Who would win in a duel between a tiger and a lion?

Answer 1

This is what I found in other questions

it compares lions and tigers.
http://www.lairweb.org.nz/tiger/conflict...

http://www.lairweb.org.nz/tiger/conflict...


I found the answer in this site:

The tiger has a longer body, and is usually more powerful in the back legs, having evolved this way for great speed and unmatched leaping power. The lion evolved primarily for fighting, with a larger head and more power in the forequarters. Paradoxically this has made him a poor predator.

Size:
Quite frequently the lion versus tiger question focuses on the Amur (Siberian) tiger. People mistakenly believe that the large size of the Amur tiger means a more aggressive animal and therefore a better fighter.

The fact is, that when it comes to aggression, the Amur tiger lacks the ferocity of its cousin from the Asian sub-continent ( Bengal Tiger), which, in turn, lacks the ferocity of the lion by a significant margin. For most people it is easier to understand this by comparing dogs. I own Great Danes which weigh in at 60-70 kgs each, yet the significantly smaller and lighter Doberman down the road attacked and injured my Dane. The difference is one of ferocity.

Also worth noting is that though the Amur tiger is slightly longer and somewhat heavier than the Bengal, the difference is less than popularly thought. Much of the Amur tiger's extra bulk is fat for warmth, and a false impression is also given by their thicker longer coat. The fights such as noted here are mostly historic ones. In the 1870s, the Purnea district of India (now north Bihar) was famed for its enormous tigers. Two shot during that period measured 11' 5" and 12' 4" respectively. To compare them accurately to modern Bengals it is necessary to subtract 7-8 inches as they were measured using a different system than is practiced today. Despite this they were massive animals, by any standard.

Compared to the lion, the tiger is longer and usually heavier, but it does not stand as tall at the shoulder. This can be seen in the above scale image which shows the relative size of a Bengal tiger to an African lion.


Extra:
It seems obvious that there are a small number of tigers out there which are superior fighters to the lion, but across the majority of the animals, the lion would probably indeed be the King of the Beasts. The ultimate conclusion is up to the reader, and this article seeks not to give you a definite answer, only something to ponder on. Perhaps the final comment should come from animal trainer Louis Roth, who once said he had "seen enough fights to conclude that none of the theories is accurate; sometimes a lion would win, sometimes a tiger".

It is difficult to find good comparative images of these cats standing in close proximity, however these show the relative sizes reasonably well. Tiger Territory continues to seek better comparative images. When comparing the lioness to the tiger, remember that the female of a species is smaller than the male, so a male lion would normally be a little taller at the shoulder.

More Extra info:
Seated next to a tiger, the lion is composed. The tiger, on the other hand, is usually nervous and apprehensive.

The tiger does not seem to have the lion's capacity for calm analysis and appraisal. This puts him at a disadvantage in a fight with a lion."

Beatty recalled his experience with a lion named "Sultan the First" who once took on every tiger in his act and defeated them one after another.

"It was an amazing performance since my entire entourage consisted of big, young powerful animals. So these were not pushovers that Sultan defeated. This remarkable lion, feinting like a clever boxer and making his opponents miss, would then send the off-balance enemy sprawling across the arena with a tremendous clout."

The well-known Clyde Beatty film, "The Big Cage", documents a circus on the verge of bankruptcy. Beatty's attempted performance erupted into a shocking fight which was recorded on film.

In the story, Beatty tames the cats and continues in the tradition of 'the show must go on'. Privately Beatty admitted even he had no possible hope of separating the big cats and the lion went on to maul the tiger to death.

For over 50 years the scene was thought by viewers to be a well-staged dramatic scene, but is now recognised as a documentary showing an actual killing.

The tiger has no rival as a pure predator, but hates the idea of a fight. As a lone predator, fighting for the tiger is an extremely bad idea and injury from a fight could spell starvation.

Predation for food should not be confused with ability in battle. It is a common misapprehension that being the better solitary hunter automatically means the tiger will also be the better fighter. This is incorrect as the techniques used and experiences involved are quite different.

*In the case of a lion killing another maned male many have learnt to attack beyond the mane, usually at the back of the front leg.

