The two biggest big cat species in the world are lions and tigers. The largest lion species, African lions, could never come into contact with tigers in the wild.
Although Bengal tigers and Asiatic lions may occasionally coexist in the same environment. Who would win in a fight?
Lions are often smaller than tigers. In addition, tigers are physically stronger and heavier than lions. The velocities of both animals are comparable. Lion vs tiger have nearly double the biting force. But tigers are lonely animals, whereas lions are gregarious animals. A tiger would prevail in a one-on-one match. The lions would be the victorious when up against a pride.
The comparison and strength data between lion vs tiger* are displayed in the table below:
| Characteristic | Lion | Tiger |
|---|---|---|
| Classification (species) | Panthera leo | Panthera tigris |
| Geographic range | Africa, northwest India | Asia |
| Habitat | Plains, savannas, forests, scrub forests, semi-arid areas | Grasslands, swamps, rainforests, taiga |
| Body size | 8.5 to 10 feet | 7.1 to 10.75 feet |
| Weight | 240 to 550 pounds | 52 to 670 pounds |
| Teeth size | 3.2 inches | 3.6 inches |
| Bite force | 650 PSI | 1,050 PSI |
| Speed | 50 mph | 50 mph |
| Strike force | 27,500 lb.-ft./s | 33,500 lb.-ft./s |
| Behavior | Social; aggressive | Solitary; aggressive |
| Diet | Carnivore | Carnivore |
| Conservation status | Vulnerable/Endangered | Endangered |
The table contains averages and lowest and maximum ranges for all tiger and lion subspecies. Specific characteristics and data about strength may differ throughout subspecies. The article’s official sources, including research papers, periodicals, and scientific publications, were the source of all the data.
The maximum weight for each species was taken into account when calculating strike forces, and this was then multiplied by the highest speed of 50 miles per hour.
12 Differences Between Lion vs Tiger
1. Classification
Lions and tigers are closely related species of cats. Both of them belong to the Panthera genus, which is also home to other fierce animals like the leopard and jaguar.
The African lion (Panthera leo leo) and the Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica) are the two recognized subspecies of the Panthera leo species, which contains lions.
Though there aren’t any additional recognized subspecies of lion, researchers have noticed certain variations among lion populations residing in different areas of Africa.
All tigers belong to the Panthera tigris species, just like lions do.
The scientific community presently recognizes six varieties of tigers that are still alive: the Bengal tiger, Siberian tiger, South China tiger, Malayan tiger, Indochinese tiger, and Sumatran tiger. This is despite a contentious research that suggests there are only two tiger subspecies.
2. Geographic Range
Depending on their subspecies, tigers and lions inhabit separate geographic regions.
The majority of lions are found in Africa, where they may be found from the southernmost point of the continent to the sub-Saharan regions of West Africa.
In the past, lions also roamed the continents of Asia and Europe. However, the Gir Forest Preserve in Gujarat, northwest India, is home to the only remaining population of Asiatic lions in the world.
Out of all the tigers that still exist, Bengal and Indochinese tigers are the most widespread.
There are Bengal tigers in many different parts of the world, such as Bangladesh, China, India, Nepal, and Bhutan. Indochinese tigers may be found in Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Cambodia, and China.
The majority of the other tiger subspecies are solitary populations restricted to tiny geographic regions.
The biggest tigers in the world, Siberian (Amur) tigers, are currently restricted to a tiny area of Russia.
Malayan and Sumatran tigers are restricted to Malaysia and Sumatra, respectively, whereas South China tigers are confined in just three remote regions of southeast China.
3. Habitat
For both lion vs tiger, various habitat preferences correspond to distinct geographic ranges.
Savannas, open forests, thick shrub regions, plains, and grasslands with an abundance of prey are the usual habitats of African lions.
In India’s Gir National Park, there are woodlands home to Asiatic lions. In addition to living in mangroves and wetlands, Bengal tigers may be seen roaming the same woodlands.
With the exception of the Siberian tiger, which inhabits the Siberian taiga, all other tiger subspecies share comparable environmental preferences.
4. Body Size
The biggest known species of cat in the world is the tiger. However, this only applies to Siberian tigers.
The maximum length of an Amur tiger is 10.5 feet; females are usually shorter, measuring up to 8.5 feet. Compared to African lions, which can only reach lengths of 10 feet, they are unquestionably bigger. Even smaller, at 8.5 to 9.5 feet long, are Asiatic lions.
Other tiger species, on the other hand, resemble lions in stature and are smaller than Amur tigers.
Bengal tigers, for example, range in length from 8 to 9.5 feet, which is almost the same as that of Asiatic lions. Some species are much smaller; Malayan tigers, for instance, are only able to reach a maximum height of 8.6 feet.
5. Weight
Like size, weight is only really advantageous to Siberian tigers; other species can weigh less than lions.
The average weight of a Siberian tiger is 200–670 pounds. Male Bengal tigers may weigh up to 570 pounds at their peak, making them bigger than female tigers.
All other tiger species, on the other hand, weigh less than 430 pounds.
