Bengal Tiger Vs Siberian Tiger
Before starting the comparison of the Royal Bengal Tiger Vs Siberian Tiger, we must understand the species. Bengal and Siberian tigers are solitary creatures and dominant predators in any habitat. Both of them are the largest member of the cat family. Both subspecies are native to the Asian continent. Bengal tigers also known as Royal Bengal Tiger are found in India, Indonesia, Thailand, Bhutan, and Vietnam. Bengal tigers are found throughout the Asian subcontinent, mainly in areas with temperate to tropical climates, in wet mangrove or deciduous forests and grasslands. Siberian tigers also known as Amur tigers inhabit the area with a much colder climate in the regions of the birch and coniferous forest of East Russia, Korea, and northern China.
Bengal tiger has thin light-yellow fur whereas Siberian has thick pale golden fur. In some cases, Siberian tigers have rusty red fur as well. Siberian has black stripes on their fur but Bengal tigers strips can either be black or brown. Siberian tiger’s bellies are white as compared to Bengal tigers whose belly and inner parts of all the legs are white. There are cases of White color Bengal tigers but no such cases are found in Siberian tigers.
Both subspecies of the Royal Bengal Tiger Vs Siberian Tiger are apex predators. They are the most sophisticated killing machines in the world yet they fail 8 out of 10 times they never give up and this persistence always pays off and they kill some huge animals for their diet. Siberian tigers usually hunt elk, deer, hares, rabbits, and occasionally black and brown bears. The Diet of the Bengal tiger is based on wild pigs, water buffalo, sambar, gaur, and other large ungulates.
These mighty creatures are highly territorial. Siberian tigers might occupy a much larger territory compared to Bengal tigers. Siberian tigers occupy a territory of 2500 to 4000 square miles whereas Bengal tigers occupy 80 – 90 square miles depending upon the food and water source the numbers may vary.
Bengal Tiger vs Siberian Tiger Comparison Chart
| SIBERIAN TIGER | BENGAL TIGER | |
| Length | 250 to 396 cm (males) / 167 to 182 cm (females) | 270 to 310 cm (males) / 240 to 265 cm (females) |
| Weight | 475 to 660 lbs (males) / 303 lbs (females) | 397 to 569 lb (males) / 220 to 350 lb (females) |
| Coat Color | Pale dull brown in winter | Bright yellow to orange |
| Greatest Skull Length | 406 mm | 376 mm |
| Distribution | Russian Far East | Indian Subcontinent |
| Primary Diet | Sika deer, amur moose | Chital, sambar, nilgai |
| Newborn cubs’ weight | 1.2 kg | 1.6 kg |
| Threats | Poaching, human hunting | Poaching, habitat loss |
| Maximum lifespan | 18 years (wild) | 15 years (wild) |
| 25 years (captivity) | 25 years (captivity) | |
| Total population | Fewer than 500 | More the 3500 |
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About Siberian Tigers
Siberian tigers hunt in the thick forests of East Asia. Because of its extensive adaptations to its cold environment, it is a formidable predator that can kill animals of virtually any size. The animal is in constant danger of extinction due to human activities, however, due to the high value put on its luscious fur and the purported therapeutic benefits of its components. Maintaining current population levels will require careful conservation efforts and protection from local governments.
As the largest and most powerful subspecies of tigers, Siberian tigers are also among the most powerful animals of any species. The largest tigers can grow as long as 11 feet and as heavy as 700 or 800 pounds. This puts them around the size of a grand piano.
The Siberian tiger’s thick fur helps it survive the freezing temperatures of its natural environment. The fur is mostly a pale orange tint with some white highlights near the face, eyes, and nose and on the inner thighs. The Siberian tiger is easily recognizable by its narrow black stripes that wrap around its head and body, serving as both camouflage and stealth in the jungle.
Once widespread across what is now the Russian Far East, northeastern China, and the Korean peninsula, the Siberian tiger’s range has shrunk significantly. However, due to declines in population, the subspecies’ habitat is currently limited to the area around the Sikhote-Alin mountains in southwestern Russia. A small amount of North Korea and China may also be within range. When possible, these tigers like to hang out in the region’s deep mixed forests. Seemingly, they are dispersed depending on the availability of food sources.
The Siberian tiger is an apex carnivore that relies nearly exclusively on animal protein. For food, it prefers larger ungulates (hoofed animals) like elk, roe deer, and wild boar. Rabbits, salmon, and even bears are possible food sources. In places shared by people and tigers, tigers have been known to prey on cattle. They are nocturnal predators, targeting animals at their most active.
Although wolves and bears occasionally kill adult Siberian tigers, these are among the least common natural predators of this cat. However, hunting and habitat loss due to people remain despite the animals’ relatively low densities in human populations. The Siberian tiger is hunted for numerous reasons, including their usage in textiles, as trophies, and in traditional medicine. The extinction of the Siberian tiger has been hastened by human development of the territory for logging and farming.
