The park is mainly dry deciduous forest, interspersed with several lakes, sprawling 1,334 square kilometres over diverse and undulating landscapes, with conical hillocks and flat-topped hills contrasting with wide open valleys and narrow rocky gorges. It has a unique juxtaposition of natural and man-made historic richness, with a gigantic feature in the shape of the 700 foot tall Ranthambore Fort, after which the park is named. This ancient fort includes many historical monuments and temples, devoted to Lord Ganesha and Shiva and is a ‘must’ on any itinerary in the area, giving a fabulous viewpoint.
Comprised of the former hunting grounds of the maharajas of Jaipur, here you will find an outstanding population of Bengal tigers. You may see them during the day, sunning themselves on the parks gentle slopes, or enjoying the sweet waters of the fresh lakes. The main food source for tigers is the swamp deer, or Barasingha, however there is a huge variety of wildlife that calls the park home. Leopards, jungle cats, palm civets and common yellow bats can be seen, as well as shaggy-haired sloth bears. Carnivorous false vampire bats might be seen hunting at dusk and notoriously fearless ratels (honey badgers) prowl the tracks.
There are also crocodiles, lizards, snakes, chameleons, turtles and tortoises found here, as well as just two amphibian species, common India toad and common frog.