At 260 to 550 pounds, African lions are around the same weight as Bengal tigers, with some of the greatest lions reaching almost that much. Asiatic lions may still weigh between 240 and 420 pounds even if they are smaller in stature.
6. Teeth Size
Although lion canine teeth are only approximately 3.2 inches long, tigers have the advantage in this regard because of their larger canine teeth, which may reach up to 3.6 inches in length. This is another resemblance between the two species.
7. Bite Force
Lions are limited to 650 PSI of biting force, but tigers may reach up to 1,050 PSI. This is the first true advantage tigers have over lions.
Based on the biting force quotient (BFQ) that researchers assessed for each of these species, these bite forces were computed.
A unique characteristic, though, is that when based only on canine teeth, lions biting force is larger than that of tigers.
In this instance, the biting force of a tiger’s teeth is only 1,525 Newton, but the bite force of a lion’s teeth is 1,768 Newton. Notwithstanding this distinction, tigers are nonetheless capable of taking down a lion due to their generally stronger bite.
8. Speed
Since both species may achieve high speeds of up to 50 miles per hour, it might be difficult to determine which is the true speed victor.
It is well known that African lions can run up to 50 miles per hour in short bursts and can jump up to 36 feet into the air. But their endurance is limited, so they can only run this quickly for brief periods of time.
Siberian tigers are capable of running up to 60 miles per hour over short distances, matching or surpassing the pace of African lions.
When taking into account all tiger species, though, their average speed is just forty miles per hour, which is less than that of lions. They also make a smaller leap—just 33 feet high.
Sea also: How High Can Lions Jump? best Comparisons (With Photos)
9. Strike Force
Although lion vs tiger attack forces haven’t been well studied, we may estimate their force upon impact by multiplying their body mass by their speed.
This implies that each time will have a distinct real striking force. We took into account the maximum weight for the species as a whole (taking into account all subspecies) and the highest speed of 50 miles per hour for both species in order to compare their strengths.
Based on these metrics, tigers are more powerful than lions, having the ability to strike with up to 33,500 lb.-ft./s, or around 1,040 pounds of force.
A lion’s striking weight is 27,500 lb.-ft./s, or approximately 855 pounds.
Which is stronger between lion vs tiger depends on the size and speed of the animals at the time of the battle, just like it does for all the other strength characteristics covered above.
10. Behavior
Apex predators, carnivorous mammals, including lion vs tiger . Both of them are solitary animals that may turn hostile when hunting or feeling threatened.
Like all other large cats, tigers live alone, which is the primary distinction between the two. In contrast, lions are gregarious creatures that inhabit prides.
Prides are made up of male coalitions of two to four lions, however they can have anywhere from two to forty lions. The other ladies in the pride are all connected.
Although lionesses are usually in charge of hunting, male lions often step in to kill huge prey, such as young elephants or hippos. In addition, prides work together to keep other lions out of their domain.
Male coalitions are prominent in the pride and have a history of being violent against other pride members.
Instead of having a social hierarchy, females synchronize reproduction and nurture their offspring collectively.
Although prides of Asian lions can include up to 12 lionesses, these animals are very gregarious. Although they dwell apart from females and are not allowed to share the prey they collect, males establish informal coalitions.
11. Diet
While both tigers and lions may turn into scavengers at times when there is a shortage of food, they are both predatory carnivores.
Group hunting allows lions to kill huge ungulates, usually large enough to feed the pride as a whole.
Insects and tiny animals are among the smaller prey that Asiatic lions often pursue. The mammals are opportunistic predators that also consume cattle.
Like African lion vs tiger have a preference for big ungulates like sambars and chital. But they also consume fish, reptiles, and birds.
12. Conservation Status
The conservation status of different species varies, although both tigers and lions face extinction threats.
The estimated extant population and conservation status of each species of lion vs tiger are displayed in the table below:
| Species | Conservation status | Adults left in the wild |
|---|---|---|
| African lions | Vulnerable | 23,000-39,000 |
| Asiatic lions | Endangered | <700 |
| Siberian tiger | Endangered | Approx. 500 |
| Bengal tiger | Endangered | Approx. 5,500 |
| Indochinese tiger | Endangered | Approx. 250 |
| South China tiger | Critically endangered | Approx. 30 |
| Sumatran tiger | Critically endangered | Approx. 400 |
| Malayan tiger | Critically endangered | Approx. 150 |
The information in the table of lion vs tiger is accurate as of August 2024 and was obtained from authoritative sources such as National Geographic, WWF, and the IUCN.
Who Would Win A Fight?
Bengal tigers and Asiatic lions are the only two tiger and lion subspecies that are likely to cross paths in the wild.
These two creatures reach a maximum length of 9.5 feet, thus they are almost the same size. But Bengal tigers have the potential to weigh more and be stronger than Asiatic lions.
In addition to having a sharper bite, tigers may be quicker runners than lions. But lions often reside in prides or coalitions.
The conditions would determine who prevailed in the combat. When it comes to a one-on-one, the tiger has a higher chance of winning. A pride will probably lose the battle against it.
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