Biggest Wild Cats in the World: Tiger, Lion and More Ranked

How we ranked the biggest cats

This list ranks wild cat species by the typical weight of adult males in the wild, with length as a second measure. Single record animals are mentioned, but they do not decide the order, because many old records were never checked properly. Captive cats are not used either: zoo animals that eat well and exercise little can become far heavier than wild ones.

Two rules explain most of the variation within a species. Males are usually much heavier than females, often by a third or more in the big cats. And populations vary with climate and prey: cougars are larger toward the poles, while jaguars in the wetlands of Brazil and Venezuela are much bigger than jaguars in Mexico.

1. Tiger: 200–260 kg (440–570 lb) for large males

The tiger (Panthera tigris) is the largest cat on Earth. Its head and body measure 1.4–2.8 m (4 ft 7 in to 9 ft 2 in), plus a tail of 0.6–1.1 m (2 to 3.6 ft), and it stands 0.8–1.1 m (2.6–3.6 ft) at the shoulder. Male Bengal tigers in India and Nepal usually weigh 200–260 kg (440–570 lb), and females 100–160 kg (220–350 lb).

Size varies a lot between regions. In central India, 42 adult males averaged 190 kg (420 lb), while two males captured for research in Chitwan National Park, Nepal, in the 1980s weighed more than 270 kg (600 lb), the heaviest free-ranging tigers reliably reported. Amur (Siberian) tigers are just as long, but radio-collared males in the Russian Far East have weighed up to about 210 kg (465 lb). Sumatran tigers are the smallest, with males at 100–140 kg (220–310 lb). The tiger is listed as Endangered by the IUCN.

2. Lion: 150–250 kg (330–550 lb)

The lion (Panthera leo) is the second-largest cat and the biggest in Africa. Males weigh 150–250 kg (330–550 lb) and females 120–180 kg (265–400 lb). The head and body measure 1.6–2.1 m (5.2–6.9 ft), plus a tufted tail of 70–100 cm (28–39 in). Lions in southern Africa tend to be the heaviest, and the mane makes a male look even bigger than he is.

Because tiger sizes vary so much, the average lion and the average tiger are not far apart. The difference shows at the top end: the largest tigers outweigh the largest lions. For a full side-by-side look, read lion vs tiger. The lion is listed as Vulnerable.

3. Jaguar: 56–96 kg (123–212 lb), largest cat in the Americas

The jaguar (Panthera onca) is the third-largest cat in the world and the biggest in the Americas. Most adults weigh 56–96 kg (123–212 lb), with a head and body of 1.1–1.85 m (3.7–6.1 ft) and a fairly short tail. It is stockier and more muscular than a leopard, with a broad head and one of the strongest bites of any cat.

Jaguars vary more in size than almost any other cat. Males in the Pantanal wetlands of Brazil and the plains of Venezuela average about 95 kg (209 lb), and exceptional males have reached 158 kg (348 lb). Small females in Central America weigh only about 36 kg (79 lb). To tell the two spotted cats apart, see leopard vs jaguar. The jaguar is listed as Near Threatened.

4. Cougar: 53–72 kg (117–159 lb)

The cougar (Puma concolor), also called the mountain lion or puma, is the fourth-largest cat. Males usually weigh 53–72 kg (117–159 lb) and females 34–48 kg (75–106 lb), with a head and body of up to about 1.5 m (5 ft) and a long tail. The heaviest reliably recorded cougar weighed about 105 kg (232 lb).

Despite its size, the cougar is not a “big cat” in the scientific sense. It belongs to the same subfamily as house cats and lynxes, so it purrs, hisses and screams but cannot roar. It ranges from Canada’s Yukon to the southern Andes, the widest range of any wild land mammal in the Western Hemisphere. For more detail, read How big do mountain lions get? The cougar is listed as Least Concern.

5. Leopard: 31–72 kg (68–159 lb)

The leopard (Panthera pardus) is the smallest of the four cats that can roar. Males usually weigh 31–72 kg (68–159 lb), occasionally up to about 90 kg (200 lb), and females 21–43 kg (46–95 lb). Leopards are found across much of Africa and southern Asia, from rainforest to desert edges.

