June 30th, 2013 , 09:58 pm
We all know that the tiger is a fiery cat with black stripes, we also know about the beautiful white Bengal tigers - snow-white with black stripes. What do we know about golden, black and Maltese tigers? Today I will tell you about them :)
Golden Tiger
The golden tiger is the most rare color variation caused by a recessive gene. Such representatives of tigers differ slightly from their relatives large size and softer golden wool with orange stripes, black stripes can be seen only in some individuals at the tip of the tail. There is a version that the development of this type of color gradually developed in a group of tigers, one of whose representatives possessed a recessive gene for golden color and periodically interbred with its offspring. The color that appeared served as additional camouflage for such tigers living in areas rich in clay soils. On this moment There are about 30 golden tigers in captivity.
Black Tiger
The black tiger is a rare color variation of the tiger that is not a separate species or geographical subspecies. Black tigers are named because of pseudomelanosis. The black stripes of pseudomelanistic tigers are so close together that the background color is barely visible between them. For a long time black tigers were considered a myth, however, several skins have proven that pseudo-melanists exist. Melanistic tigers, unlike black tigers, are uniformly black without stripes. Melanistic tiger was captured only once; now this image is lost.
Maltese (blue) tiger
Artistic representation of a Maltese tiger
The existence of the Maltese (blue) tiger has not been proven, but reports of encounters with it periodically come from the Chinese province of Fujian and Korea. Based on these reports, the tiger has bluish fur with dark gray stripes. Possibly due to illegal hunting of tigers in China, the blue variety of tigers has become completely extinct. Around 1910, Harry Caldwell, an American missionary and big game hunter, was hunting blue tiger in the vicinity of Fuzhou. His search is described in the book “The Blue Tiger” by Roy Chappen Andrews (1924): “The color of the animal is strikingly beautiful. The main color has a delicate Maltese tint, changing to a light gray-blue towards the bottom. The stripes stand out clearly, like an ordinary yellow tiger.” . A later report of a Maltese tiger came from a US military personnel during the Korean campaign. A soldier saw a blue tiger in the mountains near the demilitarized zone. This meeting is described in the book “Mysterious Cats of the World” by Karl Shuker. There have also been reports of blue tigers from Burma.
White Tiger
White Bengal tigers have black and brown stripes on their white fur and blue eyes. This coloration is very rare among wild animals, but is often common in captive populations. Only one is born per 10,000 tigers white. The first mention of a white tiger dates back to 1951, when one of the hunters found a tigress in the lair white tiger cub. This tiger was crossed with a female of normal color, who gave birth to 4 red tiger cubs. Then white tiger crossed with one of his daughters, and in a litter of three cubs, two turned out to be white. Thus, all white tigers kept in captivity are descendants of one individual. There are currently about 130 white tigers in zoos.
White Bengal tiger is not an albino. Albino tiger has no black stripes at all.
In 1910, American missionary and hunter Harry Caldwell claimed to have seen a blue tiger. He described the color of the animal as bluish-gray, turning into dark blue at the bottom of the body, with dark stripes like a regular orange tiger.
Caldwell wrote: “I glanced at what appeared to be a squatting man in traditional light blue robes and turned my attention back to the goat I was tending. My companion pulled me by the elbow, saying: “A tiger is definitely a tiger.” I looked again, now it was emphasized. I saw a huge tiger's head, taller than what seemed to me to be human clothing. It turned out to be the chest and belly of the beast.”
Caldwell's dream was to shoot the animal and get its skin. Local residents confirmed the existence of “blue devils,” as they called these animals. Caldwell, along with John and several other hunters, tried unsuccessfully to find the blue tiger.
In a number of cases, they found bluish hair on mountain paths. However, it was not possible to meet a live Maltese tiger. This hunt is described in detail by Caldwell’s companion, an employee of the American museum. natural history Roy Chapman Andrews.
Richard Perry, in his book "The World Of The Tiger", confirmed that in China maltese tigers They were actually called “blue devils” because they often attacked people. IN Lately, isolated reports of blues came from the mountainous region on the border between Northern and South Korea. But since North Korea does not welcome outsiders on its territory, these reports are not possible.
Theoretical possibility of existence
Eyewitness reports are not hard evidence of the existence of the blue tiger. There is not a lot of material evidence. Until now, it has not been possible to obtain the skin of this animal, or even photograph it.
Supporting the theory of the existence of the Maltese tiger is the fact that blue shades are not unusual among other cats. Quite widespread breeds of domestic cats are Russian Blue, Shorthair, and British Blue. It is also reliably known about the existence of blue lynxes.
British zoologist Carl Shuker suggests that blue tigers have two pairs of recessive alleles - non-agouti and degeneracy, which combine to produce a bluish-gray color. True, in this case the tiger would not have dark stripes.
According to reports, maltese tigers belong to the South China subspecies of tigers. This subspecies is now under threat of complete extinction due to the use of preparations from them in traditional Chinese medicine. So it is quite possible that tigers with the rare blue allele are already extinct.
era geographical discoveries was filled with the spirit of exploration, and encounters with unusual animals evoked admiration and amazement. Currently, the idea has become firmly established in the human consciousness that all territories of our vast planet have been studied, and mysterious creatures described by scientists. Many people believe that it is now extremely problematic to open the new kind or prove the existence of extraordinary creatures.
