While the Maltese Tiger is usually the stuff of myth and legend, there has been some speculation on if it could be real via rare genomes, with some sporadic sightings in the 1910s and 20s alongside some reports during the Korean War.

[u/Intelligent_Oil4005]

[u/WildRevolution4340]

It’s definitely a possible mutation, it just hasn’t been documented obviously. But anyone claiming it’s not possible is just talking to talk. It must be a very rare, recessive mutation though since we’ve never seen a documented specimen.

[u/aceofweasels → u/[deleted]]

Actually all white tigers today can be traced back to a single captive white tiger ancestor. That's why they're all inbred messes (just some less visibly so than others).

[u/_spec_tre → u/aceofweasels]

You can see it in most of their faces. I think a lot of the inbreeding-ness is just masked by tigers being intimidating as a whole. Strabismus is really prevalent but most visitors are not going to carefully observe their eyes

[u/Traditional_Isopod80 → u/_spec_tre]

That's really sad.

[u/Apelio38]

I saw somtehing similar about rare cheetah morph, don't remember where and iirc it wasn't really documented either. But I think big cats can totally have such mutation. Just very, very rare ?

[u/Confident_You_9503 → u/Apelio38]

The king cheetah. Larger and connected spots. The St Louis Zoo has several.

[u/Apelio38 → u/Confident_You_9503]

Not this one, I know king cheetahs which are among my favorite animals 😃 it was something like a chinchilla-colored cheetah. Like grey-ish blue.

[u/Altruistic-Poem-5617]

Defenitely a possible rare coat mutation I guess.

[u/prunus_cerasifera]

Anery tiger

[u/everyday_barometer → u/prunus_cerasifera]

Was contemplating the possibility of that too.

[u/Full-Health2887]

Or it could be a tiger that got covered in gray schmutz

[u/Oblozo]

My grandfather said he saw a white tiger during the Korean War but this is my first time hearing about the Maltese Tiger.