The origin and native land of the white tiger, the main characteristics of the external appearance, keeping at home, the purchase of the animal and its price. Probably, each of us from early childhood dreamed of a pet, usually these dreams did not somehow feed a variety of cartoons, stories of girls and boys in the yard about how they live well in the company of such a cherished kitten or puppy. For some, these dreams were destined to come true, while others realize them already in adulthood. But every day people are less and less interested in such inaccessible in childhood cats, dogs, hamsters and other familiar animals.
Today, more and more extensive fashion is gaining momentum to buy the most unusual and exotic animals as pets. Whoever does not seem to be seen in this or that house and, it would seem, that no one can be surprised even by the most unusual animal. But this opinion is very much erroneous. There is such an original beast in the world, at the sight of which, sometimes even in pictures, it takes its breath away - this is a white tiger.
Many people have his photographs and images on the walls, and others, traveling to some countries of the world, specially visit zoos in order to admire this most beautiful representative of the large animal kingdom for at least a short time. In one of the nature reserves in Thailand, this big cat can even be touched and people are ready to pay a lot of money for this pleasure.
But it is one thing to admire it, and it is quite another to contemplate such a predator in your house every day, to care for and educate him. Making such a four-legged friend is a very popular thing in countries such as the United Arab Emirates. There, many sheikhs keep such an adorable pet in their mansions. However, in the territories of our country, such exotic lovers are also found. In order to get an unusual exotic, as well as to provide him with the necessary conditions, one desire will not be enough. After all, this striped specimen ranks first in the ranking of the most expensive pets, so not everyone can afford to buy such a miracle.
In the event that your financial situation allows you to do this, think carefully about everything. We must not forget that this beast was not created entirely to guard your home, like a dog, or to play with you and your children. This is a predator from the wild, and if you do not make every effort to make your pet feel comfortable among people, you can easily ruin the life of this rare cat, or cause aggression on its part, which often ends very badly.
Before you get such an original friend, you should learn as much as possible about him.
The origin of the white tiger and where it lives
The tiger (lat. Panthera tigris) is one of the predatory representatives of the animal kingdom, the mammals class. This beautiful creature comes from the panther genus, the feline family and the big cat subfamily. His name "tiger" comes from ancient Greek, which literally means "sharp, fast." In the entire history of the existence of these large felines on the big planet Earth, science knows nine species of tigers, but, unfortunately, only six species of these cute-looking predators have survived to this day, but their number continues to decrease every year and even day.
The most diverse areas are considered to be the natural habitats of tigers, they can feel comfortable both in desert areas and in a humid tropical forest, if he comes to the mountains or to swampy lands, then he will be able to arrange living conditions for himself. Today, these predators live in only a few countries, such as Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Bangladesh, China and several other countries.
Description of the appearance of the white tiger
This is the largest and heaviest cat in the world, despite the fact that different subspecies have slightly different torso parameters. On average, the body length of a striped handsome man is 1, 5-2, 6 m, but sometimes they can grow up to 3, 1 m, and this is not taking into account the length of the caudal process, which is approximately 60-110 cm. The mass of one such cat ranges from 115 to 320 kg, depending on the subspecies and sex of the animal.
If we consider the whole body of a tiger as a whole, then it impresses with its beauty, the development of muscle tissue, majesty and unsurpassed flexibility. The front area of the body slightly exceeds the sacral area, and it is much better developed, thanks to this, the posture of the tiger is so graceful and proud that one involuntarily creates the impression that he is looking at the whole world from a height. The long, beautiful tail is adorned with evenly distributed hair. The forelimbs end with five toes, the hind legs end with four, and the claws tend to retract, just like in domestic cats.
Separately, the teeth of the predator should be noted, among them the canines stand out, not only by their development, but also by their length, which is approximately 7–8 cm, it is they who help the animal to take life from its prey. But in the process of eating the victim, he uses his tongue, in which you can see epithelial outgrowths, thanks to which, he easily separates the meat from the periosteum.
If we consider the coat of an animal, then it varies greatly depending on the homeland of one or another representative of the cat family. In those wild cats that live in the southern territories, the skin is covered with relatively short and not abundant fur, but in the northern subspecies the wool is quite fluffy, thick and long.
Mother Nature did her best to decorate these adorable animals, choosing almost all shades of red color as the main color. The projection of the abdomen and limbs are painted mainly in light colors, it is also possible to see some light areas on the back of the ears. Particular attention, of course, is the worthy drawing on the chic body of the tiger, which is represented by a large number of stripes. These elements also come in a variety of colors, ranging from browns to charcoal blacks. The stripes themselves are distinguished by a characteristic arrangement, along the entire body and neck they are drawn transversely vertically, sometimes they can reach the abdomen, sometimes only to the lateral surface. All strips end sharply, they can occasionally bifurcate. On the back of the mammal's body, the pattern is thicker and more saturated, sometimes with a transition to the surface of the thighs.
The area of the muzzle, which is located below the nose, the area of tactile hair, the chin and the mandibular zone are colored white, only a small number of black specks are noted in the corners of the mouth and lower lip. On the forehead, in the parietal and occipital parts, an original pattern is also observed, represented by various transverse stripes, most often having an irregular shape. The front part of the ears is covered with white wool, but the back part is always painted black and has a characteristic large white spot on its upper half. The tail is also not devoid of original ornamentation, only at the base there is no pattern at all, and the tip is mostly painted black. Usually, the caudal process is painted with transverse stripes, which, when connected to each other, form continuous rings, which are usually from 8 to 10. In general, there are at least 100 stripes on the body of a tiger, their size and distance between them depends on the specific species, but the pattern that they form with themselves is a kind of visiting card of a particular animal, like fingerprints or DNA in humans. The stripes on the body of a predator are, of course, very beautiful and original, but their function is by no means aesthetic. This war paint allows the predator to go unnoticed by its prey while hunting. Interestingly, the skin of the beast has exactly the same pattern, and if you shave off the fur, it will grow back with an identical pattern.
