What is the biggest cat?
The tiger is the biggest wild cat species. Large male Siberian tigers can weigh more than 300 kilograms and measure over 3 meters long from nose to tail.
Tigers are the largest of the big cats, followed by lions. Siberian tigers, also called Amur tigers, from the Russian Far East, and Bengal tigers from India are the biggest subspecies. Tigers are solitary hunters that can take down prey as large as deer, wild pigs and even young buffalo.
Lions are slightly smaller on average, with males weighing about 190 kilograms. Jaguars are the largest cats in the Americas, and leopards, snow leopards and cougars are smaller big cats. The smallest wild cats include the rusty-spotted cat of India and Sri Lanka, which weighs about 1 to 1.6 kilograms.
Hybrid giants
The liger, a cross between a male lion and a female tiger, grows larger than either parent. A liger named Hercules was recognized by Guinness World Records as the largest living cat, weighing about 418 kilograms. Ligers are found only in captivity.
Did You Know?
Tigers' stripes are not just on their fur. If a tiger were shaved, its skin would show the same striped pattern.