- White Tigers are not a separate species of tiger
All white tigers are a colour variation of Bengal tigers. Contrary to popular belief, these large cats are not a separate subspecies of tiger.
There is only one tiger species and six tiger subspecies: the Siberian tiger, the Bengal tiger, the South China tiger, the Sumatran tiger, the Indochinese tiger, and the Malayan tiger.
White Tigers are also not Siberian Tigers
White Tigers are are often confused with Siberian Tigers, because when people think of Siberia, they think of snow. White Tigers are white Bengal Tigers.
In the wild, White Tigers are born in 1 in 10,000 births
White Tigers are only born to parents that both carry the recessive gene for white coloring.
White fur is a rare genetic mutation
Having white fur is the result of a very rare genetic mutation. It is caused by the absence of phenomelanin, a pigment found in normal Bengal tigers with orange fur.
White fur makes it harder to survive
Their white coat is not helpful in the wild. It doesn’t provide the tiger with any camouflage, which greatly reduces their chance of survival.
The white fur reduces their ability to stalk prey or avoid other predators.
White Tigers have blue eyes
The gene for blue eyes is linked to the gene for white fur. So while most orange Bengal tigers have yellow eyes, white tigers have blue eyes.
White Tigers have crossed eyes
All white tigers have crossed eyes, whether it shows or not.
The gene that causes the white coat always causes the optic nerve to be wired to the wrong side of the brain.
Because their reaction time is diminished, and they are more dependent on their masters because they can’t see clearly.
Adult Tigers can weigh up to 570 pounds
These large animals can grow to be more than ten feet long!
White Tigers can run up to 60 miles per hour
This powerful animal can run as fast as your car drives on the highway!