The Age Old Question: Lion vs. Tiger

In tigers -who are generally solitary- the male cannot rely upon the female to hunt for him. He must not only hunt for himself, but defend, patrol and mark his territory at the same time. This is a lot more strenuous and time consuming.

When it comes down to the hard facts and physical behaviours and adaptations that would prove advantageous over the other, the tiger comes out on top.

 

Let's compare basic statistics:

 

Weight - Up to 220kg (Male)

Speed - 75kph (Probably 70kph max for a male)

Adaptations - large mane to look imposing as well as to protect vital organs in the neck and head, plus the typical shared characteristics with tigers - long, sharp canines, retractile claws, bulk, large batting paws.etc.

Typical prey - Wildebeest, Cape Buffalo, Zebra

Some subspecies: Siberian Tiger- Up to 350kg and 2.5 - 3m long

Bengal Tiger - Up to 230kg and 3m long

Sumatran Tiger - About 120kg and up to 2.4m long

Adaptations - Speed (70kph), superb jumping ability due to enhanced hind leg muscles, longest canines of all cats, huge paws, powerful front legs for pulling when running, and taking down prey single-handedly, paralytic roar.

Typical Prey - Deer, Water Buffalo, Wild Pig

 

Now if we compare those statistics we discover that the tiger, overall is larger and more agile than a typical male lion (this of course is open to variation). With the protection of the mane comes reduced maneuverability and extra baggage. One particular thing that would probably prove the edge for the tiger is the extremely powerful forelimbs it has. They are used for pulling the tiger forward in pursuit and are necessary for taking down large prey. Their agility would also be a major factor.

 

Upon seeing a tiger fight in the wild, one realises that they fight in a very different fashion to male lions. While lions tend to bat at each other and try to claw each others faces, also trying to get a bite to the others back or neck, tigers have a much more fierce and tiring approach to conflict. Tigers wrestle like house cats, locking together and rolling around in a frenzy in an attempt to tire, claw, shred and tear at the other. While lion fights end in death rarely, tiger fights are responsible for a much higher percentage of male tiger's deaths (and in some cases, females).

 

My conclusion is that the tiger would cause fatal wounds to the lion, but in doing so cop several nasty lacerations itself. The tiger would win, while the lion would die. The combination of agility, raw power and muscular strength and size would be on the tiger's side.

 

Note: In India's Gir Forest, the last refuge of Asiatic lions in the world, tigers have been known to have killed the tigers in fights.

Another area of variation is between tiger species. While a Siberian Tiger tends to weight at least 100kg more, and possess much more power, the lion still has a chance against smaller subspecies. The Bengal Tiger averages at about 200kg (males) or just under. This is roughly the same, if not a tad less, than the typical male African Lion. On the other hand though, the Sumatran and South China tiger's are both a fair bit smaller than the lion, 100kg and 150kg approx. respectively.
Regardless, assuming each weighed approximately the same, I'm betting on the tiger. This is contrary to discovery channel who actually made a show dedicated to animal face-offs. The lion vs. tiger one, in my opinion, is ludicrous. However, this show has a tendency towards giving the tiger the raw end of the deal - it gets beaten by every animal it faces off against!
See: [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDh93IB_nts/[url]

Keep in mind though that I wouldn't be surprised if the Lion pulled off a victory. A lot of it has to do with initial positioning and first blow.

Victory to Panthera Tigris!

- Knights -

EDIT: Moved to Natural History - is that OK?