What if we imagine that the world is much bigger? And some animals are a mystery to humans! By the way, one of them is the Maltese tiger - a species not recognized by official science.
The blue tiger, as they are also called, is an almost mythical creature: after all, apart from eyewitness accounts, there is no other evidence.
To date, people have not been able to find either the animal, its body, or even a photo. However, from time to time, witness reports come from Fujian, China, Korea and Burma. This is where, according to local residents, the blue tiger is most often seen.
Appearance description
The name "Maltese" tiger acquired only because they were seen on this island large quantity than in other areas.
Appearance tigers are striking and delightful at the same time: their fur has a grayish-bluish tint, and the stripes on their body are black, clearly defined.
Harry Caldwell's Observations
The first reports of the Maltese tiger appeared in 1910. Harry R. Caldwell, an American hunter and missionary, traveled to China.
His passion was big cats: while traveling around the country, he killed more than ten. But the blue tiger was caught only once.
Seeing him in the vicinity of Fuzhou, Caldwell mistook him for a peasant in blue clothes, bending over the ground. But after some time he saw the head of a tiger.
Harry couldn't shoot because there were children nearby. Trying to avoid dangerous situations, changing positions and waiting for an opportunity, the American hunter missed the unusual animal.
After this meeting, Harry Caldwell's dream became the opportunity to shoot a blue cat and get its skin. He repeatedly organized expeditions with his son John, but they were unable to find anything other than a few scraps of wool.
According to local residents, they also met the Maltese tiger, calling it the “blue devil.”
Richard Perry and Roy Andrews
In his book The World of Tigers, R. Perry confirmed that the blue tiger is a real creature, and they were regularly seen in China. And she received the nickname “blue devil” because she attacked people, killing them.
Another book in which these tigers were mentioned was published by Roy Andrews, already known to us. The seventh chapter of the travel diary, published in 1918, contains references to this mythical animal.
How real is the Maltese tiger?
Unfortunately, the testimony of witnesses and eyewitnesses alone is not enough to officially register this magnificent cat. But, alas, there is no material evidence: no photos, no videos, no animal skins.
However, there are several facts that can support the possibility of the existence of Maltese tigers.
Interesting fact. Born in 1960 at the Oklahoma State Zoo unusual tiger: Its skin had a silver-gray tint and rich black stripes. It is said that the feline lived to an old age, and after his death a stuffed animal was made. It is this fact that allows some scientists not to doubt the reality of Maltese tigers.
Most skeptics refuse to believe in the existence of the blue tiger. But it is understandable: there is nothing more than Caldwell’s words.
Unfortunately, the answer to this question remains a mystery at the moment. It is unknown whether the Maltese tiger has survived in nature as a species or has become extinct completely.
It is also not worth expecting that cryptozoologists will soon discover evidence: more than a dozen years may pass. Perhaps this tiger will remain so legendary creature on par with the black lion or blue cheetah.
Because, apart from eyewitness accounts, there is no evidence of its existence. Before today people were unable to find this animal either dead or alive, there are not even photographs. Although from time to time there are reports from Fujian, as well as from Korea and Burma about the appearance of a tiger. Despite the name, the animal has nothing to do with Malta. It's all about the color of his coat. According to eyewitnesses' descriptions, the predator has dark gray stripes with bluish fur.
It just so happens that domestic cats with a bluish-gray hue are called Maltese, because there are so many of them on the island. For the first time about unusual predator the world learned from missionary and hunter Harry R. Caldwell. An American killed a dozen during his trip to China. big cats, but the Maltese blue tiger did not succumb to him, but only teased him and disappeared, like a ghostly vision. According to Caldwell, he saw the animal in the vicinity of Fuzhou. At first he mistook him for a bending peasant in blue clothes, but then he saw the head of a tiger. The hunter could not shoot right away, because children were running nearby, and while he was trying it on and changing position, the predator ran away.
The Maltese blue tiger has been encountered and local residents. The Chinese claimed that “black devils” really roamed near the villages. Caldwell and his son repeatedly organized expeditions to search for this mysterious animal; they even managed to find scraps of its fur on the branches of bushes, but nothing more. The Maltese tiger has very beautiful fur. The main color is bluish-gray, on the belly it is a little lighter, against this background the
Most likely, this is a subspecies on the verge of extinction. It is likely that individuals with a similar color could have completely disappeared from the face of the earth, although reports of their appearance appear from time to time. Many skeptics do not believe that the Maltese blue tiger exists, because there is no evidence. Caldwell is not a liar, but there are still no photographs or expert testimony. Some researchers believe that people might have mistook the Maltese for an ordinary yellow tiger wallowing in the mud.
The fact of the existence of such an animal cannot be openly denied. The Maltese Blue Tiger can be produced by a combination of the degeneracy gene and the non-agouti gene. Of course, this is very difficult, since such predators would be practically black or gray with barely visible stripes. However, nothing is impossible in nature, because blacks were also considered a fiction and a myth for a long time until their skin was discovered. one of them may be the Maltese tiger.
No one has yet been able to take a photo of the predator, but it should be recognized that in some isolated populations genetic drift can provoke abnormal coat color. If the mutation has no effect negative influence on the development of the animal, the species is able to spread quite quickly. If Maltese tigers exist, there are no more than three dozen of them.
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