The beast is the White Tiger. Tiger color variations White tiger with black stripes

White tigers are individuals of a predominantly Bengal tiger that have a congenital mutation, and therefore are not currently considered a separate subspecies. A peculiar gene mutation causes the animal to be completely white in color, and individuals are characterized by blue or green eyes and black-brown stripes against white fur.

Description of the white tiger

White-colored specimens that exist today are very rare among any representatives of wild animals. On average, the frequency of occurrence in nature of white tigers is only one individual for every ten thousand representatives of the species that have a normal, so-called traditional red color. White tigers have been reported for many decades from different corners lands, from Assam and Bengal, as well as from Bihar and from the territories of the former principality of Rewa.

Appearance

The predatory animal has tight-fitting white fur with stripes. Such a pronounced and unusual color is inherited by the animal as a result of a congenital color mutation. The eyes of a white tiger are predominantly blue in color, but there are individuals endowed with naturally greenish eyes. Very flexible, graceful, with well-developed muscles, the wild animal is distinguished by a dense physique, but its dimensions, as a rule, are noticeably smaller than those with a traditional red color.

The head of a white tiger has a pronounced rounded shape, it is distinguished by a protruding facial part and the presence of a rather convex frontal zone. The skull of a predatory animal is quite massive and large, with very widely and characteristically spaced cheekbones. Tiger whiskers are up to 15.0-16.5 cm long with an average thickness of up to one and a half millimeters. They are white in color and arranged in four or five rows. An adult has three dozen strong teeth, of which a pair of fangs looks especially developed, reaching an average length of 75-80 mm.

Representatives of the species with a congenital mutation have not too large ears with a typical rounded shape, and the presence of peculiar bulges on the tongue allows the predator to easily and quickly separate the meat of its prey from the bones, and also helps to wash. On the hind legs of a predatory animal there are four fingers, and on the front - five fingers with retractable claws. Average weight an adult white tiger is about 450-500 kilograms with a total body length of an adult within three meters.

It is interesting! White tigers are naturally not too good health- such individuals often suffer from various kidney diseases and excretory system, strabismus and poor vision, too arched neck and spine, as well as allergic reactions.

Among the wild white tigers that exist now, there are also the most common albinos with plain fur without the presence of traditional dark stripes. In the body of such individuals, the coloring pigment is almost completely absent, therefore the eyes of a predatory animal are distinguished by a clear reddish color, explained by very clearly visible blood vessels.

Character and lifestyle

Tigers in vivo are predatory solitary animals that are very jealous of their territory and actively mark it, using for this purpose most often all kinds of vertical surfaces.

Females often deviate from this rule, therefore they are able to share their site with other relatives. White tigers are excellent swimmers and, if necessary, can climb trees, but too eye-catching color makes such individuals very vulnerable to hunters, so most often representatives with an unusual fur color become inhabitants of zoological parks.

The size of the territory occupied by the white tiger directly depends on several factors at once, including the characteristics of the habitat, the density of the areas populated by other individuals, as well as the presence of females and the number of prey. On average, one adult tigress occupies a territory equal to twenty square meters, and the area of ​​the male is about three to five times larger. Most often, during the day, an adult passes from 7 to 40 kilometers, periodically updating marks on the borders of its territory.

It is interesting! It should be remembered that white tigers are animals that are not albino, and the peculiar coloration of the coat is due exclusively to recessive genes.

An interesting fact is that Bengal tigers are not the only representatives of wildlife, among which there are unusual gene mutations. Well-known cases when whites were born Amur tigers with black stripes, but such situations in last years occur quite rarely. Thus, today's population of beautiful predatory animals, distinguished by white fur, is represented by both Bengal and ordinary hybrid Bengal-Amur individuals.

How long do white tigers live

In the natural environment, white individuals rarely survive and have a very short overall life expectancy, since due to the light color of the fur, it is difficult for such predatory animals to hunt and feed themselves. Throughout her life, the female bears and gives birth to only ten to twenty cubs, but about half of them die in young age. The average life expectancy of a white tiger is a quarter of a century.

sexual dimorphism

The female Bengal tiger reaches puberty at three or four years of age, and the male becomes sexually mature at four or five years of age. At the same time, sexual dimorphism in the color of the fur of the predator is not expressed. Only the location of the stripes on the fur of each individual is unique, which is often used for identification.

