The white tiger is an animal listed in the Red Book. Photo and description of a white tiger

White tiger - individual bengal tiger with a congenital mutation (not considered a separate subspecies). The mutation results in a completely white tiger with black and brown stripes on white fur and blue eyes. This coloration is very rare among wild animals.

(Tambako The Jaguar)

The frequency of occurrence of white tigers is 1 in 10,000 with normal color. Reports of the white tiger have been reported for many decades from Assam, Bengal, Bihar and especially from the former native princely state of Rewa.

The first discovery of a white tiger in nature, however, dates back to 1951, when one of the hunters took a white male tiger from the den he found and then unsuccessfully tried to get the same offspring from a female with a normal color, but then succeeded in creating the second generation of white tigers. Over time, the population has expanded significantly: all white tigers that are now kept in captivity are descendants of the same individual found and are related to each other. There are currently about 130 white tigers in captivity, of which about 100 are in India. The last white tiger was shot in the wild in 1958.

The idea that white tigers are albino is erroneous - in fact, this coloration is caused by the presence of recessive genes (a real albino tiger would not have black stripes). If both parents are heterozygous, that is, orange in color, but are carriers of the genes, then the chance of getting offspring from them in the form of a white tiger is 25%. For parents, one of whom is a white tiger and the other an orange heterozygous one, the same chance increases to 50%. If one of the parents is white and the other is orange, but homozygous, then all the offspring will be orange, but carriers of the gene.

White tigers are generally smaller (with childhood) than normal Bengal tigers, and often have various genetic defects, including squint, poor eyesight, club feet, curved spine and neck, and kidney problems. However, the claim that infant mortality among white tigers is extremely high is not true.

White tigers are popular not only in zoos, where they often attract everyone’s attention and are therefore considered valuable specimens, but also in popular culture: in particular, some music bands dedicated songs to them.

In the Bengal tiger subspecies, there were also individuals with black stripes. The same phenomenon can be found among individuals of the Amur tiger, and in history there have been cases when such individuals appeared in other species. (Tambako The Jaguar)

Now there are several hundred white tigers in zoos around the world, about a hundred of them are in India. (Tambako The Jaguar)

However, their numbers are increasing. (Tambako The Jaguar)

The current population of white tigers includes pure Bengal and hybrid Bengal-Amur tigers, but it is not clear whether the recessive white gene came only from Bengal tigers, or whether the ancestors of Amur tigers also participated in this. (Tambako The Jaguar)

The existence of white Siberian tigers is not scientifically documented, despite occasional anecdotal evidence of sightings in regions where Siberian tigers live. (Nancy Chan)

It is possible that the white mutation does not exist in natural populations of Amur tigers: not a single white one has yet been born in captivity Amur tiger, despite the fact that these subspecies are actively used for breeding (with a large percentage of outbreeding between different hereditary lines of Amur tigers in order to preserve genetics). (Nancy Chan)

The recessive allelomorph periodically becomes homozygous during such crossing, and in this case, a white baby may be born to “ordinary” parents, but so far there is no evidence of this. (Nancy Chan)

The famous white Siberian tigers in captivity are not actually purebred. (Nancy Chan)

This is the result of crossing Amur tigers with Bengal tigers. (Karl Drilling)

The white coat gene is quite common among Bengal tigers, but the natural birth of a white Bengal tiger in captivity is still a rare occurrence. (Dpfunsun)

If a purebred Amur white tiger is ever born, it will not be selectively bred as part of conservation programs. (Andrea Mitchell)

Although, most likely, it will still be selectively crossed so that more white Amur tigers will be born. (Frost Photography)

Due to their popularity, white tigers are always the stars of zoos. (In Cherl Kim)

(Arjan Haverkamp)

The Bengal white tiger is an animal that is found in Central and Northern India, Burma, Bangladesh and Nepal. It should be noted that “Bengals” most often have a red color. But if in wildlife If a white tiger is born, it will be very difficult for him to survive due to the fact that with such a color he will not be able to hunt successfully, since he is too noticeable for his victims. There is an opinion that these predators come from Siberia, and their color is camouflage in conditions snowy winter. But this is a misconception, because white tigers appeared in India.

Description

This is the largest and heaviest cat in the world, despite the fact that different subspecies have slightly different body parameters. On average, the body length of a handsome striped cat is 1.5–2.6 m, but sometimes they can grow up to 3.1 m, and this does not take into account the length of the tail process, which is approximately 60–110 cm. The weight of one such cat ranges from 115 to 320 kg, depending on the subspecies and sex of the animal.

