Fun White Tiger Facts For Kids

Found throughout the Indian subcontinent, the white Bengal tiger is a regal animal species. It is often assumed that these tigers are white because they're albino, but this is incorrect. It is a big animal, which has suffered a pigmentation defect at birth. White tigers have beautiful stripes on their coat that are brown or black. At times they are also referred to as 'bleached tigers' due to the light shade of their coat. Plus, they have pink noses and paws which characterize them. This carnivorous animal is an apex predator who can easily knock down any prey. From lush green lands to tropical jungles, white tigers can be found in Nepal, India and Bangladesh.

White tigers have communication techniques like other tigers and use scent marking to mark their territory against others. They have been enlisted as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. These animals are subjected to inbreeding in strict captivity, which often causes some genetic issues, like Down syndrome or scoliosis. These rare animals have become rarer due to aggressive trophy hunting in the wild and also due to exotic pet trades. Habitat destruction is another issue that causes a sharp decline in their numbers.

Read on to know more white tiger information and facts, especially white tiger facts for kids to enjoy. If you find this article fascinating, check out these facts on the Siberian tiger and South China tiger for more on animals.

‍

What type of animal is a white tiger?

A white tiger also called the white Bengal tiger or white Siberian tiger, and forms a subspecies of the Tiger family. It is a powerful and big animal, which is a variant of the famous Bengal tiger. It cannot easily camouflage itself to the jungle it lives in due to the color of its skin that stands out. It is not an albino tiger, and most often, some orange tinge is observed in their skin along with their white fur.  

What class of animal does a white tiger belong to?

A white tiger is an animal of the Animalia kingdom which belongs to the Mammalia class.

How many white tigers are there in the world?

At present, there are approximately 200 white tigers that are still roaming in the world. These white tiger facts raise concern over their population.

Where does a white tiger live?

White Bengal tigers are usually found in the mangrove swamps, tropical forests. They are also found in moist jungles that have dense vegetative cover with a favorable source of freshwater. White Bengal tigers are usually found in the south-eastern parts of Asia, in small pockets of countries like Nepal, India, Bhutan, and Bangladesh. This variant of the Bengal tigers can be spotted in Indian states like Assam or Odisha. They thrive well in large areas where the availability of prey is abundant along with sufficient freshwater resources.

What is a white tiger's habitat?

White tigers share a similar type of habitat as that of their other orange counterparts. They occupy the wild in subcontinents of Asia, especially India. The white tiger habitat mainly includes the food it eats, water, and the abundance of trees. White Bengal tigers can be spotted in lush greenery. These wild animals prefer the cool swamps and mangroves. Nowadays, there is usually inbreeding of white tigers in captivity, as they are becoming more and more extinct. So presently, there is hardly any white Bengal tiger to be spotted in the wild. Most white tigers are found in zoos and sanctuaries, where they are preserved well.

Who do white tigers live with?

Tigers are usually animals of solitary nature, and white tigers are no exception. They live alone, but there are certain exceptions, like the mothers and the cubs who live together. They do not form any permanent groups. Many times, white tigers may gather together in the wild under unique circumstances like breeding.

How long does a white tiger live?

According to some scientists', the average life expectancy of white Bengal tigers is longer in the wild jungles than in the zoos or sanctuaries, where they are raised in captivity. In these scenarios, a white tiger has a life expectancy of 10-15 years only. In contrast to this, if they were in the wild, they can live as long as 18 years.

How do they reproduce?

The breeding process of white tigers is a controversial process. There is a mutation of the gene in the process of mating, which is the cause of the white color of the fur coat of this subspecies. For the production of a white tiger cub, the males are made to mate with either daughter or the sister. The entire gestation period is about 103 days. One litter of tiger birth includes about three to four cubs. The males get ready for mating when they are almost four to five years of age. For the females, this age is about three or four years.

What is their conservation status?

A white tiger is listed under the status of Endangered in the IUCN list. They are profoundly endangered in the wild and do not exist outside captivity.

What do white tigers look like?

White Bengal tigers, many times are also known as tigers of mixed Bengal or Amur ancestry, characterized by pink noses. Their fur has a white or crème color. They have broad, distinct stripes covering their bodies and have a grey or chocolate brown color, at times black. These white tiger stripes are quite like fingerprints because each strip is unique. These stripes are a skin pigmentation and exist not only on the fur.

The white tiger face is regal. White tigers have amber or green eyes. A white tiger cub becomes a full-grown tiger when they are of two or three years of age. Males have an approximate weight of 250 kg. These tiger cubs grow up to 300 cm (118.11 inches) in length. The females have an approximate weight of up to 170 kg and can grow to 250 cm (95 inches).

