Interesting mutations sometimes occur in nature, as a result of which species composition animals appear with new characteristics. As a result of one of these mutations, white tigers appeared. This rather rare animal fascinates with its appearance. White Tiger differs from the usual in bright white coat color with black-brown stripes and blue eyes.
In nature, white individuals are rare, since their bright appearance does not allow the belly to sneak up on prey unnoticed and presents a lot of problems during the hunt. But in captivity, white tigers successfully live and reproduce, and their way of life is no different from the way of life of their tawny relatives.
Today, there are about 130 white tigers in all zoos around the world. There they are a kind of attraction, because this mutation occurs quite rarely and only for every 10,000 tigers with normal coloration there is 1 individual with white.
Due to a misconception, many people believe that white tigers are albinos. They have the melanin pigment, although its content is less than normal. In fact, the white tiger is simply a color variation of the Bengal tiger, which exhibits the so-called recessive whiteness gene.
We all know that the tiger is a fiery cat with black stripes, we also know about the beautiful white Bengal tigers - snow-white with black stripes. What do we know about golden, black and Maltese tigers? Today I will tell you about them :)
Golden Tiger
The golden tiger is the most rare color variation caused by a recessive gene. Such representatives of tigers differ from their relatives in their slightly larger size and softer golden fur with orange stripes; black stripes can be seen only in some individuals at the tip of the tail. There is a version that the development of this type of color gradually developed in a group of tigers, one of whose representatives possessed a recessive gene for golden color and periodically interbred with its offspring. The color that appeared served as additional camouflage for such tigers living in areas rich in clay soils. On this moment There are about 30 golden tigers in captivity.
Black Tiger
The black tiger is a rare color variation of the tiger that is not a separate species or geographical subspecies. Black tigers are named because of pseudomelanosis. The black stripes of pseudomelanistic tigers are so close together that the background color is barely visible between them. For a long time black tigers were considered a myth, however, several skins have proven that pseudo-melanists exist. Melanistic tigers, unlike black tigers, are uniformly black without stripes. Melanistic tiger was captured only once; now this image is lost.
Maltese (blue) tiger
Artistic representation of a Maltese tiger
The existence of the Maltese (blue) tiger has not been proven, but reports of encounters with it periodically come from the Chinese province of Fujian and Korea. Based on these reports, the tiger has bluish fur with dark gray stripes. Possibly due to illegal hunting of tigers in China, the blue variety of tigers has become completely extinct. Around 1910, Harry Caldwell, an American missionary and big game hunter, was hunting a blue tiger in the vicinity of Fuzhou. His search is described in the book “The Blue Tiger” by Roy Chappen Andrews (1924): “The color of the animal is strikingly beautiful. The main color has a delicate Maltese tint, changing to a light gray-blue towards the bottom. The stripes stand out clearly, like an ordinary yellow tiger.” . A later report of a Maltese tiger came from a US military personnel during the Korean campaign. A soldier saw a blue tiger in the mountains near the demilitarized zone. This meeting is described in the book “Mysterious Cats of the World” by Karl Shuker. There have also been reports of blue tigers from Burma.
White Tiger
White Bengal tigers have black and brown stripes on their white fur and blue eyes. This coloration is very rare among wild animals, but is often common in captive populations. For every 10,000 tigers, only one is born white. The first mention of a white tiger dates back to 1951, when one of the hunters found a white tiger cub in the lair of a tigress. This tiger was crossed with a female of normal color, who gave birth to 4 red tiger cubs. The white tiger was then bred with one of his daughters, and in a litter of three cubs, two turned out to be white. Thus, all white tigers kept in captivity are descendants of one individual. There are currently about 130 white tigers in zoos.
The white Bengal tiger is not an albino. Albino tiger has no black stripes at all.
I am sure that you have all heard about the existence of the white tiger. But most likely, few people wondered what kind of wild cat this is and whether white tigers are found in wildlife or is it a human creation? Let's try to figure it out.
The existence of the white tiger has been known for a very, very long time. In ancient India, it was believed that meeting a white tiger could bring enlightenment, and killing an unusual animal could bring a series of troubles and death.
White tigers were extremely rare in the wild. Over the past 60 years, neither scientists nor hunters have seen a white tiger in the wild. Last time a white tiger was seen back in 1958. Unfortunately, he was not only seen, but also shot.
Until today, science knows only white Bengal tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) that lived and probably still live in the wild.
It is believed that the probability of a white tiger cub being born is 1 in 10,000. This is a congenital mutation, but white tigers are not albino, as indicated by the fact that they have dark stripes on their fur. In the wild, white tigers were probably perfectly healthy animals, not much different from their common red counterparts. But in captivity the situation is completely different...