If we consider the tiger’s entire body as a whole, it impresses with its beauty, development of muscle tissue, majesty and unsurpassed flexibility. The anterior region of the body is slightly larger than the sacral zone, and it is much better developed, thanks to this the tiger’s posture is so graceful and proud that one involuntarily gets the impression that he is looking at the whole the world from high. The long beautiful tail is decorated with evenly distributed hair. The forelimbs end in five fingers, the hind limbs have four, and the claws tend to retract, just like in domestic cats.

Separately, the teeth of a predator should be noted; among them, the fangs stand out, not only for their development, but also for their length, which is approximately 7–8 cm; they help the animal take the life of its prey. But in the process of eating the victim, he uses his tongue, on which you can see epithelial outgrowths, thanks to which he easily separates the meat from the periosteum.

Wool

If we consider the coat of an animal, it varies greatly depending on the homeland of a particular representative of the cat family. Those wild cats, which live in the southern territories, the skin is covered with relatively short and not abundant fur, but in the northern subspecies the fur is quite fluffy, thick and long.

Mother Nature did a great job decorating these delightful little animals, choosing almost all shades of red as the main color. The projection of the abdomen and limbs are painted predominantly in light colors; it is also possible to see some light areas in the back side ears. Special attention, of course, a worthy drawing on the chic body of a tiger, which is represented by a large number of stripes. These elements also have different colors, from brown to charcoal black. The stripes themselves are distinguished by their characteristic placement; along the entire body and neck they are drawn transversely vertically, sometimes they can reach the stomach, sometimes only to the side surface. All stripes end pointedly and may occasionally bifurcate. On the back of the mammal’s body, the pattern is thicker and more saturated, sometimes with a transition to the surface of the thighs.

The area of the muzzle that is located below the nose, the area of tactile hair, the chin and the mandibular area is colored White color, only in the corners of the mouth and lower lip there are a small number of black spots. On the forehead, in the parietal and occipital parts, an original pattern is also observed, represented by various transverse stripes, most often having an irregular shape. The front part of the ears is covered with white hair, but the back part is always painted black and has a characteristic large white spot on its upper half.

The tail is also not devoid of an original ornament, only at the base there is no pattern at all, and the tip is mostly painted black. Usually the tail process is painted with transverse stripes, which, when connected to each other, form solid rings, of which there are usually from 8 to 10. In general, there are at least 100 stripes on the body of a tiger, their sizes and the distance between them depend on the specific species, but here is the pattern that they form themselves - this is a certain business card a specific animal, like fingerprints or DNA in humans. The stripes on the body of a predator are, of course, very beautiful and original, but their function is by no means aesthetic. This war paint allows the predator to remain unnoticed by its prey during the hunt. The interesting thing is that the animal's skin has exactly the same pattern, and if the fur is shaved off, it will grow back with an identical pattern.

Origin

The famous white tigers are not a quirk of geneticists, but a naturally occurring variety of Bengal tigers. These are not albinos, as it might seem at first glance (although there are, of course, albinos among tigers) - Bengal white tigers have black stripes and Blue eyes. The white color of the skin is due to a lack of melanin. In the wild, it is quite rare for common red tigers to give birth to white cubs.

Since ancient times, these unusual creatures have been endowed with magical powers and surrounded by numerous beliefs. They were revered in Kyrgyzstan, China and, of course, India - it was believed that by seeing a white tiger one could gain enlightenment (probably quite often posthumously). It was from India that white tigers spread throughout the world.

Among animals with normal coloring, there are white individuals called albinos. These animals have so little pigment that their eyes appear red due to visible blood vessels. Everyone knows white mice, rats, and rabbits. It is known that in 1922 in India (according to other sources - in Burma) two pure white tigers with red eyes were shot. Similar cases have been recorded in Southern China. The rest known to man white tigers cannot be called albinos in the full sense of the word: most of them are blue-eyed and have brown stripes on the skin. It would be more accurate to talk about a light (white) color variation of their color.

Bengal tigers of the usual red color sometimes give birth to cubs with white fur, which, however, retains dark stripes. In nature, they survive extremely rarely - such animals cannot hunt successfully, as they are too noticeable. White tigers are specially bred for circuses and zoos.

