The white tiger is a rather large, beautiful animals listed in the Red book. It is the representative subspecies of the Bengal tiger with a congenital mutation.
White Bengal tiger often the size of the inferior canines.
The slowdown can be observed from childhood. He has a white or cream-colored coat with brown-black stripes and blue eyes.
Sometimes there are birth defects: clubfoot, strabismus, poor vision, curved spine .
Animal white tiger
Unusual coloration caused by a recessive gene. Zoologists have different opinions about this subspecies.
Some believe that the white tiger is just a genetic freak, which has nothing to demonstrate , especially to breed. Others argue that such individuals, as a phenomenon of nature, cannot be rejected.
Everyone who loves wildlife very much like Bengal tigers white color. They pay maximum attention at the zoo.
This animal is not albino, so a real tiger albino can’t be brown and black stripes. If both parents have the orange color, but they have certain genes, then the probability of offspring with white fur at approximately 25%. In the case where one of the parents is orange and the other white, the chance of the birth of the tiger cub light color increases to 50% .
Physiology
This predator has an elongate solid body. He’s got great muscles and excellent flexibility typical of all felines. The rear part of his body is less developed than the front. On the front paws of the beast with five fingers, hind legs – four. All the fingers have retractable claws.
The head is characterized by the convex forehead and a rather protruding face, massive large skull and wide-set cheekbones. Ears small, rounded.
The adult individuals of this species must be 30 teeth, including two fangs up to a length of 8 cm On each side of the animal’s tongue located the fossa, covered by keratinized epithelium, which helps to separate the meat from the bones of prey. The skin of the animal is covered with a fairly dense, low hairline.
Habitat
In natural conditions to see the white tiger is very difficult. Out of ten thousand individuals, only one has the color. In nature these animals are found in Nepal, Central and Northern India, in the territory of Sundborn and Budapest.
The first white tiger, the man caught in the middle of the last century. Subsequently he received other individuals for this color. Today representatives of this species are found in many zoos in the world.
Tigers are territorial animals. On their territory, they lead a solitary lifestyle. The invasion of her stranger is subjected to a fierce resistance. The predators mark their territory, leaving marks on vertical objects.
The area depends on:
- habitats;
- prey availability;
- the density of settlement other individuals;
- the presence of females.
While in “possession” of the male can be separate parts of the habitat of the tigress.
Females, unlike males, can peacefully coexist with individuals of their own sex in the same area.
Nutrition and lifestyle
White Bengal tiger, like its cousin, the predator.
In the natural environment in his food are hoofed animals. It can be deer, wild boars, Indian sambari etc. But he can eat and the hare, the pheasant, the monkey, and even fish. For the full power it average need to eat about 60 of ungulates during the year.
At one time the animal can eat 30-40 kg of meat.
But, at the same time, a tiger may cost considerable time without food. This is due to the presence of adipose subcutaneous tissue, reaching in some specimens of 5cm.
This beast hunts alone, using one of two hunting techniques – expect the victim in an ambush, or creeping up to her. The predator moves with short steps very carefully, often dropping to the ground. Approaching the hunted prey from downwind. Then makes some big jumps, reaching the desired object.
If animal, which hunts the tiger, leaving him more than 100-150 m, the predator stops hunting. This mammal can reach speeds up to 60 km/h and jump up to 10 m, height up to 5m. Catching and killing the victim, he carries it, clamped in his teeth or dragging on the ground. The weight of the dead animal can exceed its own weight in 6-7 times.
White Bengal tiger leads an active lifestyle in the morning and evening, preferring to lie down and sleep the rest of the time in some secluded convenient location.It is easily resistant to low temperature and are not afraid of winter,swim in the hot weather, loves to swim.
Tigers breed well in captivity, therefore many zoos are able to completely healthy offspring . However, even in cases where both parents have a white color, babies they can be born red.
Tigress is able to fertilize several times a year. The first offspring often brings the female at the age of 3-4 years. Nurturing children continues 97-112 days. To give birth to it maybe 2-3 times a year. In one litter is 2-4 cubs. The weight of the cubs is 1.3-1.5 kg.
Cubs are born blind starting to see the light after 6-8 days. The first six weeks, the cubs are fed only breast milk. They grow near the mother,who does not admit males, as they can kill unborn babies . Eight weeks the cubs are able to move with the mother. But they become fully independent only at the age of 18 months.
It is worth considering that white tigers in natural conditions is very rare, more dominating in zoos, where the mating occurs between members of this species.
Interesting facts
Since ancient times the white tiger, which was endowed with magical powers and was surrounded by numerous beliefs. They instilled fear becoming objects of worship.
Some interesting facts about these animals:
- Each individual contours of the strips are individually configured, and will never be repeated, like people have fingerprints.
- White tigers rarely growl, but his voice is heard not the distance up to three kilometers.
- Exploring the tombs in the province of Henan in the late 80-ies, archaeologists have found a picture of a tiger. It was lying near the body of a talisman from shell, age about 6 thousand years. Today is an ancient amulet depicting a white tiger.
- In Kyrgyzstan about this animal say he can solve any difficulties and problems. Dancing a ritual dance, shamans fell into a trance and asked for help tiger.
- In India there is a belief that seeing with my own eyes the white tiger, one can attain complete happiness and enlightenment.
- All white tigers that today are kept in captivity, the common ancestor is a male Bengal Mohan.
From the history
In the spring of 1951 while hunting, the Maharajah of Rewa saw four cubs and adolescents. One of them attracted attention for its unusual color. Red kids killed a white baby was taken to the Palace where he lived for about 12 years.
White tiger called Mohan. The Governor was proud that he has such a rare beast. Wanting to offspring, Mohan “betrothed” normal redhead female that periodically brought the cubs, but white was not among them . And only after, when he brought one of his daughters in 1958 – one of the cubs born white.
Subsequently, the number of these animals began to increase, and it was decided to sell them. Despite the fact that white tigers were declared a rare national treasure of India, soon several of their representatives were removed from the country. Some time passed and the white tigers were at the Bristol zoo in the UK. Striking, unusual mammals began its March around the world.
In Russia, the first white tiger came in 2003 when he arrived from Holland. It was a five-year-old male. A year later, it brought “the bride” from Sweden. This pair in 2005 brought to light the offspring – three white tiger cubs.