Range, habitats

Bengal white tigers are representatives of the fauna in the North and Central India, Burma, Bangladesh and Nepal. For a long time there was an erroneous opinion that white tigers are predators from the Siberian expanses, and their unusual color is just a very successful disguise of an animal in snowy winters.

The diet of white tigers

Along with most other predators living in natural environment, all white tigers prefer to eat meat. AT summer period adult tigers may well eat hazelnuts and edible herbs to satiate themselves. As observations show, males are strikingly different from females in their taste preferences. They most often do not accept fish, and females, on the contrary, often eat such aquatic representatives.

White tigers approach their prey with small steps or on half-bent legs, trying to move very imperceptibly. A predator can go hunting both in the daytime and at nightfall. In the process of hunting, tigers are able to jump about five meters in height, and also overcome a distance of up to ten meters in length.

In their natural environment, tigers prefer to hunt ungulates, including the Indian sambar. Sometimes a predator eats atypical food in the form, and. To ensure a full-fledged diet, a tiger eats about five to seven dozen wild ungulates during the year.

It is interesting! In order for an adult tiger to feel full, it needs to consume about thirty kilograms of meat at a time.

In captivity, predatory animals feed six times a week. The main diet of such a predator with an unusual appearance includes fresh meat and various organ meats. Sometimes the tiger is given "living creatures" in the form of rabbits or chickens. Every week, the animals have a traditional "fasting day", which makes it easy for the tiger to maintain "sports form". Due to the presence of a well-developed subcutaneous fat layer, tigers can starve for some time.

Origin of the species and description

A mammal is an animal from the order of cats. Predator. Belong to the genus Panthera and is one of its most prominent representatives of this kind. The tiger population originates from the Pleistocene, the remains of the found predators are up to 1.82 million years old. The first remains of ancient tigers were found on the island of Java in Asia. It used to be believed that China was the birthplace of Tigers, however, recent research in this area has refuted this theory. And also the remains of tigers of the late Pleistocene period were found in China, India, Altai and Siberia on the territory of Japan and Sakhalin.

Video: White tiger

According to archaeological data, it is known that the tiger separated from the line of ancestors more than 2 million years ago. Much earlier than other representatives of this class. Scientists also know that the first ancestors of tigers were much larger than modern representatives of this class. The modern white tiger was first discovered in 1951.

The color of the tiger is isolated by mutations, and is very rare in wildlife. This species spread by crossing a white tiger with a yellow female. Parents with the usual color, sometimes white offspring are born. AT modern world white tigers successfully live and breed in nurseries and zoos.

Appearance and features

white tiger very large and strong animal. dangerous predator. The male white tiger weighs from 180 to 270 kg, depending on the place of residence of the animal, and the lifestyle, the weight and height of the animal may be greater. There were males weighing up to 370 kg. It is known that the animal that lives on the continents is much bigger than tigers living on the islands.

Features of the body structure of the white tiger:

• The height at the withers is 1.17 m. The height of adult males is approximately 2.3-2.5 m;
• Female white tigers are smaller in weight and size;
• The weight of an adult female is 100-179 kg. Growth from 1.8 to 2.2 m;
• Tigers have a well-developed muscular body. Moreover, the front part of the body in tigers is more developed than the back part;
• The average head size of an adult male is about 210 mm. Tigers have small ears, rounded at the ends, with white hairs on the inside of the ear;
• The iris of the eyes is gray-blue. Tigers see well in the dark.

Since the tiger is a predatory animal, it has developed jaw with sharp fangs. An adult tiger has 30 teeth. The formula for the arrangement of teeth in a tiger is as follows: 2 large fangs and 6 incisors, 1 painting tooth and 2 premolar teeth are located below. Above 3 premolar teeth and 1 painter.

Tigers have large developed fangs, the size of which is about 9 cm. These fangs help to kill the victim and tear apart the meat.

