What do you know about the Black Tiger? Have you ever heard about this type of wild cat? These are not ordinary-looking cats, and you can’t ignore them. They are really majestic and fascinating. It is actually the same as the Bengal Tiger, with only one difference – the color. So, they are not a unique subspecies. These wild animals are so rare that people don’t believe they really exist. However, the Odisha Forest Department has noticed a black tiger in the Sundergarh forest, probably the only place in India home to black panthers and tigers.
Where Are Black Tigers Seen?
There are several records of wildlife associations spotting black tigers in the forests in different areas. In the past ten years, only in India in July 2014 and in China in August of the same year, a black tiger has been spotted.
The Black Tiger has pseudo-melanism. You are most likely aware of pure melanism – a large amount of black pigmentation of the fur, hair, eyes, etc. This condition gives the animal a black appearance, which is the complete opposite of albinism. Due to the fact that with these cats, it’s not complete melanism; this is called pseudo-melanism.
They are rare, together with the Blue Tigers, which are discovered from the South China Tiger subspecies. Unfortunately, it is believed that the Blue Tigers are completely extinct now. Black Tigers have a black coat with white, tan, or grey stripes, whereas the Blue Tigers (also called Maltese Tigers) have a blue-grey base coat with charcoal stripes.
These mystical creatures are so mesmerizing and uncommon that people believe they are myths and don’t exist. Some researchers have established their existence and have done their research on them as far as they could. Being so rare, it has been difficult to be examined.
What has been determined is that they are not different from the other Bengal Tigers in anything other than the pigmentation. Maybe just the fact that they are smaller than their peers.
It is also unknown which countries are their homes or their origin countries.
What do you think about the tigers? Share your opinion in the comment section.
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