This happens particularly in southern areas where the lions have very thick manes. It is a purely learnt behaviour and the tiger would not know this technique, having never needed to use it.

The lion:
*Expert opinion is that the modern male lion has no equal in the cat world when it comes to his fighting ability.

Lions evolved as fighters. Among the pride, their primary job is to protect their females from marauding males who would assume control of the pride and kill any cubs. As a result, the male lion spends the great majority of his time in combat situations. Nature has supported the lion in this, with the evolution of a thick heavy mane for added protection and to intimidate.

Moreover, in any fight with a tiger, the lion would have the backing of the entire pride, though it should be noted that pride defence is almost entirely the job of the male lion, and not often assisted by the lionesses.

Tamer Dave Hoover once commented: "Lions are the troublemakers, the most dangerous. When the public sees the cats, they always think the tiger is the worst, because a tiger looks bad. He looks sneaky. But, the male lion of the big cats is the worst. The male lion has a pride. He's in charge of a group of females until another male lion runs him off. It could be its own son. But the female lion is under domination. She may make the kill. The male lion comes down to eat, and then the females can eat. It doesn't work that way in humans, but it does work that way in animals."

The tiger:
Tigers, historically, are extremely wary of the male lion and this has created problems for some zoos and circuses.

*Famous tamer Clyde Beatty made his name for working alone in a cage surrounded by forty wild lions and tigers. He is quoted as saying:

"I can cite a few instances of male tigers whipping male lions, but I can't think of one such case where the tiger didn't have a distinct advantage. I also recall a case where a tiger had a marked advantage and lost the fight. The lion seems to have no fear of the tiger.

Film of lion and tiger fights:
There are two films recording early lion and tiger fights, one in captivity and the other in the wild.

*The first documents an event set up to entertain a prince. The fight took place in the pit of a palace compound with the entire encounter being recorded.

The film showed that the tiger was at an immediate disadvantage. Tigers use a throat grip as their primary means of killing and the lion's thick protective mane prevented the tiger gaining a hold on the throat joint. On the other hand, the tiger had no special protection, so was vulnerable to attack.

In this fight, the tiger was killed.

*The second piece of film dates back to the 1930s and is still under investigation by this site. The documentary owner has yet to view more than a few portions of it and until the film can be converted to a more easily viewed format little more progress can be made on reviewing this piece.

As far as can be ascertained, the film was taken during an expedition to capture some tigers in the Gir region of India. Again, the tiger was the loser.


These films back up current expert opinion, including some from Leeds University, regarding the potential result of conflict between these two animals. It is considered that exactly the same outcome would occur given a modern battle between the lion and the tiger.

Korean pit fight film:
Widely rumoured to exist is a piece of film showing a Korean pit fight between a lion and tiger. This site had spoken to many people who had heard of the film, but, until recently, no one who had seen it. Since second-hand information and rumour is of little use for this article the film is not yet considered evidential. The best information available so far is due to exhaustive work on the part of a viewer. He has managed to track down someone who sighted the film three-years-ago and the information below is courtesy of this gentleman. Attempts are still being made to locate the current whereabouts of the film so as to clarify the information.

The tape was North Korean in origin and presented as a propaganda recording designed to show how strong their animal 'symbols' were against those from other 'forces'. The audio was Korean and there were no subtitles. The holder of the tape had obtained it from a South Korean who provided the propaganda explanation. Assuming it is correct, then the tape was probably either smuggled out of North Korea, or captured, then copied.

*Despite extensive rumours to the contrary the film was not about lions and tigers specifically. It covered a wide variety of animals including the mongoose, snakes, wolves, dogs, and finally, a lion and tiger.

The fight was staged in a caged arena and the tiger is said to have injured the lion's hind leg. This disabled the animal enough for the tiger to apply a hold to the neck, shake the lion, and perhaps break the spine. The tiger suffered some claw and bite marks, but had seemingly gained the advantage from having administered the leg injury.




Siberian Tigers are not as strong and aggressive as we all thought.

Tigers have killed small to medium size mugger crocodiles, but the bigger, faster, stronger and more cunning Saltwater Crocodile will kill the Bengal and Siberian Tiger.

They said tigers could throw a mugger crocodile several meters, which I don't believe, maybe a small mugger crocodile.