What leopards lack in size they make up for in strength. A leopard can carry a carcass up a tree to keep it away from lions and hyenas, sometimes prey as heavy as itself. The leopard is listed as Vulnerable.

6. Cheetah: 21–65 kg (46–143 lb)

The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) weighs 21–65 kg (46–143 lb), with a head and body of 1.1–1.5 m (3.6–4.9 ft) and a 60–80 cm (24–31 in) tail. Its long legs make it tall for its weight, standing 67–94 cm (26–37 in) at the shoulder, taller than many leopards. Its light, slim build is designed for sprinting rather than wrestling large prey. To compare it with its spotted neighbor, see cheetah vs leopard. The cheetah is listed as Vulnerable.

7. Snow leopard: about 25–55 kg (55–120 lb)

The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) lives in the high mountains of Central and South Asia, often at 3,000–4,500 m (9,800–14,800 ft). Most adults weigh about 25–55 kg (55–120 lb). Its thick, furry tail is 80–105 cm (31–41 in) long, almost as long as its body, and helps with balance on steep rock and as a scarf when the cat sleeps.

The snow leopard is closely related to the tiger, but it cannot roar. It is listed as Vulnerable.

8. Eurasian lynx: about 15–30 kg (33–66 lb)

The Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) is the largest of the four lynx species and the biggest wild cat in Europe. Adults usually weigh about 15–30 kg (33–66 lb), with males heavier than females and Siberian lynx larger than Scandinavian ones. The body is 73–106 cm (29–42 in) long, plus a short tail of 11–25 cm (4–10 in), and the cat stands 55–75 cm (22–30 in) at the shoulder.

Long legs and wide, furry paws let it hunt roe deer and chamois in deep snow. The Eurasian lynx is listed as Least Concern, although many small populations in western and central Europe depend on reintroductions.

Close behind: clouded leopards and other mid-sized cats

The clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) of mainland Southeast Asia and its relative, the Sunda clouded leopard of Borneo and Sumatra, weigh about 11–23 kg (25–51 lb). They have the longest canine teeth in proportion to body size of any living cat. Below them come the caracal, serval, Canada lynx and bobcat, which rarely exceed about 20 kg (44 lb).

Biggest wild cats compared

Records versus averages

Most famous record weights for wild tigers and lions date from the early 20th century and were never independently checked. Some animals had just eaten a huge meal, and a tiger can swallow up to 50 kg (110 lb) of meat at once, which inflates its weight. Modern field studies, which weigh animals captured for radio collars, give lower but more reliable figures.

Captive cats are a different story. Zoo tigers and lions sometimes grow heavier than any wild individual, and hybrids can be bigger still. A liger called Hercules was recognized by Guinness World Records as the largest living cat, at about 418 kg (922 lb), roughly one and a half times the weight of a large wild tiger.

Why lion-tiger hybrids exist only in captivity

A liger is the offspring of a male lion and a female tiger; a tigon comes from a male tiger and a lioness. These hybrids are born only in zoos and private collections. In the wild, the two species no longer meet: wild Asiatic lions survive only in the Gir Forest region of Gujarat, India, where there are no tigers. Even where their ranges once overlapped, in parts of India and Iran, lions hunted in open country in groups while tigers lived alone in forests.

Ligers grow unusually large probably because of imprinted genes, which work differently depending on which parent they come from. A lioness normally passes on genes that limit growth, so a cub with a tigress mother lacks that brake. Male ligers are usually sterile, while females are sometimes fertile. Most accredited zoos do not breed big cat hybrids, because they have no conservation value.

Bigger cats of the past

Some extinct cats were heavier than any living one. The South American saber-toothed cat Smilodon populator, which died out at the end of the last Ice Age, has been estimated at about 220–470 kg (490–1,040 lb), comparable to or heavier than the largest modern tigers. Estimates for extinct animals are based on bones, so they come with wide error margins.