What Type of Environment Does a White Tiger Live In?

The white tiger is a subspecies of any species of tiger, whose fur is white due to a genetic morph. They are currently listed as an endangered species, and white tigers living in the wild is a rare site to see. Today, only 5,000 to 7,000 white tigers live in all of Asia.

While white tigers are most often spotted in the Russian Siberian dessert, they have also been found in Bengal in the northeastern portion of India, though this is much rarer. There have also been sightings of white tigers all through China, specifically in the southeastern region of China. Since white tigers are just a genetic morph of a regular tiger, they can potentially be spotted anywhere, though they are usually only found in Russia and Asia.

A white tiger's territory is usually anywhere between 10 and 30 square miles. In locations where there is less food, such as Siberia, these territories may extend to 120 square miles. Though white tigers live alone, their territories may cross with other white tigers. It is common, for instance, for one male white tiger to have overlapping territories with several female white tigers which is useful for mating purposes.

The thick white coat of the white tiger allows them to live in habitats with low temperatures, and acts as a natural protection. The white coat also doubles as a camouflage which enables the tiger to hide in snowy regions. For this reason, they are typically found in locations where snow is common year-round, which explains their common occurrences in Siberia and the colder regions of India and China.

Many white tigers today are kept in captivity as a way of protecting them from becoming completely extinct. For this reason, different variations of white tigers are being cross-bred, and their habitat is rapidly changing. Though most places where white tigers are held attempt to replicate their natural habitat, this is no easy task, and captive white tigers are normally not given as much territory as in the wild.