The only place where the saltwater crocodile and the tiger may meet is the Sundarbans. This wildlife reserve, now famous for its reports of man-eating tigers, was once known for its crocodile hunting.

So saltwater crocodiles and tigers rarely meet because in the Sundarbans people hunted the crocodiles.


Tiger:Tigers are the best athletes of any species of mammalian predators combining strength and speed.
Tigers are built for strength being the largest species of big cat and comparable to any fossil species of big cats. Although different subspecies of tiger have different characteristics, in general male tigers weigh between 200 and 320 kg (440 lb and 700 lb) and females between 120 and 181 kg (265 lb and 400 lb). They can also travel at a peak speed of 60 kph so they are quite fast. They normally ambush their prey so they like hunting in jungles and forests. They can leap as high as five metres and as far as 9 or 10 metres with a spring leap. Females have a territory of 20 square kilometres while males have 60 kilometres so they have stamina

Lions have mane and are taller - 4 feet. Tiger is 3 feet tall and has no mane. This is a key difference - Lions fore quarters are bigger and stronger and more adapted to fighting. Tigers hind legs are stronger and is more adapted to hunting. They have more leaping power. Tigers have 4 inch canines and Lions 3-3 1/2. This doesn't make a big difference in a fight unless able to get a throat bite, which the lion is more experienced in. This makes a difference only with pray. Their claw sizes are the same.
Lions have much more skills acquired for fighting. Tigers have more skills acquired for hunting. Lions are much more aggressive and willing to fight while tigers can be aggressive but are not as willing to fight. Tigers are bigger and heaviour on an average by 70 pounds if you compare largest of cats. African Lions and Bengal tigers weigh almost the same. Size could make a difference if its all muscle which is not always the case. Tigers have thicker hide which could contribute for weight. With the African heat, a lion has little fat in its body.

Facts aside, lets sit down for the real fight:

Female lioness vs Female tiger:

I think generally a female lioness is taller but smaller than a tigeress. Tigeress is gonna be apprehensive about the lionesses presense but not the lioness. In my opinion, lack of mane on the lioness and brute force of the tigress will give an edge to the tigress.

Prolonged fight can result in death but is highly unlikely. Both are likely to respect each other.

Male Lion vs Male Tiger:

Lion with stronger forequarters is taller and slightly smaller if its a Siberian tiger else almost the same and would be bigger if its any other kinda tiger. Tiger with its stronger hind legs, has instinct to stand up on its hind legs and unleash paw swipes. But the key in this fight is aggression. Male lion is far superior with fighting skills and is far more aggressive. Lion has stronger paw swipe but cannot stand as tall as a tiger. Sheer brute force from the Lion will give him the advantage in this fight.

In this fight, its unlikely that the fight would stop like with the females, and most likely will result in tigers death.

Having said all this, this fight would be between a real male African lion in its prime(4-5 year old) defending its kingdom and a bengal tiger in its prime of the similar age. Also, mind that there can be exceptions.

There are videos on the internet that are hugely biased and one has to remember that these are not real jungle cats. These are brought up in the zoo and lack many skills we talked above and would most likely not survive in the wild.
If you are talking about a Male Lion Against a Tiger the Tiger has a better chance of winning, but it truly depends on Weight and size of each.Tigers are the largest of all cats and most people think the exact opposite, thinking Lions are. Now Lioness do all the hunting while the male Lions are the ones who protect their families.
Lioness always work as a team and are very smart and strong.
But Tigers on the other hand hunt for themselfs alot of the time unlike the male Lion.
But check this out seeing you want to know the true facts
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/tigers...

This is a ( LIGER ) a human breed of a Male Lion with a Female Tiger. Once you look at this picture you tell me who will win LOL ROFL>
A liger is a Mix between Lion Males and Female Tigers. They are the dominant.

Source(s):
http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/lig...

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/250400/lig...


The Lion (Panthera leo) is a mammal of the family Felidae. It is the second largest natural living feline with the exception of the tiger. The male lion, easily recognized by his mane, weighs between 150 and 190 kg (330 lb and 423 lb). Unlike tigers, very few lions exceed 225kg in the wild. The greatest wild lion on record is very large male with a weight of 311kg. Females are much smaller, weighing between 117 and 158 kg (240 lb and 330 lb). In the wild lions live for around 10–14 years, while in captivity they can live over 20 years.



