One is orange with black stripes and prefers its own company, the other is sand-coloured and roams in a pride. Tigers and lions are both well-known apex predators and cultural icons, but there are striking differences in how these big cats live, hunt and move through their respective kingdoms.
What are the key differences between tigers and lions?
Size and appearance
The tiger (Panthera tigris) is the largest cat in the world. Male Siberian tigers can reach 300kg and beyond – easily outweighing male lions, most of whom top out around 260kg. Tigers have a distinctive orange coat, each overlaid with a unique pattern of black stripes for maximum camouflage in lush, light-dappled forests.
Lions (Panthera leo) meanwhile are built for open landscapes with their neutral coats blending easily into grasslands and savannahs. Males grow thick manes that signal maturity and vitality, helping them attract potential mates whilst providing an extra layer of protection during fights.
Habitat and distribution
Tigers live in a variety of habitats, including forests, wetlands and grasslands – they just need a prey source and good cover. Today’s wild tigers live in scattered pockets of Asia, from Russia’s Far East to the Indian subcontinent.
Lions were once found widely across Africa, the Middle East and Asia, and even in parts of Europe. A small population of Asiatic lions remains in India’s Gir Forest, but the majority of lions today live in sub-Saharan Africa, where open habitats facilitate hunting and social coordination.
Social lives
Here’s where tigers and lions are vastly different. Tigers are solitary cats, maintaining individual territories and joining forces only to mate. This ‘loner’ approach works well in dense environments where it’s easy to take cover and observe prey.
Lions, though, are highly social. They live in prides, which usually consist of related females, their cubs and a smaller number of adult males. Lions spend much of their days lazing about, but their cooperative nature lets them hunt large prey with relative ease and defend kills against rival predators like hyenas.
Hunting prowess
Tigers and lions are both ambush predators – their stealth is more powerful than their speed. Since tigers hunt alone, they rely on proximity to their prey (deer, wild boar) before attacking with a swift bite to the throat.
Female lions work together to do most of a pride’s hunting. The cats can surround their prey (wildebeest, zebra, antelope, buffalo) for an effective takedown with claws and well-placed bites.
Conservation status
Due to habitat loss, conflict with humans and climate change leading to a loss of prey, tigers and lions are both under threat. Tigers especially, with less than an estimated 6,000 remaining in the wild.
Lions are more numerous but are in decline as well, with populations having decreased by 75% over the last 50 years.
