What Is The Difference between Lion and Tiger?

So, what is the main difference between lion and tiger? Lion has tan or dark brown coat fur with males having large mane around their neck while tiger has brown coat color with black stripes.

Lion and tiger are both wild animals that belong to the cat family. They have no predators hence they reside on top of the food chain.

The two are different from each other. Their appearance is the most obvious visible difference between the two. Lion has large mane around their necks while tigers do not have.

This article is going to give you clear differences between lion and tiger in tabular form. You will also get to learn about their differences.

You May Also Like: Difference between Panther and Jaguar

Subscribe To My Channel

Difference between Lion and Tiger(With Table)

Basic Terms	Lion	Tiger
Coat color	Tan or dark brown in color.	It has brown coat color.
Conservation status	They are nearly threatened.	They are endangered.
Appearance	Male has large and thick mane around their neck ranging from tan to dark brown in color.	They have black stripes.
Hunting behavior	They hunt mostly during the day.	They hunt during the night.
Social	They hunt in groups.	They hunt alone.
Size	They are comparatively smaller.	They are the largest cats in the world.
Tails	They have long tails.	They have comparatively shorter tails.
Origin	They are native to Africa.	They are native to Asia.
Habitat	They inhabit grasslands and large open plains.	They occupy islands.
Reproduction	Their gestation period is between 100 to 110 days and gives birth to between 1 to 2 cubs.	Their gestation period is 103 days and gives birth to 2 to 3 cubs.

What is Lion?

It is among the five big cats in the feline family. It is native to Africa and it mostly occupies grasslands and open plains.

They have coat color that ranges from tan to dark brown but the males have large mane around their neck which makes it easier to distinguish them from the females.

They are carnivores and feed on medium to large animals such as gazelles, zebras, giraffes, impala, waterbuck, warthog, and Cape buffalo.

They reproduce sexually with their gestation period varying between 100 to 110 days and give rise to between 1 to 2 cubs. The females nurse the cubs to between 10 to 12 months.

They live in groups known as pride and they hunt in groups during the day in order for their prey not to run away.

What is Tiger?

They are among the largest in the feline family. They are native to Asia and are endangered species nearly being extinct.

They are brown in color and have black stripes. They are longer, muscular, heavier, and taller compared to lions.

They are more aggressive and they live solitary lives whereby they hunt alone and at night. They eat the prey alone.

They reproduce sexually and their gestation period is 104 days. They give birth to 2 to 3 cubs and the females take care of the young ones between 18 to 24 months.

You May Also Enjoy: Difference between Possum and Raccoon

Main Differences between Lion and Tiger

Lions are comparatively smaller while tigers are the largest in the feline family.
Lions have longer tails while tigers have comparatively shorter tails.
Male lions have large mane around their necks while tigers have black stripes.
Lions live in groups while tigers do not live in groups.
Lions hunt during the day while tigers hunt during the night.
Lions are native to Africa while tigers are native to Asia.

Similarities between Lion and Tiger

They belong to the same family.
They are both carnivores.
Both are at the top of the food chain.
Both are skilled hunters.

Read Also: Hognose Snake Care Sheet

Conclusion

Lions and tigers are among the largest cats in the feline family. They are both carnivores and are found at the top of the food chain.

However, the two are different from each other. The main difference between lions and tigers is that the lion has a tan to dark brown color coat with the males having large and thick mane around their neck while tigers have a brown color coat with black stripes.

More Sources and References: