By Damon Ransom.

Relative body mass of the lion and tiger.

The tiger is often stated as being the largest of the big cats. But, how true is this statement? And, are they truly any larger than lions? Much data has been gathered upon the body mass of both captive and wild lion and tiger populations, and i shall make a comparison of the two.

Body mass of 19 male african lions from 17 zoos, ranging in age from 1.7 to 18 years, averaged 183 kg. Range; 148 - 220 kg. However, since a young lion (not yet of adult age) was used in the study, i shall show another. The average weight of male lions at Sedgwick County zoo is as follows;

More weights have been gathered for adult male lions in captivity, such as for a male lion at the Smithsonian National zoo;

And here`s the body mass as given for another lion (Sam) and four lionesses at Topeka (Kansas) Zoo;

At the Henry doorly zoo, an average body mass of 184 kg and 102 kg was given for male and female bengal tigers, respectively (Seager & Demorest, 1978; Seal et at., 1985). A 5 year-old male bengal tiger, of the Australia Zoo, weighed 173.4 kg (381.48 lbs). Another male, of the same age, weighed 166.4 kg (366.08 lbs). Another adult male tiger, born on march 7, 1997 at the bronx zoo, weighed 436 lbs. His mother (Norma), born may 10th, 1993 at Minnesota zoo in Minneapolis, weighed 285 lbs. Alexis, daughter of tigress Norma, weighed 303 lbs. Taurus, another female, weighed 264 lbs, while her sister, Zeff, weighed in at 292 lbs.

I have also been told, via personal communication, that most studbook male bengal tigers weigh about 390 - 420 lbs.The exact same range was given for the african lion male (C.Kennion, 2009).He is a reliable source, having worked with both big cats. Overlarge specimens of both lions and tigers have also been reported. for example, a male lion named Simba of the Dublin Zoo weighed a monstrous 375 kg 826 lbs in july 1970. Other statistics included a shoulder height of 112 cm 44 in. and a 132 cm 52 in. neck.Simba died on 16 january 1973 and his stuffed body is now on display at Knaresborough Zoo, Yorkshire. Another male lion, of 930 lbs, was reported by big cat expert Peter Jackson (2009). A very large siberian tiger male, owned by animal trainer Joan Byron-Marasek of Clarksburg,

weighed an astounding 932 lbs (Peter Matthews, 1996).The largest bengal tiger male, for comparison, weighed 866 lbs according to the guinness book of animal facts and feats (year published, 1986?).

Now, as for the weights of captive male Siberian tigers, i have been told, via personal communication, that most weighed about 500 lbs (C. kennion). However, of the few records i know of for male Siberian tigers, they were usually much under this weight, and closer to the 400 pound mark. Jack, the male Siberian tiger at the Zoo of Arkansas, had been tranquilized-with great difficulty-for his annual physical examination. He was expected to sleep for at least two hours, to allow the medical team plenty of time to do it`s work.

First, the tiger was weighed. With five men lifting him onto the scale, the verdict was 368 pounds (Edward J. Friendlander, 1982). A 13 year-old siberian tiger male, studbook ID 2677 housed at the Kansas City Zoo, weighed 195 kg (WK Suedmever, 2003).The weight of 3 female Siberian tigers, who`s minnesota Zoo numbers were 368 (studbook 1422), 711 (studbook 1432), 712 (studbook 1328), varied between 108 - 122 kg (1982).More data upon Siberian tiger females is as follows;

An old male Siberian tiger, at the Prague Zoo, at the time of his death, weighed 192 kg (guggisberg, 2001).This tiger was estimated to

weigh, in his prime, approximately 250 - 260 kg. It would seem however, that Siberian tigers are slightly larger than male lions. However, in terms of the proportion of body size as compared with weight, i`ve found little difference between the two.

Now, as for the mass of wild specimens of lion and tiger, there is not much difference, excepting the largest recorded specimens of bengal tigers, in which case they were slightly larger. The difference, however, was slight.Records upon the body mass of wild lions is shown in the table below;

Even more data (source unknown) have been gathered upon the mass of wild lions;

By comparison, the average weight of 42 adult male tigers of central india, weighed by A. A. Dunbar Brander (1923) of the Zoological society of london, was 190 kg, for a gorged male. 39 females average about 290 lbs (or about 132 kg).Total length of males; 9ft, 3 in. females; 8ft, 4 in. measured in a straight line, between pegs. Further records upon the length of adult male bengals has been published by Schaller, who reports an average length of 9ft ( year 1967). The average length of male lions as given by hollister, is similar to that gathered for tigers, as can be seen in this next table;

More data upon the mass of wild tigers have been gathered, and the results were as follows;

However, studies show these tigers were baited;

They ate a total of at least 14 kg a day, feeding upon baits;

Adjusted for food content,the average body mass of the chitwan tigers is 221 kg. For comparison, the body mass of 18 adult male lions, weighed in Zimbabwe, as quoted by Smithers and Wilson (1979) indicate an average of 202 kg. 3 adult male tigers from Nagarahole, weighed by Dr. Ullas Karnth, ranged in weight from 209 - 227 kg, averaging 217 kg. However, without more data, whether it be upon the above mentioned Nagarahole tigers, or even those of chitwan, we cannot make any conclusive figures of the average mass of these animals, and instead i`ll use such recorded

weights as an 'approximate' mass of the particular animals weighed in the study, but which may not reflect the entire population as a whole. Are bengals larger than lions?......it would seem unlikely to be true, as the external measurements of these two creatures, as i have shown in the above mentioned tables, is virtually equal. However, studies also show that body mass of different populations of either lions or tigers often vary in mass, and this is likely due to food intake, which is greater in chitwan tigers, as compared with the majority of lion populations. here is one such study upon the food consumption of lions;

As can be seen in the above mentioned tables, lions most usually have a lower food intake. However, for males, food intake can be as high as 16 kg per day, per lion;

Now, here`s data upon the body mass of adult Siberian tigers (The Siberian tiger project 1990 - 2002);

...the above mentioned tigress is tiger 27, mentioned previously. Here`sthe weight of another male weighed by the project;

According to Dale Miquelle, via email, the average body mass of the Siberian tigers in the study was 195 kg, or roughly the size of rhodesia lions. They have an incredibly low prey availability, and this may explain their low mass, though they are not an unhealthy population, as most captured animals, excepting one, was stated to have been in fair - very good condition. Here is more info, upon the body size of these Siberian tigers, which is a bit greater than that of lions or bengal tigers;

It would seem, at least in the case of captive specimens, that Siberian tiger males are larger than lions and bengal tigers by about 15 - 60 lbs. That seems a fair range. However, bengals are no larger than african lions, as i have proved when comparing the (relative mass) mass of captive specimens. As for more records upon wild animals, large specimens have been captured. For example, a lion of 313 kg was shot just outside Hectorspruit, eastern transvaal, in 1936 by Lennox Anderson. This weight was so extreme-taken on the local railway scale-that it had to be checked several times by park officials before being officially excepted. Here are some records, of wild siberian tigers;

However, all those weights would seem to be dwarfed by a gigantic bengal tiger, captured by David J. Hasinger, 25 October, 2001, which weighed 857 lbs;

While lions can reach such sizes, most authorites do not often report the weight of their animals, such being of little improtance. Studies seem to suggest,in my opinion, that lions ans tigers are equal in mass.