When we think of a tiger, we automatically think of two different colors; orange and white. However, what most people do not realize is that there are in fact five different colors of tigers, and even more shades within those color variations. Some.
A tiger's striking orange and black stripy appearance may make them stand out to humans, but to their prey, they are almost invisible! Tigers may be orange, but their prey don't see them that way. Here's why it doesn't matter that these giant cats are brightly colored. What are the 4 colors of tigers? The tiger (Panthera tigris) is most recognized for its dark stripes against an orange background.
Less well known are three other pelage color variants: white, golden and stripeless snow white (Figure 1A). The white tiger is a polymorphism that was first seen among wild Bengal tigers (P. The tiger (Panthera tigris) is a large cat and a member of the genus Panthera native to Asia.
It has a powerful, muscular body with a large head and paws, a long tail and orange fur with black, mostly vertical stripes. It is traditionally classified into nine recent subspecies, though some recognise only two subspecies, mainland Asian tigers and the island tigers of the Sunda Islands. The tiger (Panthera tigris) is most recognized for its dark stripes against an orange background.
Less well known are three other pelage color variants: white, golden and stripeless snow white. Once upon a time, there was a colorless tiger. All his shades were greys, blacks and whites-so much so, that he seemed like something out of an old black and white movie.
His lack of color had made him so famous that the world's greatest painters came to his zoo to try to put some color. If you ask a group of people what their favorite animal is, chances are at least some of them will answer "white tigers". In fact many people seem to think of white tigers as fundamentally different from orange tigers, while in reality the only major difference is their coloration as determined by genetics [1].
While orange is by far the most commonly found tiger coloration in the wild. A tiger without stripes is called a melanistic tiger. Tigers are widely known for their beautiful orange coat and distinctive black stripes.
However, there are rare cases where tigers are born without stripes. These tigers, known as melanistic tigers, have a genetic condition that causes their fur to appear solid black rather than displaying the characteristic orange coat with black stripes. Why Orange is Invisible to Tiger Prey For animals with dichromatic vision, the color orange appears as a dull, greenish.