Bangladesh is home to the royal Bengali
tiger and others of the cat family such as leopards and the smaller jungle cat.
Tigers are almost exclusively confined to the Sundarbans, but their smaller
relations prey on domestic animals all over the country. There are three
varieties of civet, including the large Indian civet which is now listed as an
endangered species. Other large animals include Asiatic elephants (mostly
migratory herds from Bihar), a few black bears in Chittagong Division, wild
pigs and deer. Monkeys, lingers, gibbons (the only ape on the subcontinent),
otters and mongooses are some of the smaller animals. There were once wild
buffalo and rhinoceros, but all become extinct this century.Reptiles include the sea tortoise, mud
turtle, river tortoise, pythons, crocodiles and a variety of poisonous snakes.
The voluble gecko lizard is appropriately, known as tiktiki. Marine life
includes a wide variety of both river and sea fish.