 orders of which nearly 89 species are listed as threatened in the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Animals (IUCN 2006).

The Bengal tiger, also called the royal Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris), is the national animal of both India and Bangladesh. As of 2014, Bengal tiger populations in India have been estimated at 2,226 individuals. In the Indian subcontinent, tigers inhabit tropical moist evergreen forests, tropical dry subtropical moist dediduous forests, mangroves, tigers in the Sundarbans in India and Bangladesh are the only tigers in the world inhabiting mangrove forests.

IUCN Status: Endangered (EN) Photo: Dibyendu Ash