In captivity they are bred as separate species, because color is inherited genetically. White parents always give birth to white tiger cubs, but such offspring are rare from red tigers. It is not surprising that people prefer not to count on luck, but simply to cross white tigers with each other. Therefore, white tigers in captivity have poorer health than their free relatives. Although in nature the life of a white tiger, even the healthiest one, is not easy. He is more visible and difficult to hunt. So zoo relatives, surrounded by care, still live longer - up to 26 years.

Lifestyle and nutrition

White bengal tiger, like its relatives, is a predator. IN natural environment its food is ungulates. These can be deer, wild boars, Indian sambars, etc. But he can also eat a hare, pheasant, monkey and even fish. On average, he needs to eat about 60 ungulates per year.

At one time the animal can eat 30-40 kg of meat. But, at the same time, a tiger can go for a considerable time without food. This is due to the presence of fatty subcutaneous tissue, reaching in some individuals 5cm.

This animal hunts alone, using one of two hunting techniques - waiting for the prey in ambush or sneaking up on it. The predator moves in short steps very carefully, often crouching to the ground. Approaches tracked prey from the leeward side. Then he makes several large jumps, reaching the desired object.

If the animal the tiger is hunting moves away from it by more than 100-150 m, the predator stops hunting. This mammal can reach speeds of up to 60 km/h and make a jump up to 10 m long and 5 m high. Having caught and killed the victim, he carries it, holding it in his teeth or dragging it along the ground. In this case, the weight of a killed animal can exceed its own weight by 6-7 times.

The 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, comfortable place. He carries it easily low temperature and is not afraid of winter, knows how to swim and hot weather loves to swim.

It is worth considering that white tigers are very rare in natural conditions, more prevalent in zoos where mating occurs between representatives of this species.

Reproduction

Mating of tigers most often occurs in December-January. In this case, only one male follows the female. If a rival appears, a fight occurs between the males for the right to mate with the female.

A female tiger is capable of fertilization only a few days a year. If at this time the female is not fertilized, then estrus repeats after a short time.

Most often, a tigress gives birth to its first offspring at the age of 3-4 years, and a female can give birth once every 2-3 years. Gestation of the cubs lasts approximately 97-112 days. Tiger cubs are born in March-April. In one litter there are most often 2-4 tiger cubs, offspring with one tiger cub are less common, and even less often - 5-6 cubs. The weight of born tiger cubs is 1.3-1.5 kg. The cubs are born blind, but after 6-8 days they begin to see.

For the first six weeks, the cubs feed only on the milk of the tigress. Tiger cubs grow only near their mother; tigresses do not allow male tigers near their offspring, since the male can kill the cubs that are born.

After 8 weeks, the cubs become capable of following their mother and leaving the den. TO independent life the new generation becomes capable only at the age of about 18 months, but, as a rule, they remain with their mother until they reach 2-3 years, in some cases - up to 5 years.

After young tigers begin to live on their own, females remain in close proximity to matter. Males, in contrast, go longer distances in search of their own unoccupied territory.

Over the course of their entire lives, females give birth to about 10-20 tiger cubs, and half of them die in a significant amount of time. at a young age. On average, the life expectancy of a tiger is 26 years.

Is it easy for white tigers to survive in the wild?

Many people believe that such an unusual coloring will not give white tigers the right to survive in nature, but this is not so. White tigers have long existed in the wild and are excellent survivors. Another thing is that people rarely see them, because people immediately start shooting at a white tiger in order to get a trophy in the form of its unusual skin.

In India, white tigers are shot very often - especially at the end of the 19th century - in the early twentieth century, their shooting was common. And the killed tigers were already adults, healthy and well-fed, which means they survived well in the jungle and were good hunters. It is not clear why, but white tiger cubs develop faster than their red counterparts and adults are larger and stronger than red tigers. And also more dexterous and faster.

Many killed white tigers were put on public display in Calcutta, while other stuffed animals were added to private collections and museums around the world. Today, white tigers can no longer be found in the wild - they all live in zoos.

How to breed white tigers in captivity?

Since it is known that white tigers began to breed by crossing between relatives (inbreeding), many white tigers now have developmental anomalies.

This is mainly a failure of the immune system, strabismus, kidney problems, allergies. And, note, these anomalies are not at all related to the white color of these animals.

