Tuesday, June 26, 2012

White Tiger


Animals Unique | White Tiger | White Tiger Classification and Evolution
The White Tiger (also known as the White Bengal Tiger) is a subspecies of Tiger, found throughout the Indian subcontinent. Although the range of the White Tiger is very large Historically, these animals are incredibly rare as Their colouration is dependent on a defective, recessive gene passed on from That Is Their parents.
 Over the past couple of Centuries Become the White Tiger has even rarer in the wild due to trophy hunting or capture for the exotic pet trade, with there having been no recorded sightings of these elusive predators for the past 50 years. Today, the White Tiger can still be found in a handful of zoos and animal sanctuaries around the world with these large and beautiful felines Often being the star attraction. Along with the Bengal Tiger, the White Tiger is Considered to be the second largest species of Tiger in the world after the Siberian Tiger.

White Tiger Anatomy and Appearance
The White Tiger is a large and powerful animal That can weigh up to 300kg and Reaches more than 3 meters in length. Unlike the white variations found in other animal species, the White Tiger is not an albino as They still carry some form of pigment That creates Their fur color, as some individuals are known to retain an orange tinge to Their white colored fur. Like other Tiger species, the White Tiger has black or dark brown stripes run vertically along That it's body, the pattern of the which is unique to both the Tiger and the individual species. Along with the change in fur color, the gene Carried by the White Tiger's parents also means That They have blue eyes rather than the green or yellow eyes of normal colored Bengal Tigers. Despite the beauty of the White Tiger's fur, it does in fact give these individuals a disadvantage as They are not so easily camouflaged into the surrounding jungle.

White Tiger Distribution and Habitat
The White Tiger would once have been found throughout much of India and the surrounding countries but Their range has Dramatically Decreased, particularly over the past 100 years or so. Today the Bengal Tiger is found in small pockets of it's natural habitat in India, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh, and although severely Populations are declining, the most REMAIN They Tiger Numerous species in the world. They are found in a variety of habitats Including tropical forests, mangrove swamps and moist jungles That Generally support dense vegetation and have a good source of fresh water. Although the White Tiger Could once be found in the wild, it is very rare for the gene carrying parents to actually mate, and with the rapidly declining numbers of Bengal Tigers throughout Their natural range, the chances of White Tigers are being produced every Becoming less Day.

White Tiger Behaviour and Lifestyle
Like other Tiger species, the White Tiger is a solitary animal as this allows this large predator to sneak up on prey more Effectively in the dense jungle. Although the White Tiger is not nocturnal, They do the majority of Their hunting at night as this also helps them to hunt more successfully. White Tigers have incredible hearing and sight which, along with Their stealth, helps them when hunting in the jungle in the dark. Each occupies a large territory Tiger That Is marked by urine and claw marks on trees, and can be up to 75 square miles in size. Despite the fact That They are solitary animals except during the mating season for, male White Tiger territories can overlap with Those of a number of Females', particularly in areas high in the which are prey. Male White Tigers will however, defend fiercely from other patches Their lazy to WHO may be Trying to steal Their spot.

White Tiger Reproduction and Life Cycles
In order for a White Tiger to be produced, both of it's parents must carry the gene. Male and female White Tigers are attracted to one another by Their roars and scent marks, and once mated, the male and female go Their separate ways. After a gestation period That Lasts for around three and a half months, the female White Tiger Gives birth to up to five cubs, the which are blind and weigh roughly 1 kg each and can have either white or orange fur. The White Tiger cubs suckle on the milk from Their mother and begin to eat meat That she has caught for them when They are around 2 months old, and are weaned four months later. The White Tiger cubs begin to accompany Their mother hunting and eventually leave her and begin Their solitary life in the jungle when They are about 18 months of age. White Tigers have an average lifespan of 12 years, the which can be longer in captivity.

