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Certain areas—throat, chest, muzzle, stom- ach, and the insides of the legs—are colored various shades of white. The stripes may be reduced on the forelegs and shoulders. White tigers are rare—the first specimen was caught only in 1820—and white Siberians rarer still, but white Bengals have been found in many areas of India. Some are a dazzling pure white, with eyes of pale pink. More often they are an off- white with brown or black stripes and cold, blue eyes. At first it was believed that white tigers were a separate race, but they are actually albinos with a mutant gene. They are born in a litter with tigers of normal coloration. Still, they have long been objects of fascination or even superstition. In the kingdom of Assam, there is a long-held belief that a person who sees a white tiger will soon die.

While lurking in the shadows of a dense forest or advancing stealthily by night, the tiger’s black stripes make it difficult for the animal to be seen, even though it is moving.

The tiger’s striped coat allows it to blend in with reeds and elephant grass. It can remain still and motionless concealed by such cover until a likely victim comes within range of attack.

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