However, now there are white tigers in almost every zoo in the world and gradually the need for their inbreeding disappears. Until now, no one knows how many white tigers actually live on the planet. After all, they are found not only in circuses and zoos, but also among private individuals. There are a lot of white tigers in American zoos. And the demand for white tigers is very much satisfied by these zoos. As a result, India is no longer the main supplier of white tigers. However, it is in India that they are planning to create a white tiger reserve, where tigers will be sent to live in the wild.

In each individual, the contours of the stripes have an individual configuration, and are never repeated, like fingerprints in humans.
White tigers rarely growl, but their voice can be heard not at a distance of three kilometers.
While exploring graves in Henan province in the late 1980s, archaeologists found a drawing of a tiger. It was a shell talisman lying near the body, about 6 thousand years old. Today it is the oldest amulet depicting a white tiger.
In Kyrgyzstan they say about this animal that it can solve any difficulties and problems. While dancing a ritual dance, the shamans fell into a trance and asked the tiger for help.
In India, there is a belief that by seeing a white tiger with your own eyes, you can find complete happiness and enlightenment.
The director of the New Delhi Zoo in the 60s of the last century, Kailash Sankhala, believes that it is possible that the function of the white gene is to maintain the size gene in the population.
There are only a few hundred white tigers in zoos around the world; about a hundred of these tigers live in zoos in India.
The modern population of white tigers includes pure Bengal and hybrid Bengal-Amur tigers. However, it still remains a mystery where the recessive white gene came from - from Bengal tigers or from Amur tigers.
There is no official scientific confirmation of the existence of white Amur tigers. However, there are unconfirmed cases of sightings of white tigers in regions where Amur tigers live.
The white Amur tiger today is the result of crossing a white Bengal tiger with an Amur tiger.

Video

Sources

http://dlyakota.ru/23445-belye-tigry.html http://www.13min.ru/drugoe/zver-belyj-tigr/#Reproduction https://zveri.guru/zhivotnye/hischniki-otryada-koshachih /belyy-tigr-ekzoticheskoe-zhivotnoe.html#pitanie https://masterok.livejournal.com/581543.html

Quite a large, beautiful animal, listed in Red Book. This is a representative of the Bengal tiger subspecies with a congenital mutation.

The white Bengal tiger is often smaller in size than its relatives.

Slow growth can be observed from childhood. It has a white or cream coat with brown and black stripes and blue eyes.

Sometimes observed birth defects: clubfoot, squint, poor vision, curved spine.

Animal white tiger

Unusual coat color caused by the presence of recessive genes. Zoologists have different opinions about this subspecies.

Some believe that the white tiger is simply genetic freak, which has nothing to demonstrate, much less breed. Others prove that such individuals cannot be rejected as natural phenomena.

Ordinary wildlife lovers really like it white bengal tigers. They are the ones who receive the most attention at the zoo.

This animal is not an albino, so a true albino tiger cannot have brown and black stripes. If both parents are orange but share certain genes, there is approximately a 25% chance of producing offspring with white fur. In the case when one of the parents is orange and the other is white, the chance of having a tiger cub is light color increases to 50%.

Physiology

This predator has a massive body elongated in length. He has excellent muscles and excellent flexibility, characteristic of all representatives of the cat family. The back of his body is less developed than the front. The animal has five toes on its front paws and four on its hind limbs. All fingers have retractable claws. The head is distinguished by a convex forehead and a rather protruding facial part, a massive large skull and widely spaced cheekbones. The ears are small and rounded.

An adult of this species must have 30 teeth, of which two canines are up to 8 cm long. On the sides of the animal’s tongue there are tubercles covered with keratinized epithelium, which help separate the meat from the bones of the prey. The animal's skin is covered with rather dense, low hair.

Habitats

In natural conditions it is very difficult to see a white tiger. Out of ten thousand individuals, only one has this color. In nature, these animals are found in Nepal, Central and Northern India, in the territory of Sundabaran and Budapest.

The first white tiger was caught by humans in the middle of the last century. Subsequently, other individuals of this color were obtained from him. Today, representatives of this species are found in many zoos around the world.

Tigers are territorial animals. In their territory they lead a solitary lifestyle. The invasion of a stranger is subject to fierce resistance. Predators mark their territory by leaving marks on vertical objects. The area of the territory depends on:

habitats;
availability of prey;
population density of other individuals;
presence of females.

At the same time, the male’s “possession” may include separate areas where tigresses live.

Females, unlike males, can calmly coexist with individuals of the same sex in the same territory.

Nutrition and lifestyle

White bengal tiger, like its relatives, is a predator.

In its natural environment, its food is ungulates. These can be deer, wild boars, Indian sambars, etc. But he can also eat a hare, pheasant, monkey and even fish. On average, he needs to eat about 60 ungulates per year.

At one time the animal can eat 30-40 kg of meat.

But, at the same time, a tiger can go for a considerable time without food. This is due to the presence of fatty subcutaneous tissue, reaching in some individuals 5cm.

The 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 comfortable place. It easily tolerates low temperatures and is not afraid of winter, can swim and loves to swim in hot weather.

Tigers reproduce well in captivity, so many zoos manage to produce quite healthy offspring. However, even in cases where both parents have white color, their babies may be born red.

The tigress is capable of fertilization several times a year. The female most often gives birth to her first offspring at the age of 3-4 years. Gestation lasts 97-112 days. She can give birth 2-3 times a year. There are 2-4 tiger cubs in one litter. The weight of tiger cubs is 1.3-1.5 kg.

Cubs are born blind, beginning to see after 6-8 days. For the first six weeks, tiger cubs feed only on their mother's milk. They grow up near the mother, who does not allow the males to approach, as they can kill the born babies. Eight-week-old tiger cubs are able to follow their mother. But they become completely independent only at the age of 18 months.

It is worth considering that white tigers are very rare in natural conditions, more prevalent in zoos where mating occurs between representatives of this species.

Since ancient times, white tigers have been endowed with magical powers and have been surrounded by numerous beliefs. They inspired fear by becoming objects of worship. Some interesting facts about these animals:

In each individual, the contours of the stripes have an individual configuration, and are never repeated, like fingerprints in humans.
White tigers rarely growl, but their voice can be heard not at a distance of three kilometers.
While exploring graves in Henan province in the late 1980s, archaeologists found a drawing of a tiger. It was a shell talisman lying near the body, about 6 thousand years old. Today it is the oldest amulet depicting a white tiger.
In Kyrgyzstan they say about this animal that it can solve any difficulties and problems. While dancing a ritual dance, the shamans fell into a trance and asked the tiger for help.
In India, there is a belief that by seeing a white tiger with your own eyes, you can find complete happiness and enlightenment.
All white tigers kept in captivity today have a common ancestor - the Bengal male Mohan.

From the history

In the spring of 1951, while hunting, the Maharajah of Rewa saw four teenage tiger cubs. One of them attracted attention with its unusual color. The red babies were killed, and the white cub was taken to the palace, where he lived for about 12 years.

The white tiger was named Mohan. The ruler was proud that he had such a rare animal. Wanting to get offspring, Mohan was matched with an ordinary red female, who periodically gave birth to tiger cubs, but there were no white ones among them. And only after one of his daughters was brought together with him in 1958, one of the cubs was born white.

Subsequently, the number of such animals began to increase, and it was decided to sell them. Even though white tigers have been declared rare national treasure India, several of their representatives were soon taken out of the country. A little time passed and white tigers ended up at Bristol Zoo in the UK. Spectacular, unusual mammals began their march around the world.

The white tiger first appeared in Russia in 2003, arriving from Holland. It was a five year old male. A year later, a “bride” was brought to him from Sweden. This couple gave birth to three white tiger cubs in 2005.

Once upon a time, around 1951, a man decided to hunt and accidentally came across a lair. There were a few tiger cubs there, among which lay just one white tiger cub.

All except the little white tiger cub were ordered to be destroyed. The hunter took the white male tiger cub for himself. For several years he lived next to the master, delighting everyone with his exquisite beauty. People could not get enough of such a valuable specimen.

The gentleman, undoubtedly, wanted to get tiger cubs from the valiant and finally got it, bringing his ward together with the owner of the forest and a beautiful red tigress. Soon, the entire palace was filled with white tiger cubs. And then the gentleman came up with the idea of selling tiger cubs with the most unusual colors. were sold outside India.

White Tiger Habitat

White tiger is an animal, which lives in Burma, Bangladesh, Nepal and, directly, in India itself. This predator has a tight-fitting white fur with stripes. The predator inherited such a pronounced color as a result of a congenital mutation of its color.

Their eyes are green or blue. Whites, in principle, are not the most great view tigers. Orange hosts are much larger than white hosts. White is very flexible, graceful and his muscles are developed just perfectly, and has a dense physique.

