COOL FACTS
The white tiger is born to the Bengal tiger.
their legnth is about 3 meters long and weighs about 180 - 285 kg.
They are very good swimmers but very poor climbers.
The scientific name for them is Panthera tigris
DESCRIPTION
They have blue eyes, a pink nose, and creamy white fur covered with black coloured stripes. White tigers are born to tigers that carry the unusual gene needed for white coloring. Wild white tigers are very rare.
LOCATION
They are usually located on the Mainland of South eastern Asia and in central and southern India. The white Bengal tiger lives in grassy or swampy areas and forests, where they can be well camouflaged. Those living on islands have almost disappeared; most now live in zoo’s or special wildlife parks.
HUNTED BY HUMANS
Even though it is illegal, white tigers are hunted by poachers in many Asian countries. At the beginning of this century it is estimated that there were 100,000 wild tigers, today the number is less than 8,000. Simply put, tigers are disappearing in the wild. The main threats to tigers are poaching, habitat loss and population fragmentation.Tiger’s body parts are sought for use in traditional Chinese medicine and exotic recipes. As well as their body parts, their coats can be sold for a small fortune, so to many people this is the ideal animal to hunt if they want some fast money.
THE WHITE TIGER
White tigers are very rarely found in the wild.Only 12 white tigers have been seen in the wild in India. They are almost extinct and most of the ones living are in captivity, mostly in zoos. This specific tiger is neither an albino nor a seperate subspecies of the tiger. The white tiger is born to a bengal tiger that has the gene needed for white coloring. A pure white tiger has no stripes and are totally white.
HABBITAT AND RANGE
Tigers usually stay in an area from about 10 to 30 square miles where there is enough prey, cover, shelter and water to support them. Territory actually depends on the amount of prey that is available. The more concentrated the prey the smaller an area a tiger needs to survive.
LIFE SPAN
White tigers in the wild live to be about 10 to 15 years while tigers in zoos usually live between 16 and 20 years
DIET
Tigers do not hunt in social groups like lions. They are generally solitary animals. In the wild, tigers will eat pig, cattle and deer. They can eat as much as 40 pounds of meat at one time! After such a big meal a tiger will not eat again for several days. White Tigers have 30 large teeth ranging from 2.5 to 3 inches.
Below are some pictures of white tigers and a map of southern India where the tigers are located.