Tigers are modest and quiet animals, although nature has endowed them with such a structure of the speech apparatus that they can emit a roar, but usually they can be heard only during the mating season.
These animals also have excellent eyesight, some scientists argue that they can partially see the world in all its colors, and not in black and white.
A wild cat with a white coat is a very mesmerizing and rather rare phenomenon. This fabulous animal is by no means a separate subspecies of tigers, most often it is a Bengal tiger, in whose body there is no red pigment. These animals cannot be considered albinos, since the striped pattern on their body is still present, like all their counterparts, as well as their eyes, which they have a beautiful blue color.
In ancient times, a huge number of the most diverse legends and myths hovered around the personality of the white tiger. Many people worshiped this magical creature and believed that he possessed all kinds of miraculous powers, he was able to heal diseases, give longevity, drive away evil spirits, attract wealth and good luck, and even in the form of a statue he guarded the souls of the departed.
Over time, this amazingly beautiful predator began to appear in zoos around the world and, as soon as it got to a particular city, it instantly became a star. To look at such a miracle of nature, people lined up in long lines and patiently waited for the moment when they would see the unearthly beauty of a cat.
There is a version of scientists that such a creation of nature as a white tiger is the result of the mating of close relatives. For this reason, many individuals are born with a wide variety of developmental anomalies. These can be problems with the kidneys, liver, eyes, and the immune system.
In captivity, these creatures reproduce well, but, despite this, the white Bengal tiger is listed in the Red Book of the International Nature Conservation.
White tiger maintenance, home care
Before bringing such an animal into the house, you need to take care of her personal home. An aviary is suitable as a comfortable home for your tiger cub, but it should be spacious enough for your pet to walk and frolic there. The aviary must be constructed of metal and wood. The back wall should be wooden, and the rest of the parts and the roof are best made from a reliable metal grill. Be sure to build a small house inside the aviary, in which your pet will rest and just wait for the rain to end or cleaning in the aviary. The floor in your tiger's abode should be either concrete or wood, in no case should the floor be made of earth, because a wide variety of parasites will immediately settle there, the presence of which can have a very negative effect on the health of your four-legged friend.
It is necessary to equip his housing with various shelves, trees so that your friend does not have to be bored, and physical activity will help maintain his body in the desired shape. It is also recommended to give your white tiger some toys, he will be happy to play with them.
It is also not recommended to constantly keep your pet locked in a cage, it is recommended to regularly let the animal go for a walk around the site, just make sure that no pets come into his sight.
There are also such extreme lovers in our world who live in an apartment with such an extraordinary pet, weighing several hundredweight. You don't need to be afraid of the tiger that lives in the house, but you still have to be afraid and adhere to some safety measures. Usually these animals are brought into the house from an early age, and throughout their growing up they get used to their roommates, like an ordinary domestic cat. If your pet lives in an apartment, then the meat must be thoroughly boiled before feeding to remove all traces and smells of blood - the instinct is an instinct, and it is still not worth stirring it up.
Your striped lodger can spend his leisure time in a completely different way - he may well lie on the couch all day, wander around the apartment, carefully examining and studying all its corners, he can watch TV and even take a bath. Just like an ordinary kitten, a tiger cub can cause some injury to your home, just it should be noted that the sizes differ not only between the body of a wild and domestic cat, but also between the damage they cause to your furniture and walls. The strength of this mammal does not take up, so, having played, it is quite capable of leaving your wall without wallpaper, or tearing a mattress or sofa to shreds - perhaps you need to be ready for this always and this is one of the reasons why mature tiger cubs move to a large, spacious and personal aviary.
Like all cats, these animals love to play and frolic with their owner, the principle of these games is the same, but when playing with a tiger, you still need to adhere to safety rules, not exposing open areas of skin, since playing too much, he can scratch you a lot or completely unintentionally bite, even if it is not fatal, but you will still lose a little blood, and, of course, it can be painful.
The diet of a white tiger is quite an expensive pleasure, because it should be as similar as possible to how your pet would eat in the wild. The main dish on your striped animal's menu should be meat, preferably lean varieties such as beef, lamb, rabbit and poultry. You can also occasionally feed him raw eggs. In this case, you need to alternate between meat and live food. It is also advisable to include vegetable oil and cereals in the daily diet of the tiger cub.
Food should be given to your pupil once a day, one portion of food should be equal to about 7 to 15 kg of meat and bones, it all depends on the size and age of your cat. During the period of active growth and periodically throughout the entire life cycle of your friend, he must be fed with various vitamin complexes.
Features of the acquisition and price of a white tiger
Given the fact that such animals as pets are a very rare and unusual phenomenon, but still real, it is simply impossible to buy such an original representative of the panther genus in a pet store around the corner. To make your dream come true, you will have to look for him in various nurseries. Please note that you should buy such animals only from trusted people who breed them in captivity, because by acquiring them from the hands of poachers, you automatically contribute to the disappearance of these delightful creatures. They already live not sweetly and, despite all the prohibitions, people continue their hunt for them. Of course, if such an animal as a tiger disappears from the face of the Earth, the planet will not stop from this and the end of the world will not come, but still, our nature will lose someone very important and beautiful.
The cost of such a cub varies depending on the species, if you are going to buy a red Bengal tiger, then for one individual you will have to pay from 500,000 to 2,000,000 rubles. If we are talking specifically about a white tiger, then the prices here are certainly several times higher. The average price of such a kitten will be USD 138-140 thousand.
For more on the white tiger, see this video:
