They are a pigmentation variant of mainland Asian tigers. They are the unique version of tigers. These tigers are also considered extinct because there has been no evidence of their existence for around 50 years. But you will be excited to learn about this unique creature. So, join us as we discover some amazing facts about the white tigers.
Classification and Evolution
These tigers are also sometimes called white Bengal tigers. Mostly they were found across the Indian regions. Their range in history was a very large one. They are extremely rare because their coloration is dependent on the genes carried by their parents and passed over to them. Over the last two decades due to excessive hunting and deforestation, they have become even rare as no one has seen them for over a half decade in the wild. But they can still be found in zoos or animal sanctuaries around the world. They are considered the second largest tiger species after the Siberian tigers.
Anatomy and Appearance
They are powerful, energetic, and muscular just like a normal tiger. They carry some pigment form that creates their unique white fur so they are not an albino. These tigers don’t have white variations found in other animals. Some of the individuals were found to retain an orange tinge to their white-colored fur.
They have mid-broad stripes on their white-colored fur and their stripes’ color varies between brown and black. All individuals have different patterns of their stripes just like a normal tiger. These tigers carry some genes from their parents which makes their eyes blue rather than yellow or green color eyes like the normal tigers have. The white-colored fur on their body does look satisfying and adorable but it gives them a disadvantage as they cannot camouflage at certain places.
Distribution and Habitat
These unique tigers were mostly found roaming Indian states including Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, Sunderbans region, and in the former State of Rewa. They are the genetic version of Bengal tigers and Bengal ones are inhabiting India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh most as of today.
They live in several habitats like mangrove swamps, tropical forests, and moist jungles that support dense vegetation and have a resource of fresh water. The population of Bengal tigers is rapidly declining and it’s very rare for the gene-carrying parents to mate, this decreases the chance of this white one being produced. So, these tigers were only rarely found in the wilds but their population was decreasing now they have not been sighted for 50 years.
Behavior and Lifestyle
Like the other tigers, these are also solitary creatures and this thing allows them to sneak up on the prey more effectively in the jungles. They have a nocturnal nature so they carry out most of their hunting during the night times, this nature also helps them to hunt more successfully. Their incredible hearing, sight, and stealth abilities help them a lot when they are hunting in the night times.
Each individual tends to have its marked territory that can go up to 75 square miles in size and they mark this with the claws on trees. In the areas with a high number of prey, their territory might overlap with the female territories. But they don’t overlap it with the male’s territories instead they defend their territory with everything they have when another tiger tries to steal it.
Reproduction and Life Cycles
Both of the parents must carry genes to produce this unique creature. They attract each other by scent marks or roaring and when a male and female tiger mate they tend to separate their ways after it. A gestation period is 100 days for these tigers. After that, a female tiger gives birth to up to 7 cubs.
They are born blind and weigh only 1 kg at the time of birth. They first suckle on their mother’s milk and when they reach the age of 2 months their mother starts to feed the meat which she hunts on her own rather than depending on someone else. Their mother tends to teach them everything about the hunting and survival skills to live in the wild until they are 18 months old after that they are on their own and ready to survive in the wild.
The average lifespan of these tigers is 12 years in the wild and it increases up to 15 years in captivity.
Diet and Prey
Just like the other tiger species, they are carnivorous creatures meaning they eat the meat of other animals to gain the energy that they need. They have the incredible ability of hunting such as stalking and stealth, with the use of these techniques they hunt their prey quite easily in the darkness of light. They primarily hunt herbivorous creatures such as deer, cattle, and goats. Other than their abilities they have some physical strengths as well such as their long powerful legs, pointed teeth, and pointed claws which enable them to easily chase down and rip off their target. They were also known to enter the villages and kill the livestock.
Predators and Threats
Being very powerful and energetic creatures they don’t have any predators in the wild but their cubs do. Sometimes bears and wolves attack their cubs. The adults on the other hand have the threats of humans all the time. Their population has always been severely affected by the activities and developments of humans for hundreds or maybe thousands of years.
They are hunted or captured by humans for either trade purposes or their body parts such as skin or teeth. Deforestation has caused several problems for their population and now their population has become harder to sustain. The population of Bengal tigers is facing a decline time by time, the tigers are becoming isolated day by day. This also means the chances of producing more white tigers are fading and it could mean that they have gone extinct completely from the wild.
Types
These tigers can be the form of any of these tiger species:
Bengal Tigers
Mostly found across Asian regions such as Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and especially India. They can be found prowling in rainforests, swamps, and grasslands.
Siberian Tigers
They are also known as the Manchurian tigers. They have a rusty reddish fur on their body. They prefer to live in cold temperatures and they are found in temperate broadleaf and mixed forests. They are the largest species of all tigers.
Malayan Tigers
Mostly found in the Malaysian Peninsula’s central and southern regions. There are just around 100 left throughout the world. They are indistinguishable from the Indo-Chinese tigers.
Indo-Chinese Tigers
They have a brownish coat and slender stripes on their body. Mostly they inhabit Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar in large numbers but today there are just around 250 individuals left throughout the world.
South China Tigers
They have a paler colored coat and have the increased qualities of white facial fur. There are none left in the wild but some in captivity so they are may or may not be considered extinct.
Conservation Status and Life Today
As they are the form of Bengal tigers they are also listed by ICUN as an endangered species. According to a survey that took place at the beginning of the 1900s it was found that an estimated 100,000 tigers were roaming the Earth. But as of today, there are possibly fewer than 8,000 individuals around the world with 2,000 of them being the Bengal tigers. Still, there are no white tigers recorded outside of the captivity throughout the world.
Relationships With Humans
Tigers in captivity become fond of humans because of the caring environment and healthy food humans give them there. They become loyal and kind to humans and don’t show aggressiveness to them. On the other hand, these tigers living in the wild have opposite behavior, they don’t know humans that much and they see us as their food. They can attack humans especially when they feel a threat from us.
So the conclusion is that if you are care and kindred to someone it will be loyal and kindred to you as well. But if you try to hurt someone you will get hurt yourself instead.
FAQs
Where Do White Tigers Live?
Mostly they are found in the Asian region as they are the form of Bengal tigers and Asia is the main habitat for them. But today there are none left except in the captivity.
What Do White Tigers Eat?
Being a tiger they depend on meat and their diet includes deer, goats, rabbits, cattle etc.
How Fast Can They Run?
They can gain a maximum speed of up to 60 miles per hour but just for a short burst after that, they tend to slow down to preserve their energy.
What Kingdom Do They Belong To?
These tigers belong to the Kingdom Animalia.
What Class Do They Belong To?
They belong to the class Mammalia.
What Order Do They Belong To?
They belong to the order Carnivora.
What Family Do They Belong To?
They are the members of the family Felidae which includes animals such as lions, cats, leopards, serval, lynxes, jaguars, cougars, caracals, ocelots, pantheras, etc.
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