Today, there are between 150 and 200 white Bengal tigers living in captivity, all thanks to one man and one tiger, respectively:
It all started back in 1951, when during a tiger hunt with the participation of Maharaja Rewa Shri Martand Singh, a tiger’s lair was discovered, in which there were four tiger cubs - three red and one white. The red tiger cubs, alas, were allowed to be skinned, and the white one was settled in the maharaja’s palace and given the name Mohan. The tiger quickly became the ruler's favorite and main pride.
The Maharaja hoped that sooner or later this white tiger would give birth to a white tiger cub, but for several years all the kittens were born the most common - red. A few years later, the tiger was brought together with his own daughter. As a result of inbreeding (connection between related individuals), the tigress gave birth to several kittens, among which one was white. They say that until that moment no one had seen the Maharaja so happy. A few more years passed and so many white tigers already lived in the palace that they decided to sell some of them. In the early 60s, several white tiger cubs found themselves outside of India, particularly in the USA and Great Britain. Today, white tigers are found in many zoos around the world, and large numbers also live in private nurseries, primarily in the United States.
Thus, absolutely all white tigers are descendants of the tiger Mohan, who lived in the palace of the Maharaja. To give birth to a white tiger, you need a white tiger and a tiger that is the child of a white tiger. Also, a white tiger cub can be born to two red tigers, provided that both of them or at least one of them is the child of a white tiger. From all this it follows that all white tigers are the result of inbreeding, which, of course, cannot but affect the offspring. White tiger cubs are smaller than their red brothers and sisters. They often have slanted eyes, crooked legs, and a weak spine.
At the same time, according to observations, white tiger cubs grow faster and grow larger than ordinary Bengal tigers.
As I already said, only representatives of the Bengal subspecies are white, but white (with black stripes) Amur tigers are often found in zoos. But there are no white Amur tigers in the wild. More precisely, there has not been a single documented case of meeting with a white Amur tiger. As for white Amur tigers living in captivity, this is not a purebred Amur tiger, but a mixture of Amur and Bengal tigers with a congenital white mutation.
The Bengal tiger (lat. Panthera tigris tigris or Panthera tigris bengalensis) is a subspecies of tiger belonging to the order Carnivora, the Feline family and the Panther genus. Bengal tigers are the national animal of historical Bengal or Bangladesh, as well as China and India.
Description of the Bengal tiger
A distinctive feature of the Bengal tiger is its retractable type, sharp and very long claws, as well as a well-furred tail and incredibly powerful jaws. Among other things, the predator has well-developed hearing and vision, so such animals are able to see perfectly even in complete darkness. The jump length of an adult tiger is 8-9 m, and the speed of movement over short distances reaches 60 km/h. Adult Bengal tigers sleep approximately seventeen hours a day.
Appearance
The fur color of the Bengal tiger varies from yellow to light orange, and the stripes on the skin are dark brown, dark chocolate or black. The animal's belly area is white, and its tail is also predominantly white, but with characteristic black rings. The mutation of the Bengal subspecies - the white tiger - is characterized by the presence of dark brown or reddish-brown stripes on a white or light background. It is extremely rare to see completely white tigers without stripes on their fur.
This is interesting! The record weight of the male, who was killed in northern India less than a century ago, was 388.7 kg. To date, these are the officially recorded highest weight figures in natural conditions among all known tiger subspecies.
The average body length of an adult male Bengal tiger with a tail is 2.7-3.3 m or slightly more, and the female is 2.40-2.65 m. The maximum length of the tail is 1.1 m with a height at the withers of 90 -115 cm. Bengal tigers currently have the largest fangs of all famous representatives cat family. Their length can exceed 80-90 mm. Average weight an adult sexually mature male is 223-275 kg, but the body weight of some, especially large individuals, reaches even 300-320 kg. The average weight of an adult female is 139.7-135 kg, and its maximum body weight reaches 193 kg.
Lifestyle, behavior
Predatory animals such as Bengal tigers live mostly alone. Sometimes, for a specific purpose, they are able to gather in small groups, including a maximum of three or four individuals. Each male fiercely guards his own territory, and the roar of an angry predator can be heard even at a distance of three kilometers.
Bengal tigers are nocturnal, and during the daytime these animals prefer to gain strength and rest. A strong and agile, very fast predator, going out to hunt at dusk or dawn, rarely left without prey.
This is interesting! Despite its quite impressive size, the Bengal tiger easily climbs trees and branches, and also swims well and is not at all afraid of water.
The area of one individual site of a predator occupies a territory within the range of 30-3000 km 2, and males specially mark the boundaries of such a site with their feces, urine and so-called “scrapes”. In some cases, the home range of one male is partially overlapped by the home ranges of several females who are less territorial.
