
White tigers are only born when two tigers that both carry the unusual gene for white colouring mate. Their colour is caused by a double recessive allele. A Bengal tiger with two normal alleles or one normal and one white allele is coloured orange. Only a double dose of the mutant allele results in white tigers. White tigers have blue eyes, pink noses, and creamy white fur with chocolate coloured stripes.




Unlike most cat species, tigers like water and are good swimmers. In tropical climates, tigers frequently spend time lying in water to cool off. The tiger appears to prefer bathing in fresh water. Drenching and drying keeps tigers cool during the hottest part of the day. They often follow a pattern of soaking for about an hour, then returning to dry land where the winds have a cooling effect on the wet body. As the benefits start to wear off they once more return for another cooling soak. An interesting fact is These cats are powerful swimmers and can easily cross rivers 6-8 kms wide and have even been known to swim distances of up to 29 km. Although Tigers love water, they do not like to get it in their eyes and will frequently enter backwards to ensure this doesn’t happen. When emerging they’ll often shake like a dog to remove the worst of the water from their coats. In saying that there is always the exception.