The photo shows female and male white tigers

The tiger has not very large ears, which have a certain rounded shape. Tigers have ridges on their tongues that are great for separating meat from different bones.

Such predators have 4 toes on their hind legs, and 5 toes on their front legs. White tigers weigh very large, about 500 kilograms, and the body length reaches 3 meters.

The predator has enough teeth - 30 pieces. The health of white tigers requires the best, because, as you know, crossing completely different breeds does not lead to anything good. Such tigers have health problems, namely:

- kidney disease;
- squint;
- poor vision;
-the spine and neck are quite curved;
-allergy.

The photo shows a fight between two white male tigers

White tigers- This is a very interesting specimen. It is not possible to see these striped animals in all zoos. A lot of people from all over the world come to zoos to look at the graceful white tiger.

Lifestyle and character of the white tiger

Tigers are loners in life. That’s how it is in their nature. They, of course, stand behind their territory with a wall, mark it, not letting anyone in. They fight for it to the last.

The only exceptions are female striped predators; they allow only females into their conquered territory and are ready to share food with them. In principle, females also share food with males.

But usually white tigers live not in a normal environment, but in captivity. It is very difficult for them to survive in such an environment - because their color is quite white and is very noticeable when hunting. The tiger swims well and can even climb a tree, no matter how strange it may sound.

Before hunting prey, the predator tries to wash off its scent so that the prey cannot sense it and run away, leaving the tiger hungry. The tiger, by nature, loves to sleep, in no way inferior to our domestic cats.

White tiger feeding

Like all predators living in their natural environment, white tigers prefer meat. IN summer time tigers can get a little full of hazelnuts and edible herbs.

The main food is deer. But, in some cases, a tiger can even eat. Males are very different from females even in taste preferences.

If the male does not accept it, then the female will gladly taste the meat. In order for a tiger to feel full, it needs to eat about 30 kilograms of meat at a time.

White tigers, like all predators, love meat

The tiger is a solitary hunter. He was used to attacking before quietly stalking his prey. It moves towards the prey in small steps on half-bent legs, very unnoticeably.

The predator obtains food both day and night; there is no specific time for it. The tiger is very cunning in hunting, he can imitate the cry of the animal he is hunting.

Interesting fact. During its hunt, a white tiger can jump up to 5 meters in height! And even more so in length, 10 meters. It can carry prey, even up to one hundred kilograms.

Reproduction and lifespan of a white tiger

Following nature, white tigers mate in December or January. The female should have only one suitor. If suddenly a couple of males begin to court a female, then there will be a fight for this female.

The strongest male gets the female. The female is ready to give birth at 3-4 years. A female can bear offspring only once every 2-3 years. Moreover, the gestation period for tiger cubs is approximately 100 days.

In the photo there are white tiger cubs

The female gives birth to cubs in March or April. In total, the female bears about three tiger cubs. The cubs are all near the mother, it is very dangerous to be near the male, he can easily kill them. For about six weeks, tiger cubs eat only their mother's milk.

A female tiger is, first of all, a loving and caring mother. She teaches her tiger cubs everything: how to get food, protects them from danger, teaches how to attack prey unnoticed and silently. The tigress will never leave her cubs in trouble - she will fight to the last.

When tiger cubs turn 18 months old, they can be considered completely independent. Girls (females) remain close to their mother, and males scatter in search of happy life. Striped predators live about 26 years.

It should be noted that white tiger is listed in the Red Book of Russia. Hunting them is strictly prohibited. There is an opinion that white predators can only reproduce in captivity and, therefore, their species may simply disappear. The white tiger is a very rare species.

In a country like China, this animal is a symbol of military valor. Figurines depicting a tiger can drive out evil spirits. On the forehead white tiger very interesting arrangement of stripes - they are written in the form of Chinese characters, which mean power and might. Take care of white tigers!

In nature, the animal is divided into nine subspecies. Currently, only six exist, the rest were exterminated or became extinct.

Subspecies of tigers:

Amur - main habitat - Primorsky and Khabarovsk region Russia, and a small amount is also located in northeast China and northern Korea;
Bengal – habitat India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan;
Indochinese - habitat in southern China, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia;
Malay - south of the Malacca Peninsula;
Sumatran – habitat of the island of Sumatra (Indonesia);
Chinese - at present, individuals of this subspecies have practically disappeared, a small number are kept in Chinese reserves;

And extinct subspecies:

Bali tiger– lived only on the territory of the island of Bali, the last individual was killed by hunters in 1937;
Javan tiger– lived on the island of Java, the last representative of the subspecies was killed in 1979;
Transcaucasian tiger– lived in Iran, Armenia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Turkey and Turkmenistan. Last time A tiger of this subspecies was seen in 1970.

