White tigers are not a separate species; they are a color variation of the Bengal tiger. The difference is caused by a recessive gene.
How it works:
- Normal Bengal tigers have the dominant gene for orange fur.
- White tigers inherit two copies of the recessive white gene.
- If both parents carry the recessive white gene, they can have orange (yellow) siblings that inherit the dominant orange gene.
It is similar to how two brown-haired parents can have a blonde child when both carry the recessive gene for blonde hair.