The coat of tigers is warm and dense. Tigers living in cold climates have thicker coats. The cover is low, the coat is white. Hairs are sparse. On gray smoky wool there are black stripes. There are about 100 black stripes on the entire body of the animal. It should be noted that white tigers are very rare, and they acquired their color due to mutation.

How long does a white tiger live?

On average, in wildlife, tigers live from 14 to 17 years. However, there are also centenarians who live much longer. In the conditions of the reserve, the life of a tiger is several years longer.

Where do white tigers live?

The habitat of the white tiger is the same as that of other Bengal tigers. The natural habitat of this species is Northern and Central India, Nepal. Ecological region Terai Duar. Banks of the Ganges and Bangladesh. Representatives of this genus are found in Asia. Where do they lead their population from. Java Island, Afghanistan, Iran and Hindustan.

White tigers mostly live in captivity, but in the wild this species occurs in an amount of 1 individual per 10 thousand tigers with a normal color.

What does the white tiger eat?

The tiger is a predatory animal, and the diet big cats mostly meat. White tigers love to eat ungulates.

The main prey of tigers is:

• roe deer;
• tapirs;
• musk deer.

Also, tigers can sometimes eat birds. Most often these are pheasants and partridges, small herbivores and other animals. And, of course, every cat loves fish. Tigers are not afraid of water and are happy to catch prey from it. White tigers spend quite a lot of time hunting.

In summer, a tiger can sit in ambush for quite a long time, tracking down its prey. The tiger is a neat and rather cunning animal, it comes to its prey with small and neat steps. Hunting is carried out from the leeward side, so that the victim could smell his scent. Having gained confidence that the prey is incapable of escaping in a couple of jumps, the predator overtakes the prey.

Tiger for small animals is a real death machine. It's almost impossible to run away from him. Tigers are fast and agile. While running, their speed is 60 km/h. Having overtaken the victim, the tiger throws it to the ground and breaks the neck and spine. After the tiger carries the dead animal in his teeth to his lair, where he tears it apart with the help of fangs.

Features of character and lifestyle

Adult tigers are quite aggressive animals vigilantly guarding their territories and not letting strangers into their possessions. Tigers mark their possessions by leaving urine marks everywhere on bushes, trees, rocks. Male tigers live and hunt alone. Having sensed a stranger in his territory, the male will react to it very aggressively, and will try to drive the stranger out of the territory. Apart from other tigers, the tiger has no other predators.

Young tigers live alone until it's time to breed. Tigers are polygamous. And with one female there is one male. Tigers are quite family animals. They worry about their offspring, create a den, protect their offspring. They hunt and guard the females and brood.

In relation to humans, tigers are also aggressive. Meeting a man with a tiger in wildlife means certain death. In reserves and zoos, animals are less aggressive and allow a person to take care of themselves. Training a tiger is very difficult and dangerous. The tiger is a wild animal and domestication of this species is almost impossible. However, in America there are still cases of tigers living in houses, but these are more often the offspring of circus animals, whose parents are already accustomed to people.

Social structure and reproduction

Tigers live alone and unite in families for the breeding season. Consisting of a male, female and brood. Most often, the male pursues the female, showing with a certain grimace that he is ready for mating. But the fact that females themselves come to males is not uncommon. If several males claim one female, a fight occurs between them. The fight may end in the death of one of the animals. The strongest gets the female.

Tigers mate several times a year. This usually happens in December or January. Although usually it does not depend on the season. The male understands that the female is ready for mating by the smell of the female's urine. Mating occurs several times. The first litter is brought by a young female white tiger at the age of about 4 years. Most often, a second brood is born after a few years. The pregnancy of a female tiger lasts about 103 days.

The tigress arranges her lair for a long time, for the birth of cubs. Making sure it's completely safe. After all, over time, the tigress will go hunting leaving the cubs in the den. For one litter, 3 or 4 tiger cubs are born. Tiger cubs appear blind, and for the first six months they are fed with mother's milk. Over time, they also begin to go hunting with their mother.

White tigers are rarely born, both heterozygous orange parents with white ancestors have a 25% chance of producing white offspring. Offspring where one parent is white and the other is yellow may be white or may be yellow. The probability of the birth of a white tiger is 50%.

Natural enemies of white tigers

Since the White Tiger is a large and dangerous animal, it has few enemies.

