White tigers, with their striking appearance, have captivated humans for centuries. Often admired for their beauty, it's essential to understand the facts surrounding their existence, genetics, and dietary needs. This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of white tigers, dispelling common misconceptions and shedding light on their unique characteristics.
What is a White Tiger?
A white tiger is a rare color variation of the Bengal tiger or Siberian tiger. White Tigers are just like orange tigers, they just have a different fur color. White tigers are not a distinct subspecies but rather Bengal tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) with a genetic mutation that expresses a different color. It is not a sub-species of the tiger. They lack the pigment called pheomelanin, which is found in Bengal tigers with orange fur. They are also called bleached tigers because of their lighter appearance which makes them stand out from their rust-colored peers.
Genetics and Appearance
The white tiger's unique coloration results from a recessive gene. A white tiger can only be achieved if two Bengal tigers, who carry the recessive gene for white coloring, mate. In the wild, this only happens naturally about once in 10,000 births. The chances of a white tiger occurring in the wild are about one in 10,000.
Unlike albinism, which causes a complete absence of melanin and results in a white animal with pink eyes, leucism only affects pigmentation in the fur. White Tigers are not Albinos, they have blue eyes and fur coloring that can be creamy to white.
Like their rust-colored counterparts, a white tiger’s black stripes are as distinct as our fingerprints, with no two tigers having the same pattern. Tigers also have striped skin, not just striped fur. As with all tigers, if you were to shave them, they have stripes on their skin.
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White tigers have sapphire blue eyes rather than the green or yellow-colored eyes of normal Bengal tigers, giving them an exotic look. Their nose is rose-pink, and their paw pads are pink.
Historical Existence and Current Status
White Tigers have been extinct in the wild since the 1950’s. Today white tigers are only found in captivity and they do not exist in the wild. They existed in the wild in the Indian subcontinent till the 1950s. According to Indian biologist and conservationist Kailash Sankhala, the last white tiger ever seen in the wild was shot by a trophy hunter in 1958.
The larger zoos consider the White Tiger to be a “generic” tiger as there are no longer any white tigers found in the wild.
As far as scientists know, there are no white tigers left in the wild. However, there are an estimated 200 white tigers held in captivity. There are currently several hundred white tigers in captivity worldwide, with an estimated one hundred in India. Over 8,000 tigers are estimated to be in captivity in Asia alone, some of which are white tigers.
Conservation Concerns and Captive Breeding
White tigers result from inbreeding, particularly between a male tiger and his offspring. In order to keep the genetics clean in the white tigers and reduce the incidence of in-breeding, orange tigers are often bred with the whites. This produces heterozygous tigers, which means they carry the white tiger gene and can possibly produce white cubs. This is all dependent on the total percentage of the white tiger gene in both parents. It does make for healthier and stronger tigers. Occasionally “tabby tigers” are part of the litter.
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As a result of inbreeding in captivity, many white tigers suffer from health and genetic problems such as Down syndrome, cleft palates, scoliosis, mental impairment, and crossed eyes. Often, the tigers suffering from these afflictions are kept away from the public eye so breeders can maintain the image that their white tigers are strong, beautiful animals that thrive in captivity.
Since space is so limited for the breeding of current endangered cats, the Species Survival Plan (SSP) for felids recommends that the White Tiger is not bred. Once the current White Tigers have passed on there will no longer be White Tigers in the large zoos in the US. The same is true for the Siberian Tiger. They take up a lot of space due to their size and it is recommended that they be replaced with smaller cats. The SSP has taken a lot of time and there have been many discussions regarding breeding and space decisions for endangered cats.
There is no educational or conservational reason to continue to breed white tigers. Instead, captive tiger cubs, especially white tiger cubs, only serve to generate large amounts of revenue for breeders and owners.
Physical Characteristics and Behavior
Compared to the common Bengal tiger, white tigers grow faster and are heavier at birth and adulthood. White male tigers reach weights of 510 lb (230 kg) and can grow up to 9.8 ft (3 mt) in length. Female white tigers are smaller, averaging about 440lb (200 kg), and its head to tail length is up to 8.5 ft (2.6 mt). White tigers are more muscular, stronger, and more aggressive than the orange Bengal tiger.
Tigers have five times the strength of a human athlete pound for pound. (This holds true for all cats except for the leopard and jaguar, which have 10 times the strength of an athlete of compatible size.)
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White tigers are both incredibly quick and agile. They can reach speeds of up to 40 miles per hour (65 kilometres per hour) in short bursts. This incredible speed is essential for hunting, as tigers need to close in on their prey quickly to ensure a successful catch. They are also very good swimmers but poor climbers. The average tiger, both orange and white, sleeps between 16 to 18 hours daily.
