A genetic variation as attractive and beautiful as the white tiger does not have a very large population today, these specimens, in addition to being rare in their species, are at risk of ceasing to exist for various reasons.Why is the white tiger endangered?? is what will be answered in this post.
White Tiger
The white tiger, albino tiger or Bengal tiger is nothing more than the common tiger that belongs to the genus panthera, but the white tiger information It differentiates it only by the genetic condition with which they were born that eliminates the coloring pigment of the fur that tigers normally have, which is orange.
They have everything in common with respect to the commonly known orange specimens, such as their body shape, food, behavior, black stripes, etc. They are distinguished by their blue eyes, their light pink nose, their white fur and in some specimens the stripes do not remain black but are gray and even brown.
It really is the same species called Panthera tigris only with an unusual coloration, just as in human beings there are people who are born with white hair or other beauty, very light skin and light eyes, which are called albinos. They are not another species, but specimens with different genes from the individuals from which they descend. The Black Panther It is also another species that has completely black fur due to the Melanin in its body.
Some people classify them as a subspecies of the Bengal tiger or panthera tigris tigris Since this is really a species, the white tiger is also placed as a subspecies of the almost extinct Siberian tiger or panthera tigris altaica, however, the specimens with their all white fur are nothing more than variations of the species that are only different in their color, size and fur, another example of this is the golden tiger.
Golden tigers generally have white paws and their stripes are much paler than those of white tigers, having a yellow, orange or reddish coloration on the upper part of their body. The golden tigers are also heavier and larger than their orange descendants, even in addition to their partially golden fur they have it much softer than any other specimen of this family.
Of the golden tigers there was only a record of thirty specimens a few years ago, which are the product of crossing a white tiger with a Siberian tiger. These specimens are in captivity, the first of them was in Florida, others are found in Australia, Europe – Spain, Germany and North America.
Features
The size of white tigers tends to be slightly larger than that of orange tigers (even from birth), which can measure between 190 and 330 centimeters (males) or 177 to 275 centimeters (females) and weigh between 50 and 258 kilograms (males) and 24 or 167 kilograms (females). No adult specimen that has an orange coloration has been described with a size greater than that of white tigers, which can be more than 3 meters and more than 230 kilos (males).
Their life expectancy varies depending on the sex of the specimen, white tigers can live between ten or twelve years, while some can exceed that limit, especially females. They can even live longer if they are cared for properly when in captivity, knowing that white and golden tigers can only be seen in Zoos it is natural to know that their ages exceed 15 years.
White tigers can be found in Southeast Asia or India in greater numbers, as the vegetation in the south of these places is ideal for them to survive. There are other specimens around the world, which have been transported for care in zoos. They prefer mangroves or jungles where there is enough water.
The records approximate the number of white tigers in the world today, which is almost 100, yet why is the white tiger in danger of extinction? It is a question that many people often ask. Actually compared to the number of Bengal tigers, Amur tigers and others, the white tigers are few, the golden ones much less. In addition to that three subspecies of the Panthera tigris it has become extinct during the XNUMXth century, the reasons will be discussed later.
As for their diet, they are carnivorous and feed on other smaller mammals, for example, deer, pigs, wild boars, monkeys, fish, baby elephants, fish, among other species. They usually hunt individually, in fact they are animals that remain alone for a large part of their lives, only to travel or when they will reproduce is that they get together with other tigers (although they are small groups).
The reproduction of this species occurs when they reach sexual maturity at 5 years (males) or 3 (females). Their gestation period lasts 104 days or a few more days and they can have between 2 or offspring. Since they are specimens that have recessive genes that are hidden in them, when they have offspring they will not be completely white.
Some hatchlings may be pale in coloration like that of golden tigers or have an all-orange offspring. It really is a question of genetics and how the heterozygous and homozygous genes would act in these new specimens. To ensure their offspring and the presence of the recessive gene of these specimens, their caregivers reproduce them with other individuals of common descent, that is, inbreeding. Although this can cause malformations or other defects.
Reasons why the white tiger is in danger of extinction
Title "endangered white bengal tiger» has been shown in many news places, in Lima – Peru, for example, there were two specimens of white tigers that did not have cubs for a long time, although little by little they had offspring, adding up to 2018 four litters of white and orange cubs . However, they were born in captivity and it is only thanks to their care and the laws in Peru that protect them as an endangered species that they have survived.
The tigers themselves have been hunted since the human population began its accelerated growth and covered many more areas of the world, the first reason they are hunted is for their fur, in this sense, if the orange tigers have been almost extinct Because of their fur, the hope of survival of white tigers is almost nil. Since these have a more attractive and exotic coat than that of their descendants.
In addition to their skins they have been hunted for their bones, even to be stuffed and kept in their captors' homes. Along with that, the loss of the ecosystems they inhabit have affected their survival and, of course, their reproduction and development.
This is because they do not have the adequate space to develop day by day, coupled with the reduction of the animals that function as their food, without those necessary conditions for their survival it is logical that they die or stop reproducing. This goes hand in hand with the sanctions that nations have not applied to properly protect them as a species or their habitats.
prevent its extinction
The specimens of white tigers in Lima have been found under the care of the Huachipa Zoo and the Parque de las Leyendas Zoo, these species have been cared for to ensure that they have offspring when they reach sexual maturity. They have not only been protected from people but from themselves, since on one occasion Clarita (the mother) rejected one of her offspring and they had to separate her from her space.
In this sense, beyond wondering why is the White Tiger? The first thing is to ensure their survival by keeping them in places where their conservation and protection is assured. The zoos in which they are currently kept have worked on the continuation of the recessive gene that causes their characteristic white color in their fur, which is why the second thing is to support studies that train their keepers on animal genetics.
Likewise, measures must be supported and followed for their reinsertion in new spaces so that when the specimens are released to live in the wild, they can survive. The most important thing in this regard is awareness, campaigns to protect them from hunters who want to capture them to remove their skins and/or dissect them.
Finally, the most important thing is to conserve their habitats. Human activity has damaged too many spaces and destroying their ecosystems will logically result in their extinction.