White Tiger Diet and Prey
In the same way as other Tiger species, the White Tiger is a Carnivorous animal meaning it only That Hunts and eats other animals in order to gain the nutrition That it needs. The White Tiger is an apex predator in it's environment, hunting it's prey by stalking it stealthily in the darkness of night. The White Tiger Hunts primarily large, herbivorous animals Including Deer, Wild Boar, Cattle and Goats That feed both in the jungle and on it's Outskirts. The White Tiger has a number of adaptations to help it to both catch and kill it's prey, Including being strong and powerful, incredibly fast, and having long and sharp claws growing teeth.With Human settlements and pushing the White Bengal Tiger into smaller and smaller pockets of it's historical range, They are also commonly known to hunt and kill livestock, with entrances into villages also Becoming increasingly common.

White Tiger Predators and Threats
In it's natural environment, the White Tiger has no predators due to the fact That it is Such a big and powerful animal Itself. They are however severely affected by people and have been for Hundreds of years, as They have been both captured and hunted for Their beauty, and have lost a significant chunk of Their historical range to deforestation for both growing human settlements and agriculture. With the loss in forest, there is also a decline in the White Tiger's prey so Populations are Becoming increasingly harder to sustain. The fact That the few Bengal Tigers That Remain In the wild are Becoming more and more isolated That means there is less of a chance That White Tigers will be produced, and this coupled with the severe declines in population numbers mean That Could White Tigers have disappeared from the wild forever.

White Tiger Interesting Facts and Features
Oddly enough, the White Tiger is thought to have a slightly shorter life expectancy than normal the Bengal Tiger. Although there is no evidence of this in the wild, captive studies conclude That it is due to the White Tiger's mutated genes and to the inbreeding That is required to continue breeding the White Tiger in captivity. One of the Biggest Reasons for White Tiger's Becoming rarer and rarer in the wild is the fact That Often They were captured by the rich, WHO kept them as an incredibly exotic pet. The White Tiger is one of the most versatile and adaptable predators in the Asian jungle as They are not only incredibly quick and agile at running, but They are also very capable swimmers, allowing them to breech Such natural boundaries as rivers and wetland.

White Tiger Relationship with Humans
Since They were first Brought into captivity, White Tigers have been interbred by Humans in a business That is morally questionable and purely profit-based. Since then, this already rare animal is thought to have disappeared completely as there have been no confirmed reports White Tiger since the mid 1900s. Although it is simply a question of two mating individuals carrying the gene, the fact That people have hunted them and taken over much of Their natural habitat, That means the chances of this happening are not very high. There is an issue however, with the Bengal Tigers Increasing instances of actually entering the which Causes Human settlements problems Between the Tiger and the Villagers. Due to the fact That Tigers are Becoming increasingly more vulnerable animals, it is illegal to shoot them and so They Often return to the same village night after night.

White Tiger Conservation Status and Life Today
The White Tiger is a Bengal Tiger the which is a species listed by the IUCN as Endangered and Threatened therefore severely in it's surrounding environment. Estimates of around 100.000 Tigers found in the jungles and mangrove swamps of Asia were made at the beginning of the 1900s, but today there are thought to be less than 8.000 Tigers in the wild, with around 2.000 of these being the Bengal Tigers. There are no White Tiger individuals known to be found outside of captivity.

White Tiger Facts
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: mammals
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus: Panthera
Scientific Name: Panthera tigris tigris
Common Name: White Tiger
Other Name (s): White Bengal Tiger
Group: Mammal
Number Of Species: 1
Location: Indian subcontinent
Habitat: Dense jungle and mangrove swamp
Colour: White, Black, Brown, Orange
Skin Type: Fur
Size (L): 2.4m - 3.3m (6.8ft - 11ft)
Weight: 140kg - 300kg (309lbs - 660lbs)
Top Speed: 96kph (60mph)
Diet: Carnivore
Prey: Deer, Cattle, Wild Boar
Predators: Human
Lifestyle: Diurnal
Group Behaviour: Solitary
Life Span: 10-20 years
Age Of Sexual Maturity: 3-4 years
Gestation Period: 103 days
Average Litter Size: 3
Name Of Young: Cub
Of Weaning Age: 6 months
Conservation Status: Endangered
Estimated Population Size: 0 in wild
Biggest Threat: Habitat loss
Most Distinctive Feature: White fur with bright, blue eyes
Fun Fact: None have been seen in the wild for 50 years!

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