White Tiger (Panthera Tigris) - Animals - A-Z Animals - Animal Facts, Information, Pictures, Videos, Resources and Links

The white tiger was always rare to come across in the wild in India, and none have been seen in the wild for over 50 years. The gene that causes the background to be white is a simple recessive. For that reason to produce whites they must be mated either to other whites or to normal orange tigers that are carriers of the white gene. The white tiger has been known to give birth to an orange tiger when mated to an orange male. Cubs of both colors occur in the same litter.

White tigers have also sadly appealed to those who are rich who either display the white tiger in captivity or killed the white tigers for their fur. For that reason white tigers are no longer seen in the wild. All were captured for captive breeding programs or killed as trophies for rich hunters.

It has been speculated that some white tiger individuals are born with a blue tinge to their black stripes. Although this has not been recorded, it is possible for a genetic mutation to occur diluting the black stripes of the white tiger a blue/gray color. This dilution of black to blue is common in horses, cats, and dogs.

As white tigers are simply a different coloured version of the normal orange tiger, there are very few differences (if any at all) in the white tiger's behaviour. The white tiger lived in a jungle habitat where there was plenty of cover for the white tiger to remain hidden and to keep on the look out for potential prey. However, they did tend to stand out against their backgrounds and did not camofluage as effectively as normal orange tigers

The tiger is a carnivorous mammal and a fearless predator hunting large mammals including deer, wild boar and cattle. Tigers are extremely stealthy animals and are able to sneak up on their prey and catch it off guard. This makes the tiger a ruthless and dominant predator within its environment.

The tiger is a solitary animal and it requires a large territory in order to ensure that there is an adequate food supply. Tiger cubs remain with their mother until they are strong enough and experienced enough to hunt for themselves.

White Tiger Comments (33)

Liz

"This helped me a lot during I filled out my research paper. It's a nice writing and I would like to recommend it to many people!"

Aneesah

"Im using this for my science homework this will help me so much!! :)"

coll

"im using this for my research paper, it helped me so much. "

Showing 3 of 33 comments.

Show More Comments

White Tiger Facts

Kingdom:

A level of classifying all living things on earth, as similar species are broken into 5 groups including plants, animals and fungi....

Animalia

Phylum:

A level of classifying animals within the animal kingdom. Phylum are further divided into subgroups called classes....

Chordata

Class:

A level of classifying animals in a phylum. Classes are then sub-divided into further groups known as orders....

Mammalia

Order:

A level used to classify animals. Classes are broken into sub-groups known as order, which are broken down further into families....

Carnivora

Family:

A level of classifying animals within an order. Orders are broken down in families and families are broken down further into smaller groups called genus....

Felidae

Genus:

A level of classifying animals within a family. Families are divided into sub-groups called genus which generally contain one or two animal species....

Panthera

Scientific Name:

Panthera Tigris

Type:

Mammal

Diet:

Carnivore

Size:

2.8-3.3m (9-11ft)

Weight:

267-300kg (589-660lbs)

Top Speed:

96km/h (60mph)

Life Span:

18-25 years

Lifestyle:

Solitary

Conservation Status:

The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species remaining extant either in the present day or the near future. Many factors are taken into account when assessing the conservation s...

Endangered

Colour:

White, Black

Skin Type:

Fur

Favourite Food:

Deer

Habitat:

The term habitat is used to describe a specific area where a particular animal lives, within an environment. Many animals have adapted to requiring specific conditions which can only be found in their natural habitat su...

Dense tropical forest

Average Litter Size:

Main Prey:

When an animal is referred to prey, it means that the animal is either hunted or caught for food. Animals that are referred to as prey are generally hunted by bigger animals, although there are a number of exceptions....

Deer, Cattle, Wild Boar

Predators:

When an animal is referred to as a predator, it means that the animal either hunts or catches other animals. Predatory animals are generally dominant within their environment and will generally hunt animals smaller than...

Human

Special Features:

Striped fur and powerful body

Related Animals