Tigers (Latin: Panthera tigris) are mammals of the Felidae family and one of four "big cats" in the panthera genus. They are predatory carnivores and the largest and most powerful of all living cat species. The Indian subcontinent is home to more than 80% of the wild tigers in the world. Tigers breed well in captivity, and the captive population in the United States may rival the wild population of the world.

Most tigers live in forests and grasslands, for which their camouflage is ideally suited, and where it is easy to hunt prey that is faster or more agile. Among the big cats, only the tiger and jaguar are strong swimmers; tigers are often found bathing in ponds, lakes, and rivers. Tigers hunt alone and eat primarily medium-sized herbivores such as deer, wild pigs, and buffalo. However, they will also take larger or smaller prey on occasion. Humans are the tiger's only serious predator and often kill tigers illegally for their fur. Their bones and nearly all body parts are used in Chinese medicine for a range of purported uses including pain killers and aphrodisiacs. Poaching for fur and destruction of habitat have greatly reduced tiger populations in the wild, and it has been placed on the endangered species list.

Although different subspecies of tiger have different characteristics, in general male tigers weigh between 180 and 325 kg (400 lb and 715 lb) and females between 100 and 180 kg (220 lb and 400 lb). The males are between 2.6 and 3.3 metres (8 ft 6 in and 10 ft 9 in) in length, and the females are between 2.3 and 2.75 metres (7 ft 6 in and 9 ft) in length. Of the living subspecies, Sumatran tigers are the smallest, and Amur or Siberian Tigers are generally the largest.


Tigers have the longest and biggest canine teeth of all the wild cats. A tiger's canines are larger and longer than those of a similar-sized lion. The reason for this is likely due to the habit of preying on large herbivores in its habitat whose bones are thick and large; the tiger's canines have to be strong enough to break the bones of their prey. Moreover, as tigers hunt alone to bring down their prey, they have to work harder than lions, which hunt in groups.


igers often ambush their prey as do other cats (including the domestic cat). Tigers overpower their prey from any angle, using their body size and strength to knock prey off balance. Once prone, the tiger bites the back of the neck, often breaking the prey's spinal column, piercing their windpipe, or severing the jugular vein or carotid artery. For large prey, a bite to the throat is preferred. After biting, the tiger then uses its muscled forelimbs to hold onto the prey, bringing it to the ground. The tiger remains latched onto the neck until its prey dies.

Powerful swimmers, tigers are known to kill prey while swimming. Some tigers have even ambushed boats for the fishermen on board or their catch of fish.

In the wild world, tigers can leap as high as 5 m, and as far as 9 m -10 m, making them one of the highest-jumping mammals, perhaps second only to the puma. They have been reported to carry domestic livestock weighing 50 kg while easily jumping over fences 2 m high. Their forelimbs, heavily muscled, are used to hold tightly onto the prey's and avoid being dislodged, especially by large preys such as gaurs. A single tremendous blow of the paw can kill a full-grown wolf or heavily injure a 150 kg Sambar deer.

One common misunderstanding between lion and tiger needs to be corrected: Some people believe that tigers are built for hunting, while lions are for combating (e.g. defending their prides from intruders, fighting to gain posession of females), and tigers do not fight to the end. In reality, male tigers do have to fight to defend their ranges from intruders, as intruding males will try and kill their offspring, and gain access to females. Male tigers are very aggressive and do not tolerate any kind of territory overlapping. Sometimes the fights get so fierce the losers are dead or heavily injured, making them unable to catch their normal prey and starve. This contributes to the fact that wild tigers do not live as long as they do in zoos.