Their friendly noise is called a “chuff” which is a greeting for those they know or like. They also have a deep growl or roar, and often call out to their family members an “ah-uuuu” sound.
Tigers are solitary except at breeding time, but in captivity they are very social as long as their personal territory is not occupied by others. Siblings have been raised together and can be compatible until they mature but will become territorial unless they are spayed or neutered early.
When confused or stressed, white tigers cross their eyes.
Reproduction and Lifecycle
White Bengal tigers are fully grown by the time they are three years of age. All tigers, except for Siberians, mature at ~3 years of age. (Siberian Tigers, since they are the largest cats in the world, mature at ~5 years of age). Female white tigers, tigresses, reach sexual maturity at around four years of age. Male and female tigers are attracted to one another by their roars and scent marks.
After mating, a tigress’ gestation period lasts about three and a half months, and she gives birth to up to 5 cubs. The gestation for tigers is 100-110 days. Litter size is normally 2 to 4. The cubs suckle on their mother’s milk for two months before weaning begins. Depending on the species of tiger, the cubs will weigh 2 to 4 pounds at birth and grow rapidly.
The cubs accompany their mother until they begin to hunt for themselves at around 18 months of age. They will stay with their mother until they reach between two and three years old before starting their own life of solitude. In the wild, tigers occupy a territory of about 75 square miles, marked by their urine and claw marks on trees. They are intolerant of any other tigers entering their space.
The lifespan for captive tigers is 18 to 22 years of age (twice the age of wild tigers). In the wild only one to two cubs will make it through the first year of life. In captivity the survival rate is higher, due to extensive research that has been done regarding both mother and hand raising protocol.
Diet of White Tigers
White tigers being the Bengal Tigers have the same diet as that of Bengal Tigers. White Tigers are true carnivores which means that they eat only meat.
White tigers like all other cats have digestive tracts that cannot digest vegetation so they can only have a diet based on animal protein. White tigers also need fatty acids and vitamins in their natural state as they are unable to make them in their body like the omnivores and herbivores. They get the required fatty acids and vitamins by eating other animals which make them. The amino acids taurine and arginine are critical for the white tiger’s survival. They are found exclusively in the animal flesh, thus making meat a critical diet for white tigers.
Diet in Captivity
In captivity white tigers are fed with meat and in the wild, they used to hunt other animals to get meat. In captivity, White Tigers eat less than they used to eat in the wild due to less physical activity. In captivity white tigers are fed a diet that contains a high amount of proteins and fats.
In captivity white tiger’s diet includes:
- A fortified diet made from horse meat
- bison
- horse
- whole rabbits
- chicken splits
- camel
- donkey
- goats
- pigs
- water buffalos
- sometimes fish meat
- bones for calcium
The caretakers of white tigers along with their routine diet also give them essential vitamins and mineral supplies. Taurine is also added to the white tiger’s diet as their absence may cause blindness, tooth decay, and ultimately heart failure.
Diet in the Wild
When white tigers were found in the wild they used to hunt the same animals that were hunted by the orange Bengal tiger which are:
- Gaur
- Sambar Deer
- Chital
- Takin
- Serow
- Barasingha
- Water buffalo
- Nilgai
- Antelope
- Hog deer
- Wild boar
- Grey langurs
- Muntjac
- Hares
- Porcupines
- Rhesus Monkey
- Peafowl
Tigers can eat as much as 40 lb (18 kg) of meat at a time. They will eat up to one-fifth of their body weight at one time and then will not hunt again for up to a week. When you look at tigers and you see the extra skin on their belly, it is so their stomachs can stretch to consume that much meat. The cats that eat on more of a regular basis (daily) have a tighter stomach area. Also, 80% of a tiger’s weight is in the front half of their body.
In the wild, tigers usually rest during the day and hunt and feed at night. They have keen eyesight and incredible hearing that helps them stalk their prey in the dark. Tigers ambush prey, attacking by surprise, using their weight to knock their prey down and bite its neck to kill it. Their formidable and retractable claws are vital in capturing and holding on to prey.
Threats
Humans were, and are, the biggest threat to Bengal tigers, both orange and white. Trophy hunting, traditional medicine, the exotic pet trade, and habitat destruction have caused their numbers to decline dramatically.
White tigers shouldn’t be kept as pets. The desire to hold and display white tigers for human entertainment is an extremely cruel practice that results in sick and injured animals.
Symbolic Significance
In various cultures and contexts, tigers hold deep symbolic significance and are often associated with power, strength, and grace. Because of their striking appearance and elusive nature, white tigers are also associated with mystery and enchantment. Their rarity and vulnerability highlight the importance of conservation and symbolise the need to protect endangered species.