Lifespan
Bengalis prefer hot and humid weather. climatic conditions, in which average duration life is about fifteen years. In captivity, such strong and powerful predatory animals easily live to an age of almost a quarter of a century.
White bengal tiger
Of particular interest is a small population of the white variation of the Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris var. Alba), bred by foreign scientists as decoration for zoological parks. In the wild, such individuals would not be able to hunt in the summer, so they are practically not found in natural conditions. Sometimes white tigers that appear in their natural habitat are individuals with a congenital type of mutation. This rare color is explained by experts from the point of view of insufficient pigment content. differs from its fellows with red skin by the unusual blue coloring of its eyes.
Range, habitats
All subspecies of tigers known today, including the Bengal tiger, have fur colors that match all the features of their natural habitat. The predatory species is widespread in tropical jungles, mangrove swamps, savannas, and rocky areas located up to three thousand meters above sea level.
Bengal tigers live in Pakistan and Eastern Iran, Central and Northern India, Nepal and Bhutan, as well as Bangladesh and Myanmar. Predatory animals of this species are found in the vicinity of the river mouth of the Indus and Ganges, Ravvi and Sutlij. The population of such a tiger is less than 2.5 thousand individuals, with a probable risk of decline. Today, the Bengal tiger belongs to the category of numerous subspecies of the tiger, and is also completely exterminated in Afghanistan.
Bengal tiger diet
Adult Bengal tigers are capable of hunting various fairly large animals, including wild boars and roe deer, deer and antelope, goats, buffaloes and gaurs, and young elephants. Also, leopards, red wolves, jackals and foxes, and not too large crocodiles quite often become the prey of such a predator.
The tiger does not refuse to feed on a variety of small vertebrates, including frogs, fish, badgers and monkeys, porcupines and snakes, birds, and insects. Tigers do not disdain all kinds of carrion. During one meal, an adult Bengal tiger consumes about 35-40 kg of meat, but after such a “feast” the predatory animal can starve for about three weeks.
This is interesting! It should be noted that male Bengal tigers do not eat rabbits and fish, but females of this species, on the contrary, very willingly eat just such food.
Bengal tigers are very patient, able to watch their prey for a long time and choose the right moment for one decisive and powerful, deadly throw. The chosen victim is killed by Bengal tigers through a process of strangulation or by breaking the spine. There are also well-known cases when a predatory animal of this species attacked people. Tigers kill small prey with a bite to the neck. After killing, the prey is transferred to the safest place, where a quiet meal is carried out.
Among almost all animal species there are albinos, and tigers are no exception to the rule. All these animals are characterized by certain characteristics - White color fur and red eyes, this color is associated with a small amount of pigment in the body, which is responsible for the color. Most albinos are born in rats, mice and rabbits.
In India, the killing of two real albino tigers with red eyes was recorded. Previously, white tigers lived in South Korea, but there they were completely exterminated. Although there are many white tigers in the wild and in zoos, they are not true albinos - their fur is white, but their eyes are blue or have brown stripes in their lenses.
People, having learned about the existence of albino tigers, came up with a lot of legends; these animals began to be feared and idolized. In Kyrgyzstan, there is a belief that a tiger with white fur can protect a person from any difficulties and problems. Shamans quite often performed rituals during which the tribe asked the white tigers to help them and send them a fertile harvest.
The Chinese believed that white tigers were protectors from evil spirits, so they decorated the gates of temples with their images.
Listen to the voice of the white tiger
In Chinese mythology, the tiger is the guardian of death and it symbolizes long life. The Chinese even placed statues of tigers in cemeteries, thereby driving out evil spirits.
White tigers are the personification of purity and holiness in many cultures around the world. Indians showed great respect for white tigers. They were sure that a person who met a white tiger would become rich and happy. If in other countries white tigers were mythical deities, then in India they are considered a real supreme being.
The remaining white tigers today live in zoos. The ancestor of albino tigers is. History shows that in 1951, a hunter discovered a den of tiger cubs, in which there were 4 tiger cubs of the usual colors, and one was completely white.
The majestic white tiger is a natural mutation. The regular tigers were killed, and the white one was taken to the palace. The unusually colored tiger was named Mohan, and he lived in the palace for 12 years. Everyone admired the beauty of this proud animal, and the ruler dreamed of getting offspring from his favorite. The grown-up white tiger was mated with a tigress of the usual red color.
But the birth of the babies was disappointing, and when the male was brought together with his daughter, several red tiger cubs and one white were born. Soon quite a lot of white tigers began to live in the palace, so it was decided to start selling them.
A pair of white tigers - a lion and a lioness. Although white tigers multiplied rapidly, the Indian government recognized them as the property of the republic. Soon, albinos were sold outside of India. They appeared in national parks Great Britain, America and other countries. The beauty of white tigers amazes everyone.