Guinness Book of World Records:
Holds records with the title “Largest feline carnivore” and “Largest wild cat”. The world’s largest wild cat is the Siberian or Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica)
Exceptional Specimens (Wild):
Historically these specimens of tigers are known for reaching the exceptional size and weight. An unconfirmed report by Russian naturalist Vyacheslav Sysoyev mentions one male Siberian tiger weighing 384 kilograms (846 pounds 9 ounces), which was shot in the Sikhote Alin Gory Mountains, Maritime Territory, Russian Federation, in 1950. There was also an unconfirmed report of a Siberian tiger shot in Manchuria weighing 390–400 kg (860–880 lb). Now, these huge majestic creatures are a thing of the past due to various reasons primarily due to overhunting and lack of prey. Some scientists suggest that these reports may all have been exaggerations.
Exceptional Specimens (Captivity-Officially):
Exceptionally weighing up to 932 lbs (423 KG) shoulder height of 1.9 m (43 in), well known as Jaipur Tiger measured 390 cm 12ft 9.5 in length from nose to tail tip – owned by American animal trainer Joan Byron Marasek of Clarksburg, N.J – holds the Guinness World Records (Officially) Later Jaipur Tiger reached the huge weight of 1025 lbs (465 KG).
There are many unofficial Exceptional Specimens where Siberian Tigers have reached 1000 lbs in captivity.
Newborn Cubs’ Weight: 1.2 kg.
Threats: Poaching, human hunting.
Maximum Lifespan: 15-18 years (wild) / 25 years (captivity).
Competitors: Siberian tigers have only a few competitors namely Brown Bears, Black Bears, and Wolves. They occasionally get into conflict with their competitors.
Reproductive Biology: The female tiger produces 2 to 4 cubs and the mating season occurs throughout the year.
Nature: Less aggressive and shy in comparison with the Bengal Tiger.
About Bengal Tigers
Bengal tigers are one of the rarest and most magnificent of all living creatures. In addition, they rank among the largest feline species on Earth. Bengal tigers seem to be the largest of the tiger species, but a Siberian tiger actually holds the record for the largest tiger ever documented. The Bengal tiger is, thus, the second largest of the tiger species.
Only in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal can you see a wild Bengal tiger today. There are more Bengal tigers than any other subspecies on the Indian subcontinent, but their numbers are dwindling quickly.
Tigers, especially males, can reach lengths of up to 10 feet when counting the length of their tails, and they stand on average between 3 and 3.5 feet tall. The typical weight of a male Bengal is between 397 and 569 pounds, or between that of a pig and half the weight of a polar bear.
In general, females are diminutive in comparison to males. Typically ranging in length from 7.5 to 8.5 feet, and standing at the same height as men but weighing 220 to 350 pounds.
Similar to other tiger species, Bengal tigers eat meat. Big hoofed mammals like chital, gaur, and sambar are popular sources of food for them. Barasingha, water buffalo, nilgai, serow, takin, wild boar, hog deer, Indian muntjac, porcupines, hares, leopards, wolves, crocodiles, dhole, and peafowl are among the animals that can be taken if necessary. More and more data indicate that these tigers will plot coordinated attacks against rhinoceroses and elephants.
The biggest dangers facing these tigers are human activities like poaching and the degradation of habitat, which leads to population fragmentation. Poaching is still a major issue, despite the fact that anti-poaching legislation has been enacted to safeguard the big game. Unfortunately, people are incentivized to disobey the law and hunt tigers by the existence of a large and lucrative black market for skins and body parts, which pays a year’s wage for one kill.
Guinness Book of World Records:
Holds the record with the title “Tiger attack – most fatalities”. A tigress which is well known as Champawat Female Tiger, eventually shot by Col. Jim Corbett (1875-1955) was said to be responsible for 436 deaths in the Champawat district, India during 1902-7.
Exceptional Specimens (Wild):
Bengal tiger (P. t. Tigris) shot in northern Uttar Pradesh, India, in November 1967, measured 3.22 m (10 ft 7 in) between pegs – or 3.37 m (11 ft 1 in) over the curves – and weighed approximately 389 kg (857 lb). However, it must be taken into account that this particular tiger had killed a buffalo the night before, so had a very full stomach! This specimen is now on display at the US Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC, USA.
Newborn Cubs’ Weight: 1.6 kg.
Threats: Poaching, habitat loss.
Maximum Lifespan: 15-18 years (wild) / 25 years (captivity).
Competitors: Bengal tigers have got too many competitors including mugger crocodile, Indian jackal, Indian wolf, Asiatic black bear, and dhole.
Reproductive Biology: The female tiger produces 2 to 4 cubs and the Bengal tigers are most likely to mate in October, and November, but they can mate throughout the year.
Nature: Very much aggressive in comparison with the Siberian Tiger.
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