To natural enemies white tiger refers to:

• . An elephant can trample a tiger, although elephants do not experience aggression towards these animals and are able to coexist peacefully side by side. An elephant attacks a tiger only when frightened, sensing danger, or receiving an order from a person. In India, people used to hunt tigers on elephants. Killing tigers with weapons. It was the safest form of hunting for humans.
• Brown bears. rarely can cope with a large adult tiger, and vice versa, bears killed by a tiger are often found. But a bear can kill an immature young or a weakened female.
• Human. The main danger to tigers comes from humans. Destruction of places natural habitat animals by man. The construction of cities by cutting down the jungle and forests. The decline in the population is largely due to the hunting of tigers. AT Chinese medicine fangs, organs and tissues of tigers are used. And also precious animal skins are an adornment in rich houses, like stuffed animals. For a long time in India, tiger hunting in the 19th and early 20th centuries was massive.

Population and species status

Every year, the tiger population is rapidly declining. There are only 6470 individuals worldwide. There are only 400 Amur tigers. White tigers are rare and on the verge of extinction. The destruction of natural habitats, the construction of cities and roads lead to the fact that white tigers are becoming less and less. In addition, animal hunting and poaching has caused irreparable harm to tiger populations around the world.

The white tiger species is listed in the Red Book, catching tigers and hunting them is prohibited. The status of the species in the Red Book is "endangered species". White tigers are carefully protected in all countries and hunting for them is prohibited.

Protection of white tigers

To save the endangered species of White tigers, the following measures have been taken:

1. A complete ban on hunting for tigers of any breed has been introduced. White tigers are highly protected around the world. In India, white tigers are a national treasure. Hunting for tigers in the modern world is carried out only by poachers and is prosecuted by law. Killing tigers is punishable by law and is punishable by fines and imprisonment.
2. Arrangement of reserves. As mentioned earlier, white tigers mostly live in nature reserves. Zoologists help maintain the population of this species by crossing white tigers with regular-colored tigers. In the reserves, animals live quite comfortably and they are able to breed. Almost all representatives of this species that are not kept in reserves have one ancestor. This is a white tiger named Mohan. Over time, the offspring were transported to reserves around the world, where white offspring were also born from them.
3. Radio tracking and animal tracking systems. This method of animal tracking is used to keep the animal safe and better understand the animal's habits and study the behavior of the tiger in the natural environment. A collar with a special tracker is put on the animal, which transmits a GPS signal. Thus, a person can track the location of the animal. Helps to monitor the health status of the animal and prevent serious diseases among animals. Most often this system used in large reserves.

The white tiger is a real miracle of nature. Dangerous, but as time has shown, a very vulnerable beast. white tiger without human support, it can simply disappear from the face of the earth within a few decades, which is why it is so important to protect nature and maintain the tiger population. Let's save this animal on the planet for a new generation.

White Bengal Tiger

The Bengal (white) tiger is a rare subspecies, included in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Bengal tiger lives in North and Central India, Nepal and Burma. He also lives in the Sundarbans (near the mouth of the Ganges) and Bangladesh. Bengal tigers of the usual red color sometimes give birth to cubs with white hair, which, however, retains dark stripes. In nature, they rarely survive - such animals cannot hunt successfully, as they are too noticeable. White tigers are specially bred for circuses and zoos.

Among animals with normal normal coloring, there are white individuals, which are called albinos, but this is a delusion, the white tiger is not an albino. These animals have so little pigment that their eyes look red because of the 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 dead. Similar cases have been recorded in South 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 their skin. It would be more accurate to talk about the light (white) color variation of their color. Their life expectancy is shorter compared to ordinary tigers and they have more fragile health. AT natural conditions it is more difficult for a white tiger to survive, since it is given out by a light color during the hunt. Many people believe that these predators originated from Siberia, and White color is a disguise while living in snow conditions. In fact, white tigers originated in India.