In the wild tigers mostly feed on deer, wild boar and wild cattle, including gaur and water buffaloes, young rhinos and elephants, and sometimes, leopards and bears. Sambar and wild boar are their favored preys in India. Young elephants are another of their favourite food items. However, as young calves and juveniles always travel in herds with their mothers and relatives, the possibility for a lone tiger to catch a young elephant is quite low, as the tiger usually have to deal with the calves' protectors, which outnumber it. Tigers prefer large preys such as sambar and gaur because they provide more meat and last for many days, avoiding the need for another hunt. In all of their range, tigers are the top predators and they do not fear from any other carnivores other than the dhole or Indian wild dog, which makes up for strength in numbers. They generally do not prey on large mammals such as elephants, and rhinos, although they will prey on weak young whenever they have an opportunity. However, a hungry tiger will attack anything it regards as potential food. Of all the land carnivores, tiger is the only species that has been known to charge and take down even full-grown male elephants, one-on-one. For centuries in Asia, especially in Indochina, where elephants used to be utilized in military as weapons, minor ethnic tribes, who are specialized in capturing and training elephants, have the traditions of testing captured male elephants by pressing one against a tiger. If an elephant survives the fight, it is considered ideal for battles. Today, however, due to the depletion of both species, these extraordinary confrontations become exceedingly rare and are hardly ever witnessed by humans in the wild.

I think I would put my money on the tiger!

Answer 2

That's quite a tough question. It depends on who gets first bite or who bites or claws who in a certain place. Craig Packer, is an American Biologist who has been studying the Lions of the Serengeti Plains of East Africa, for over 20 years. He had been mystified for quite a while, by the use of a Lion's mane. Of course, the animal is regarded as the King of the Jungle. However, he commissioned a toy maker to produce two life-size plush male Lions. They were then put on the plains a short distance apart & from nearby, the sounds of randy Lions were played out. A pair of Lionesses became interested & approached the two models. However, one had a black mane, like the Lions that live in a particular part of Africa, near the Veredefort crater. However, it was soon discovered the mane is a sign of health. The Lions near the crater, had the thickest manes. The mane has been discovered also, to give a form of protection when fighting. The Tiger, however, does not have a mane. But then again, the Siberian Tiger is the world's biggest cat. Dogs Cats went their seperate Evolutionary ways approximately 40 million years ago. Dogs also have a rule in combat. One will usually back down before a serious injury occurs. Cats, however, will not back down until one is either seriously injured, or is virtually dead. Both Lions & Tigers are extremely powerful animals, so it's incredibly difficult to say who would win. There are videos of the two fighting, which were produced illegally, but regardless of who wins one fight, the results can always turn the other way. It's just down to whichever of the two manages to get the upper hand.

Answer 3

Definitely the tiger would win the vast majority of the time, tamed or zoo animals don't really offer up much evidence but the ancient romans put on huge shows featuring battles between different animals and / or men, Lion vs Tiger was a very popular match up, and it seems to this day these fights are still going on although all of the current videos & pictures seem to be of tamed or zoo animals) it's clear from many accounts (especially the romans) that the tiger invariably won, by quite some distance it seems, it's just bigger, more powerful & more agile than the lion.

Answer 4

Tiger

Answer 5

Tiger. It is a larger animal and in reaction speed, it is faster. The male lion is relatively lazy whereas the tiger is more powerful. if the Lion was hungry or battered or angry, it rage would propel it to sheer dominance. The lion ups its game when distraught whereas a tiger just loses it.

Answer 6

I'm having to go w/ the lion on this one. They have the expertise in fighting, since the male lions have to fight for survival, power of a pride, etc. Don't get me wrong, tigers have unprecedented strength, and are very agile, but the experience the lion has is incredible.

Answer 7

Although a tiger can be larger in length (upto 4 mtrs long) a full grown male lion is physically bigger and stronger and so therefore would probably have the edge over a tiger.

Answer 8

As with most animals, it isn't the size of the dog in the fight, it is the fight inside the dog. The biggest and strongest doesn't always win. The best skilled and luckiest usually wins. Each lion and tiger is different. So the winner would vary depending on luck and skill of each animal.

Answer 9

It's hard to say as they're native to 2 different continents so it never would have happened in the wild. A tiger is the bigger animal so I'd guess that the tiger would win, though I imagine that they'd probably just give each other a wide berth if they did ever come across one another.

Answer 10

The tiger cos a lion is lazy and also the tiger is faster and clever.

Answer 11

YOU DECIDE ; ) here's a video of the TIGER V LION!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qx00Ne-M9M4


Tiger gets the upper paw! ; )


http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4318948967926803903&q=tiger+vs.+lion