The White Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris)
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The white tiger (a.k.a the white Bengal Tiger) is a subspecies of Tiger, and is found throughout the Indian subcontinent. Its scientific name is Panthera tigris tigris. Its Kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, and genus are Animalia, chordata, mammalia, carnivora, felidae, and Pathera (in the same order). White tigers live a solitary lifestyle within their own individual territories. This enables them to sneak up on prey more effectively without any unwanted interference. White tigers are also carnivores and their habitats include dense jungles and mangrove swamps. They are also primarily nocturnal hunters and prey mostly on deer, cattle, and wild boar. Their average lifespan in captivity is 10-20 years. Their most distinctive features are their white fur coats and their bright blue eyes.
Adaptations
The white tiger has a numerous amount adaptations that help it live, hunt, and survive. First is the head. The white tiger has very sharp incisor teeth which help it grab hold of prey as well as pull meat off of bones. In addition to that the jaws of the the white (and all tigers in general) are exceptionally powerful. The white tiger also has premolars and molars which are used for tearing and chewing. The eyes of the white tiger are both located on the front of its head, which is very convenient when stalking prey (in comparison to having its eyes on the sides of its head). Also, the eyes of the white tiger are very keen (sharp), which allows it to hunt efficiently in both day and night. The ears of the white tiger are also very sharp and allows they to hear prey from of far off distance (also very important when stalking prey). Next, is the body of the white tiger. Overall, the white tigers body is built to catch large prey through stealth and sudden attack. White tigers also have powerful limbs and a flexible backbone which allows it to quickly chase and capture prey over short distances. The hind legs of the white tiger are also longer than the front legs which allows it to jump higher and further. The padded feet of the white tiger serve to protect the bottoms of its hands and feet, which also posses retractable claws that can be used for anything from climbing to stabbing its prey. Lastly is the tigers roar, which allows it to scare off bigger animals/predators or to warn other tigers not to go into its territory.
But why is it endangered??
There are many reasons of why the great white tiger has nearly gone extinct. Although the white tiger has no natural predators (due to its great size and strength), its population has been greatly damaged within the past hundred or so years due to two main reasons: deforestation/habitat loss and poaching. Since the dawn of man, the rate at which technology and industry develops has hit an all time high and is increasing at an exponential rate (from the beginning of the industrial revolution up until now). As roads, cities and highways are built more and more forests are being cut down, and with the number of forests decreasing, the number of white tigers also decreases. In addition to that, the white tigers (and all tigers in general) are constantly hunted and poached for their skins and are especially preferred because of their rare white coat. These two threats together have nearly pushed the white tiger off the edge and out of existence.
*Fun Fact* There have not been any white tigers found in the wild for the past 50 years!
How you can help
Although these grand creatures are very well adapted to their natural environments, they are still very much threatened by humans and the destruction that we cause, however, you can help protect these endangered tigers by supporting the enforcement of bans on killing and trading tigers or tiger parts. You could also donate to zoo or other wildlife preservation parks so that they can invest in protecting the tigers more thoroughly. Also, if you'd like to work with helping and promoting the tigers more directly, you could volunteer at a zoo or other wildlife preservation organization as a spokesman to inform others about the importance of the preservation of these tigers and other wildlife. In order to keep the white tiger from going extinct we must get the word out and make other people aware of what the causes are, and ways that they can help.