The tiger (Panthera tigris) and the lion (Panthera leo) are apex predators belonging to the Panthera genus, often debated as the largest wild cats. Determining which cat is “bigger” requires analyzing multiple metrics, including mass, total length, and height. Size comparisons are complicated by factors like geographical location, the sex of the individual animal, and subspecies variation.
Comparing Maximum and Average Weight
When the question of size is raised, the most common metric used is body mass, and by this measure, the tiger generally outweighs the lion. The largest subspecies of tiger, the Siberian tiger (P. t. altaica), holds the record as the heaviest living cat species in the world.
Male Siberian tigers regularly reach 400 to 600 pounds, with the largest recorded wild specimens exceeding 800 pounds. In comparison, the largest lion subspecies, the African lion (P. l. melanochaita), typically weighs between 385 and 450 pounds. While exceptional male African lions have approached 700 pounds, the maximum weight records for the tiger are consistently higher.
The average adult male Bengal tiger is comparable to or slightly heavier than the average male African lion, weighing 350 to 500 pounds. When calculating the overall average weight across all wild populations, the average male lion might slightly exceed the average male tiger. This occurs because the tiger genus includes significantly smaller subspecies, such as the Sumatran tiger, which pulls the overall average down. However, when comparing the largest specimens of each species, the Siberian tiger is definitively the heavier animal, making it the largest cat by mass.
Length, Height, and Linear Dimensions
The comparison shifts when analyzing linear dimensions, such as total body length and shoulder height. Tigers generally possess a greater total length, measured from the tip of the nose to the end of the tail. The largest male Siberian tigers can reach up to 13 feet, while the maximum recorded length for an African lion is closer to 12 feet, largely due to the tiger’s slightly longer body and tail structure.
Regarding height at the shoulder, the lion often appears taller, though the difference is minimal and often overlaps. Male African lions commonly stand up to 4 feet tall at the shoulder. While Bengal tigers are sometimes shorter, the Siberian tiger can match the lion’s height, reaching up to 3.9 feet or more.
The lion’s prominent mane contributes to a visual impression of greater bulk and height around the head and neck. Anatomically, studies suggest that for animals of the same mass, the lion may have a taller, lankier skeletal frame, whereas the tiger is often more robust and stockier in build.
Subspecies Variation and Sexual Dimorphism
The size difference between the two species is heavily dependent on which specific subspecies are compared. The Siberian tiger, adapted to the Russian Far East, is the undisputed largest cat, while the African lion is the largest lion subspecies. For example, a male Bengal tiger is roughly the same size as an African lion, but a male Sumatran tiger averages only about 275 pounds.
The Asiatic lion (P. l. persica), found only in India’s Gir Forest, is significantly smaller than its African counterpart. This variation means the size of any individual cat is a product of its specific geographic population. The most accurate comparison is between the largest subspecies of each, where the Siberian tiger is clearly bigger than the African lion.
Both species exhibit marked sexual dimorphism, meaning there is a significant size difference between males and females. The adult male of both species is substantially larger than the female, often nearly double the weight of its female counterpart. For instance, male tigers are typically 1.4 to 1.7 times heavier than female tigresses. Comparisons are nearly always made between adult males, as they represent the maximum size potential for each species.