Currently, the most numerous are Bengal tigers, which make up approximately 40% of the total number of animals of this species.

The Bengal tiger is typically red in color with black stripes. But there are also individuals with white fur, which also has dark spots. In the natural environment, such individuals rarely survive, since their light color makes it difficult for them to hunt. White tigers easily adapt to captivity and reproduce well.

There is an opinion among people that a tiger with white fur is an albino, but in reality this is not the case. White tigers are a type of Bengal tiger that first appeared in India.

History of the origin of the white tiger

All white tigers currently existing in captivity have one common ancestor - a male Bengal tiger named Mohan. It all started in May 1951, when during a tiger hunt with the participation of the Maharajah of Reva, a tiger’s lair was discovered, in which there were four teenage tiger cubs. Three red tiger cubs were killed, and the fourth, distinguished by its unusual white color and which attracted the attention of the ruler, was left and transported to the palace of the Maharaja. The tiger lived here for 12 years.

The Maharajah of Rewa was very proud that only he had such a unique beast. And he wanted to have more of them. For this purpose, Mohana was brought an ordinary red tigress. However, no matter how many offspring there were after this, not a single tiger cub was white. Until one day a tigress from previous copulations was brought as a bride to a white tiger. As a result of inbreeding (relationship between related individuals), the tigress in 1958 gave birth to an offspring of four kittens, one of which was white.

Since then, the number of white tigers has increased dramatically. Now there was not enough space for all these individuals in the palace, and the ruler of Reva decided to sell the unique animals. White tigers at that time were considered the natural heritage of the country, but several specimens were nevertheless exported outside the country.

So, in 1960, one of the descendants of the white tiger Mohan came to the USA, to National Park in Washington. A little later they appeared at the Bristol Zoo in the UK. And then they began to spread throughout the globe.

Currently, the number of white tigers is unknown, as they are kept not only in zoos and circuses, but also in private menageries, where it is difficult to monitor their numbers. Largest quantity White tigers are found in their country of origin – India.

Despite the fact that white tigers are born only between related individuals, and this, as a rule, leads to a weakening of the viability of the offspring, this has not yet been observed among white tigers. The birth rate of white tigers is approximately one per 10,000 red-colored individuals.

White Tiger

Physiology of the white tiger

The white tiger differs from the red tiger in its smaller size. Individuals of this species have brown-red, pink or blue eyes. The most common animals are those with blue eyes.

The tiger has a massive body, elongated in length, with developed muscles and fairly high flexibility, inherent in all animals of the cat family. The front part of the body is more developed than the back, and the animal is higher in the shoulders than in the sacrum. A tiger has four toes on its hind paws and five on its front paws. All of them have retractable claws.

The tiger's round-shaped head is distinguished by a protruding facial part and a rather convex forehead. The animal’s skull is quite massive, large, with widely spaced cheekbones. Small ears have a rounded shape. Vibrissae up to 16.5 cm long and up to 1.5 mm thick are arranged in 4-5 rows and are white, turning brown at the base.

An adult tiger should have 30 teeth, of which 2 canines, reaching a length of up to 8 cm. Such powerful teeth help the predator kill prey. In addition, on the sides of the animal’s tongue there are special tubercles covered with keratinized epithelium, with the help of which the tiger separates the meat from the bones of the prey. These tubercles also help the animal when washing itself.

The white tiger has short, rather dense and low hair. And if an ordinary tiger has various shades of red, then a white tiger has shades from cream to white. The entire surface of the body is covered with dark stripes, which can range from light gray (in some individuals) to completely black. Along the body and neck the stripes are located in a transverse vertical position. The edges of the strip are pointed, or they bifurcate and then join again. In the back, the tiger has more stripes.

Territorial behavior

Tigers are territorial animals, that is, adults lead a solitary lifestyle in their own territory. Invasion into it is subject to fierce resistance from the tiger owner. Animals mark their territory, usually leaving marks on vertical objects.

