A golden tiger, golden tabby tiger or strawberry tiger is one with an extremely rare colour variation caused by a recessive gene that is currently only found in captive tigers. Like the white tiger, it is a colour form and not a separate species. In the case of the golden tiger, this is the wide band gene; while the white tiger is due to the colour inhibitor gene. There are currently believed to be fewer than 30 of these rare tigers in the world, but many more carriers of the gene.While no official name has been designated for the colour, it is sometimes referred to as the strawberry tiger due to the strawberry blonde colouration. The golden tiger's white coat and gold patches make it stand out from the norm. 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.Like their white cousins, all golden tabby tigers have mainly Bengal parentage, but are genetically polluted with the genes of the Amur tiger via a part-Amur white tiger called Tony, who is a common ancestor of almost all white tigers in North America. The suggestion that this colouration is caused through the deliberate breeding of Amur tigers with Bengal tigers is a popular myth founded on this fact. All golden tigers appear traceable to one of Tony's male descendants, Bhim.
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