A golden tiger, golden tabby tiger or strawberry tiger is a
tiger with a color variation caused by a recessive gene. The coloration is a
result of captive breeding and does not occur in the wild. Like the white
tiger, it is a colour form and not a separate species.
No official name has been designated for the colour. It is
sometimes referred to as the strawberry tiger due to the strawberry blonde
colouration. Their striping is much paler than usual and may fade into spots or
large prominent patches. Golden tigers also tend to be larger and, due to the
effect of the gene on the hair shaft, have softer fur than their orange
relatives.
Golden tigers in the
wild
India has records of wild golden tigers which date back as
far as the early 1900s.[citation needed] There have been suggestions that the
tendency for this coloration gradually developed in a small group of tigers
living in an area of heavy clay concentration. The unusual colour would provide
these tigers with extra camouflage. The theory remains unproven; however,
inbreeding of a small isolated group of tigers could cause the recessive golden
tiger gene to emerge if at least one of those tigers carried the recessive gene
for the golden colour and bred with its own offspring.
Golden tigers may occur in the same litter as stripeless or
nearly stripeless tigers. This is due to the effect of the wide-band gene on
the normal orange colour and the white colour, respectively. The wide band
mutation is not found solely in white tigers and may also be carried by normal
coloured tigers; however, carriers of the wide band gene are probably no longer
found in the wild.[citation needed] The last known wild golden tigers were shot
outside of Mysore Pradesh, India in the early 20th century.
Wild-born golden tigers might be disadvantaged as they are
less well camouflaged than normal orange or red tigers.
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