What Is a Blue Tiger?

Though many people believe it to be a creature of myth, the blue tiger may be a rare species of big cat. Also known as the Maltese tiger, it would feature a light gray coloration that makes the animal appear almost blue in color. These types of tigers have only been reported in human sightings, and no photos or videos of the animals have ever been recorded.

Sightings of blue-colored tigers have been reported since the early 1900s. These blue cats may also simply be extinct tigers, accounting for the lack of physical evidence for their existence. Reports of sightings vary in location, though most of them originate in areas of China, such as in the Fujian Province. If the tigers do exist, they are likely a sub-species of the South Chinese tiger. Other places where the blue tiger has reportedly been seen include Burma and Korea.

People who report seeing the blue tiger have called it many other names. Some villages referred to the creature as blue devils, and claimed that they were man-eating beasts who often stalked humans. This led to an interest in the big cat by many hunters who unsuccessfully attempted to locate and kill the blue tiger for its pelt. Some researchers claim that a blue tiger was born in Oklahoma during the 1960s. No record of this exists, however, and many scientists believe that the animal was likely a pseudomelanistic tiger, or black tiger, whose stripes were very thick and close together.

Cryptozoologists continue to study and search for the animals, hoping to acquire some type of proof that they are real. Some scientists believe that the animals are an example of a non-threatening mutation resulting from genetics, much like the coloration of the endangered white tiger. A recessive pair of alleles, or forms of genes, known as the non-agouti allele and the diluted allele, are cited as possible reasons for the coloration of the blue tiger, as are several other alleles.

Domestic cats with this coloration, such as the Russian Blue variety, help serve as proof that such a color of cat may exist in larger form. Should a blue tiger truly exist, researchers say it would like have very faded to no visible stripes at all because of its color. Blue examples of other wild cats, such as bobcats, have been reported as well. Interest in hunting the tiger coupled with the rarity of its recessive genes could explain its rarity or extinction.

A blue tiger, also known as a Maltese tiger, is a purported color variation of a tiger with a bluish fur. However, there is no scientific evidence or confirmed sightings to prove their existence. The concept of blue tigers likely stems from anecdotal accounts and is not recognized by the scientific community as a distinct species or subspecies.

Reported sightings of blue tigers have primarily been in China, particularly in the Fujian Province. These accounts are historical and anecdotal, with no recent credible sightings or photographic evidence to support the existence of blue tigers in the wild.

If blue tigers were to exist, their coloration could theoretically be due to a genetic mutation affecting their fur pigmentation. Similar to how white tigers are a result of a recessive gene leading to a lack of pheomelanin, a blue tiger might have a unique genetic condition affecting the expression of pigments in their fur.

Scientifically, the myth of the blue tiger could be explained by a condition known as pseudo-melanism, which is an abnormal stripe pattern that can make the tiger appear darker. This could potentially give a tiger a bluish hue, especially under certain lighting conditions, leading to the belief in the existence of blue tigers.

The legend of the blue tiger has little impact on actual conservation efforts, as it is not a recognized species by conservationists. However, the intrigue surrounding mythical creatures like the blue tiger can sometimes help raise awareness and interest in the conservation of their real-life counterparts, the various endangered tiger subspecies.

The recognized color variations of tigers in the wild include the standard orange with black stripes, the white tiger, which is a genetic variant of the Bengal tiger, and the very rare golden tiger, which has a lighter golden hue due to a recessive gene. All these variations are well-documented and have been observed in the wild or in captivity.