White Tiger Habitat

After excessive research, scientists have finally concluded that the white tiger is not a separate sub-species, but a mutant species of existing normal tigers. The pale color of the white tigers can be attributed to a recessive gene in them. These tigers sport blue eyes and chocolate colored stripes. Though the white Siberian tiger is one of the biggest and rarest member of the cat family, the gene responsible for the white coat is more predominant in Bengal tigers, i.e. the subspecies of tiger native to the Indian subcontinent.

White Tiger

Generally, the white tiger habitat spans over an area of 25 to 30 miles, where food is available in abundance. In case of food scarcity, these tigers are known to wander out of their natural habitat in search of food. In case of white Siberian tiger, the habitat extends to 80 to 100 miles, especially during the winter when there is scarcity of food.

White Bengal Tiger Habitat
At one point of time, the habitat of the white Bengal tiger extended over Central and north-eastern regions of India, as well as some parts of Bangladesh. Today, however, it is restricted to a small region, predominantly characterized by Sundarbans, near the Indo-Bangla border. The presence of white Bengal tiger in the wild is a matter of debate as only 12 sighting have been reported in the last 100 years. Most of the white tigers found today, are captive animals. Historical records states the presence of white tigers in various parts of India in the first half of the 20th century. It is believed that excessive hunting was responsible for the extinction of these species in the wild. Today, when there are just around a thousand orange tigers left in wild, the survival of white tiger would be nothing short of a miracle.

White Siberian Tiger Habitat
Though, the primary habitat of the white Siberian tiger spans over the coniferous forests in the eastern region of Russia, some individuals are also found in pockets of the cold regions of China and North Korea. Their thick white coat acts as a natural protection for the extremely low temperature in this region. The white coat also doubles as a camouflage in this snow clad regions. The sightings of white tiger in this region have decreased considerably, over the last few years. Some researchers believe that the drastic fall in the Siberian tiger population in the 20th century led to the extinction of the white Siberian tigers in the wild. Most of the white Siberian tigers found in captivity are the species which were crossbred with the white Bengal tiger.

Loss of habitat is in turn, driving this magnificent animal towards extinction. Other than loss of habitat, poaching is also an important factor which is causing the number of white tigers to deplete rapidly. It has already been listed as endangered in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Their number, in the wild, has come down to all time low, and considering that the animal is quite rare, owing to its unique gene (one in every 10,000 tigers) it is important to implement some concrete efforts for the conservation of endangered white tiger. If we don't work on it, white tiger will very soon join the list of extinct animals.