The size of the territory occupied by a tiger depends on several factors, in particular on the habitat, the density of population of other individuals, the presence of females and prey. On average, 20 square meters is enough for a tigress. km, and for males – 60-100 sq. km. At the same time, in the habitat of the male, there may be separate habitat areas for females.

During the day, tigers constantly move around their territory, periodically updating marks along its borders. On average, a tiger can travel from 9.6 to 41 km per day, and females travel from 7 to 22 km per day.

Although tigresses, like males, have a personal territory, but when invading or crossing boundaries with other females is perceived as normal, tigresses are able to coexist peacefully with each other. While males not only do not tolerate other males living on their territory, but also are aggressive towards individuals who accidentally cross the border of someone else’s territory. However, male tigers can coexist peacefully with females, and in some situations even share prey with them.

Food and hunting

In the natural environment, the main food of tigers are ungulates. For a white tiger it could be deer, wild boars, Indian sambar, etc. Sometimes it happens that a tiger can eat food that is unusual for it in the form of monkeys, hares, pheasants, and in some cases it can even be fish. On average, for adequate nutrition, a tiger needs approximately 50-70 ungulates per year.

At one time, a tiger eats 30-40 kg of meat. At the same time, the animal can go without food for a considerable time. This is due to the presence of subcutaneous fatty tissue, which can reach 5 cm in some individuals.

The tiger hunts animals alone. At the same time, he uses one of two hunting techniques inherent to him - sneaking up on prey or waiting for it in ambush. The first method is most often used by predators in winter time, the second one is more typical in summer. Having tracked the prey, the tiger approaches it from the leeward side so that the wind does not carry the tiger's scent to the animal. The predator moves with careful short steps, and often crouches to the ground. When closest to the prey, the tiger makes several large jumps, thereby reaching the target animal.

In the second method - waiting - the tiger takes cover from the prey, lying in the wind, and when it approaches, it makes a sharp jerk over a short distance.

If the animal on which the hunt is on If you manage to get away from the tiger for 100-150 meters, then the predator stops hunting. During a chase, a tiger can develop a large large animal speed – up to 60 km/h.

When hunting, a tiger can make a jump up to 5 meters high and up to 10 meters long. The tiger can carry caught and killed prey by gripping it with its teeth or throwing it on its back. At the same time, it can carry an animal weighing up to 100 kg. Holding a killed animal weighing 50 kg in its teeth, the predator can overcome an obstacle up to 2 meters high. Very big catch the tiger moves it, pulling it along the ground. Moreover, the prey can weigh 6-7 times more than the tiger’s weight.

Reproduction

Mating of tigers most often occurs in December-January. In this case, only one male follows the female. If a rival appears, a fight occurs between the males for the right to mate with the female.

A female tiger is capable of fertilization only a few days a year. If at this time the female is not fertilized, then estrus repeats after a short time.

Most often, a tigress gives birth to its first offspring at the age of 3-4 years, and a female can give birth once every 2-3 years. Gestation of the cubs lasts approximately 97-112 days.

Tiger cubs are born in March-April. In one litter there are most often 2-4 tiger cubs, offspring with one tiger cub are less common, and even less often - 5-6 cubs. The weight of born tiger cubs is 1.3-1.5 kg. The cubs are born blind, but after 6-8 days they begin to see.

After 8 weeks, the cubs become capable of following their mother and leaving the den. The new generation becomes capable of independent life only at the age of about 18 months, but, as a rule, they continue to remain with their mother until they reach 2-3 years, in some cases - up to 5 years.

After young tigers begin to live on their own, females remain in close proximity to matter. Males, in contrast, go longer distances in search of their own unoccupied territory.

Over the course of their entire lives, females give birth to about 10-20 tiger cubs, and half of them die at a much younger age. On average, the life expectancy of a tiger is 26 years.

However, it is worth considering that white tigers are very rarely found in natural conditions.

They predominate more in captivity, where mating occurs between certain representatives of this species. At the same time, if previously for the birth of a white tiger it was necessary to cross tigers with each other family connection, then now white tigers have become quite common, thanks to which it is possible to get white offspring from two white tigers.

White tigers are very popular in zoos. However, zoologists have differing opinions about white tigers. Some believe that any color variation is worthy of attention, while others argue that white tigers are genetic freaks. For the first time, the director of the zoological association, William Conway, spoke against this species of animal, calling white tigers freaks and calling for their exclusion from all zoos.

Nevertheless, the popularity of the white tiger has not waned, and its further spread among various zoos around the world continues.

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