How cute are they?

White tigers are extremely beautiful, regal, and cute, especially tiger cubs. The color of their fur adds to their cuteness. However, the cuteness of the animal can be deceiving as they are one of the greatest predators in the world!

How do they communicate?

The communication between white tigers is not different from the other tigers in the wild, because they are simply a variant of the Bengal tigers. The communication between tigers is done by combinations of scent markings, visual signals, and vocalizations. Usually, tigers are solitary creatures, but communication between them helps them maintain their social system.

There is an array of vocalizations that tigers use. They roar, hiss, moan, grunt, growl, snarl, and the main one is their coughing snarl. They use coughing snarl mainly when they are attacking their prey. Their roar is something that they use for long-distance communication.

Visual signs are the close-range communication forms of the white tigers. They do so by facial markings and can identify other tigers by the stripes or other marks along their face and body. Clawing the ground with their sharp claws is another form of visual communication. Another form of communication is through the 'marking fluid' or scent marking, which tigers use to mark territories.

How big is a white tiger?

In length, a white tiger can range from 240 cm to 330 cm (81.6-132 in), which makes them almost ten times bigger than an adult pygmy rabbit. With respect to height, a white tiger can be as tall as 152 cm to 243 cm (60-96 in), which makes them similar to a chimpanzee in height!

How fast can a white tiger run?

A white tiger has super fast speed. Hardly any of their prey can escape them. They can easily reach up to speeds of 60 kilometers per hour. They usually run in short bursts. Although if compared to a cheetah, it is only half the speed. Although they have great speed, they hardly possess equal stamina, and they sleep for more than six hours.

How much does a white tiger weigh?

A tiger cub has an approximate weight lying between 0.785 kg to 1.6 kg (2-6 lb). The average weight of a full-grown white tiger is about 140-300 kg (309- 660 lb). This weight varies among the various species of tigers. Male tigers are heavier than the female tigers.

What are their male and female names of the species?

The male and the female species are known by the same name, which is the white tiger.

What would you call a baby white tiger?

A baby tiger is also called a cub. On average, tigers give birth to a litter of cubs after every two to three years. Every litter has two or three cubs.

What do they eat?

Just like the other tiger species, white tigers are carnivorous, too. They usually hunt large animals that are mainly herbivores. This list might include deer, goats, sambhar, cattle, chital, and so on. They hardly let their prey escape.

Are they dangerous?

Yes, just like other tigers, a white tiger is also considered to be dangerous. Tigers are incredibly aggressive animals and are one of the greatest predators seen in the world.

Would they make a good pet?

White tigers are considered to be endangered animals, and they should not be kept as pets. Making them good pets are quite tricky, as it involves lots of legal procedures and ownership rights. It is not a good idea for humans to try to make the white tiger subspecies their pets.

Did you know...

What are some other white tiger facts for kids worth knowing? White tigers are very good swimmers who can even hunt in the waters. These animals have unique camouflage techniques and use their surroundings to the fullest. They can hide patiently for long hours yet jump at the prey at an instant.

There is a remarkable story of Ruskin Bond that goes by the name of 'The White Tiger.' It depicts the story of an underdog, named Balram who navigates his way to the top by defying all the pressures of being a low caste in Indian society. He initially starts as a chauffeur but finally becomes a wealthy and successful businessman. In this process he murders Mr. Ashok in order to find his escape from the suffocating oppression situation.

Why are white tigers so rare?

White tigers are extremely rare because the white coloration of their fur is due to an extremely rare genetic mutation. Yellow and red pheomelanin pigments are the main reason for the orange color of a tiger's fur. But when there is a defect in this pigmentation, it leads to white fur among tigers. This pigmentation defect is extremely rare and takes place in 1 in 10,000 tigers of the wild.

Why is the white tiger endangered?

Just like tigers, white tigers are also considered to be an endangered species. Their beauty and grace are a few factors that have caused their near extinction. White tigers are extremely rare, owing to their genetic disorder, and thus have an even higher value in the black market than other tigers.

The main factor that has led to this situation is unprecedented poaching. Tiger skin is of extremely high value, especially in the black market. This pelt is often used for decorative purposes. Tiger bones are of high medicinal value. Many times, these animals are also killed by their loss of habitat. As expected, there are hardly any white tigers to be found in the wild. As they are endangered, white tigers are bred in close captivity. At present, there are only 200 white tigers in the world, all of which are in either zoos or sanctuaries.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other mammals including Malayan tiger, or plains zebra.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our White tiger coloring pages.

‍