Although there is currently nowhere on the planet where lions and tigers coexist naturally, the reality is that during the history of life on Earth there have been episodes in which both big cats coexisted in much of Asia.
Today, it is easy for us to place lions in Africa and tigers in Asia, but what exact geographic distribution characterizes each of these animals? If you want to find answers to these and more curious questions about the differences between a lion and a tiger, in this article on our site you will find a lot of useful information to answer your questions. Keep reading!
Lion and tiger taxonomy
The lion and the tiger share a common taxonomy, differing only at the species level. Thus, both animals belong to:
- Kingdom: animals
- Phylum: chordates
- Class: mammals
- Order: carnivores
- Suborder: feliforms
- Family: felids (felines)
- Subfamily: pantherines
- Gender: panthera
From the genus Panthera is when both species are differentiated, finding on the one hand the lion (Panthera leo) and on the other the tiger (Panthera tigris).
In addition, within each of these 2 different feline species, a total of 6 subspecies of lions are included and6 subspecies of tigers , according to their geographical distribution. Let's see in the following list the common and scientific names of each and every one of the subspecies of lions and tigers that exist:
Current lion subspecies:
- Congo Lion (Panthera leo azandica)
- Katangan Lion (Panthera leo bleyenberghi)
- Transvaal Lion (Panthera leo krugeri)
- Massai lion (Panthera leo nubica)
- West African Lion (Panthera leo senegalensis)
- Asiatic or Persian lion (Panthera leo persica)
Current tiger subspecies:
- Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris)
- Indochinese tiger (Panthera tigris corbetti)
- Malay tiger (Panthera tigris jacksoni)
- Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae)
- Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica)
- South China tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis)
Lion vs tiger: physical differences
When differentiating the two big cats, it is interesting to note how the tiger is larger than the lion, reaching up to 250 and 180 kilos in weight, respectively.
In addition, the colorful orange-striped fur of the tigers stands out against the monotonous tone yellowish-brown de los leones The stripes of the tigers, in contrast to their whitish bellies, follow a unique pattern in each specimen, being possible to identify different tiger individuals according to the disposition and coloration of their stripes, surprising?, TRUE?
On the other hand, the most outstanding characteristic of lions is the presence of a dense mane in adult males, which is identified as a key sexual dimorphism between males and females, something that does not exist in tigers. Males and females differ simply because the females are smaller than the males.
Lion and tiger habitat
The vast African savannahs are, without a doubt, the main distribution habitat of lions. Currently, most lion populations are located in the east and south of the African continent, specifically in the regions of Tanzania, Kenya and Namibia, the Republic of South Africa and Botswana, respectively. However, these big cats are able to adapt to other different habitats, such as forests, jungles, scrublands, and even mountains (such as some high altitude areas in the imposing Kilimanjaro). Furthermore, although lions are virtually extinct outside of Africa, a population of just 500 lions still survives in a nature reserve in northwest India.
The tigers, on the other hand, find their natural habitat only and exclusively in Asia. Whether in dense tropical jungles, forests or even open savannas, tigers find the environmental conditions they need to hunt and reproduce.
Lion and tiger behavior
The main characteristic of lion behavior, which also distinguishes them from other cats, is their social nature and their tendency to live in a pack This curious pattern of behavior is directly associated with the ability of lions to hunt in packs, following precise and coordinated attack strategies that allow them to take down large prey.
Also, the cooperativeness shown by lionesses when caring for their young is truly surprising. Females in the pack often tend to give birth in sync, thus allowing for communal care of the pups.
Tigers, on the other hand, hunt only and exclusively solitary, opting for ste alth, camouflage and high speed of their races when attacking their prey. In addition, compared to other felines, tigers are excellent swimmers, being able to dive into rivers to surprise and hunt their prey in the water.
Conservation status of lions and tigers
According to current data from the International Union for Conservation of Nature, lions are in vulnerable status (VU) While that tigers have a greater range of conservation concern, since their status is extinction risk (EN).
And the fact is that, today, most of the tigers on the planet live in captivity, now occupying around7% of its previous distribution area, leaving only 4 in the wild.000 specimens of tigers These drastic data suggest that, very likely, in a few decades, both lions and tigers will only survive in protected areas.