For millennia white tigers seemed to people beings shrouded in a halo of mystery. Sometimes they instilled fear, often became objects of religious worship. In Kyrgyzstan, they talked about the white tiger, which is able to solve all the difficult problems of people. During the ritual dance, Kyrgyz shamans, falling into a deep trance, turned to the tiger with a request for help. In medieval China, a white tiger was painted on the gates of Taoist temples to protect against evil spirits. The white tiger personified a certain guard land of the dead symbolized longevity. Stone statues in the form of a tiger were placed on Chinese graves: the demons must have been terrified of such a “guard”.

And the Indians firmly believed that if a person sees a white tiger, he will be granted enlightenment and complete happiness. It was from India, where the white tiger was perceived as a super-being, quite material, and by no means mythical, that the white tiger set off on a journey around the world.

All white tigers in captivity today are descended from one common ancestor, a male Bengal named Mohan.
In May 1951, the Maharajah of Reva was hunting tigers. The hunters stumbled upon a lair with four teenage tiger cubs, one of which attracted the ruler's attention with its unusual white coloration. Three red tiger cubs were killed, but the white cub was spared. In the palace of Maharaja Govindagari, the tiger, who was named Mohan, lived for about 12 years.

The ruler of Reva was proud that he had such a rare animal and he wanted to have more of them to the wonder of the whole world. When Mohan grew up, he was "married" to a female - an ordinary, red one. She periodically brought tiger cubs, but, alas, there were no whites among them! This continued until one of Mohan's daughters was brought together with dad, that is, they made the very inbreeding (closely related crossing), which, although it weakens vitality descendants, but fixes the necessary signs. The result was not long in coming: in November 1958, in a litter of 4 cubs, one was white.

After that, the number of such animals in the palace began to increase rapidly. Contain large group even the Maharajah was unable to do so, and it was decided to sell the "surplus". Despite the fact that the Indian government declared rare animals a national treasure, several tigers were soon taken out of the country.

In 1960, one of Mohan's sons left for national park USA in Washington. Some time later White tigers ended up in the UK, at the Bristol Zoo. Spectacular cats began their triumphal procession around the world.

How many of them are there in the world now? No one can say the exact figure, since these animals are kept not only in zoos and circuses, but also in private menageries. Despite the close relationship of all white tigers, no significant weakening of the viability of these animals has yet been observed. Most whites tigers lives in the homeland of their ancestor Mohan - in India. They can be seen in almost every Indian zoo. They are in America and Europe.

The frequency of appearance of white tigers is 1 individual per 10,000 with normal coloration. White tigers breed excellently in captivity.

Now there are about 130 white tigers in zoos around the world.

In 1987, an image of a tiger was discovered in the graves of the central Chinese province of Henan, its age is approximately 6000 years. The tiger talisman was made from shells and was found next to the body. This was the earliest appearance of a white tiger as a talisman.

Popularity white tigers gradually began to lead to the fact that there were too many of them, and now special authorities monitor their population.

The white tiger is an individual of the Bengal tiger with a congenital mutation (not considered a separate subspecies). The mutation results in a completely white coloration - a 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 appearance of white tigers is 1 individual per 10,000 with a normal color. Reports of white tigers have been reported for many decades from Assam, Bengal, Bihar, and especially from the territory of the former native principality of Rewa.

The first discovery of a white tiger in nature, however, is attributed 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 him from a female with a normal color, but then still 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 found individual and are related to each other. Now there are 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 opinion that white tigers are albinos 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, but are carriers of the genes, then the chance to get offspring from them in the form of a white tiger is 25%. In parents, one of which is a white tiger, and the other is an orange heterozygous, a similar chance increases already 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 tend to be smaller (with childhood) than normal Bengal tigers, and often have various genetic defects, including strabismus, poor eyesight, clubfoot, 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 therefore are considered a valuable specimen, but also in popular culture: in particular, some music bands dedicated songs to them.

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

Now around the world there are several hundred white tigers in zoos, about a hundred of them 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, but it is not clear whether the recessive white gene came only from Bengal tigers, or if the ancestors of the Amur tigers also took part in this. (Tambako The Jaguar)

The existence of white Amur tigers has not been scientifically documented, despite occasional anecdotal evidence that they have been sighted in regions where Amur tigers live. (Nancy Chan)

It is possible that the white mutation does not exist in the nature of Amur tiger populations: not a single white Amur tiger has yet been born in captivity, despite the fact that these subspecies are actively used for reproduction (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 a crossing, and in this case, a white cub may be born to "ordinary" parents, but so far there is no evidence for this. (Nancy Chan)

Known white Amur tigers in captivity are not actually purebreds. (Nancy Chan)

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

The white coat color gene is fairly 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 crossed as part of conservation programs. (Andrea Mitchell)

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

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

(Arjan Haverkamp)

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

The white Bengal tiger is often inferior in size to its relatives.

Growth retardation 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, strabismus, poor eyesight, curved spine.

animal white tiger

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

Some people think that the white tiger is just genetic freak, which there is nothing to demonstrate, and even more so - to breed. Others prove that such individuals as a natural phenomenon cannot be rejected.

General nature lovers love white bengal tigers. They are the ones who get the most attention in the zoo.

This animal is not an albino, so a real albino tiger cannot have brown and black stripes. If both parents are orange, but they have certain genes, then the probability of offspring with white fur will be approximately 25%. In the case when one of the parents is orange and the other is white, the chance of having a light-colored tiger cub increases to 50%.

Physiology

This predator has a massive body elongated in length. He has excellent musculature and excellent flexibility, characteristic of all representatives of the cat family. The back of his body is less developed than the front. On the front paws of the beast there are five fingers, on the hind limbs - four. All fingers have retractable claws. The head is distinguished by a convex forehead and a rather protruding front 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 there are two fangs up to 8 cm long. On the sides of the tongue of the animal there are tubercles covered with keratinized epithelium, which help to separate the meat from the bone of the prey. The skin of the animal is covered with a rather dense, low hairline.

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, on the territory of Sundabaran and Budapest.

The first white tiger was caught 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. On their territory, they lead a solitary lifestyle. The invasion of a stranger is subjected 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;
• the presence of females.

At the same time - in the "possession" of the male there may be separate areas where tigresses live.

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

Nutrition and lifestyle

white bengal tiger, like his relatives - a predator.

In the natural environment, its food is ungulates. These can be deer, wild boars, Indian sambars, etc. But he can also eat a hare, a pheasant, a monkey and even a fish. For a complete diet, 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 a long 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 methods - it waits for the victim in an ambush or sneaks up on it. The predator moves with short steps very carefully, often falling to the ground. Approaches tracked prey from the leeward side. Then he makes several large jumps, reaching the desired object.

If the animal being hunted by the tiger 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, up to 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 the killed animal can exceed its own weight by 6-7 times.

White bengal tiger leads active image life in the morning and evening, preferring to lie down and sleep the rest of the time in some secluded convenient place. He easily tolerates low temperature and is not afraid of winter, knows how to swim and hot weather loves to swim.

Tigers breed well in captivity, so many zoos manage to get quite healthy offspring. However, even in cases where both parents have white color, babies they can be born red.

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

Cubs are born blind, beginning to see clearly after 6-8 days. For the first six weeks, cubs feed only on mother's milk. They grow up near the mother, who does not let the males in, 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 should be borne in mind 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 instilled fear, becoming objects of worship. Several interesting facts about these animals:

1. For each individual, the contours of the stripes have an individual configuration, and they never repeat, like human fingerprints.
2. White tigers rarely growl, but his voice is heard not a distance of three kilometers.
3. While exploring graves in the province of Henan in the late 80s, 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 most ancient amulet depicting a white tiger.
4. In Kyrgyzstan, this animal is said to be able to solve any difficulties and problems. While dancing a ritual dance, the shamans fell into a trance and asked the tiger for help.
5. In India, there is a belief that seeing a white tiger with your own eyes, you can find complete happiness and enlightenment.
6. All white tigers in captivity today have a common ancestor, the Bengal male Mohan.

From the history

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

The white tiger was named Mohan. The ruler was proud to have such a rare beast. Wishing to get offspring, Mohana was "married" to an ordinary red female, who periodically brought cubs, but there were no whites among them. And only after one of his daughters was brought to 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. Despite the fact that white tigers were declared a rare national treasure of India, soon several of their representatives were taken out of the country. A little time passed and white tigers ended up in the Bristol Zoo in the UK. Spectacular, unusual mammals began their march around the world.

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