Gray Wolf vs Tiger Differences and Comparison

Grey wolves and Tigers are the largest animals of their respective families. Both are predators and hunts big mammals; many people are interested in knowing who would win if both these magnificent animals ever encountered each other. To determine the winner between wolf and Siberian tiger we need to know about their different traits; let’s know about them.

Physical Traits:

How to Identify wolf and wild dog?

Grey wolves are the largest member of the Canidae family. Males are bigger than females having an average body length ranging between 5-6.5 feet while females are 4.5-6 feet long. An adult males can weigh between 30-80 kg whereas females are around 23-55 kg. They have a long snout, length furry tail, short ears, strong legs, and a muscular neck. Grey wolves have fur which can be white, grey, brown, cinnamon, and rarely black. Wolves have sharp teeth with 4 large canines which are 1 inch long and sharp claws.

What do Tigers look like?

Tigers are biggest member of Felidae family; they are muscular and powerful animals; they hunt big mammals with their sharp claws, strong jaws, bite force,ambushing skills, and camouflaging colour. Colouration in tigers varies from standard orange with black stripes (normal tigers), white tigers have a white coat with black or brown stripes (rare), and the golden tiger has cinnamon-coloured stripes (extremely rare). Tigers are the heaviest big cats but their weight highly varies depending on species as a male Siberian tiger can weigh around 272-280 kg and reach a body of length of 3 meters. Tiger would be identified with their distinctive stripe patterns as each tiger has a different stripe pattern; it helps them to camouflage and ambush during hunting.

Behavioral Traits:

Grey Wolves are very social, they live in packs having 2-25 individuals. Each pack has an alpha male and alpha female and their young ones. There is a strong hierarchical structure in wolf packs, alpha male is dominant over others and eats first taking whatever he wants. Alpha female is subordinate to the alpha male.

Tigers are a solitary animal; female tigers took care of their young ones and it is the only long term relationship they have. They are most active at night. Most aggressive territorial fights happen between male tigers which often leads to death of defeated one. pack of gray wolves can sometimes defeat a male lion.

Habitat and Geographical Distribution:

What is the home of Tiger?

Tigers are indigenous to Asia and some parts of Russia; they can live in grassland, swamp areas (Sunderbans, India), and forest. The Bengal tiger is native to the Indian subcontinent.male tiger lives in varied habitats viz. tropical lowland evergreen forests, dry thorn forest, woodlands, tundra forests, mangrove forests and deciduous forests.

Where do gray wolf live?

Grey wolves have a significant population living in United States, Alaska, Canada, Mexico, and Eurasia.Grey Wolves are found in varied regions from arctic tundra to forests, prairie, and grasslands.

Diet:

What do Wolf feed on?

Gray wolf is carnivores; their diet includes large hoofed animals like caribou, elk, reindeer, bison, moose, and other small mammals like beavers, rodents, hares.

What do Tigers eat?

Tigers (Panthera Tigries) usually prefer to hunt at night. They reach their preys stealthily and kill them by ambushing; they bite the neck of prey and breaks it which leads to death of prey. Tiger’s diet is comprised of large animals like sambhar, barasingha, elk, sika deer, nilgai, banteng, gaur, water buffalo, Malayan tapir, gaur, wild pigs and crocodile. They also hunt small animals like birds, rodents, turtles, fish etc.

Amazing Facts:

Fun facts about tigers

• grey wolves can run at speed ranging between 55-70 km/hr.
• ungulates is common food of gray wolf.
• The gray wolf is excellent swimmer they doesn’t hesitate to wade through ice streams and lakes.
• Pack of Territory wolves may vary from 25 to 150 square miles in Minnesota and 300 to 1000 square miles in Alaska and Canada.

Fun facts about tigers

• Tigers are also excellent swimmers; they can cross 6-8 m Wide River with ease.
• Tigers have strong and powerful legs; it can leap up to 10 meters.
• An adult Amur Tiger or Siberian tigers are 10 feet long and weigh up to 660 pounds.
• Tigers are one of the most beautiful cat species, hence is considered as national animal of India.

Tiger vs Wolf Fight: Who will win?

Grey Wolves and Tigers are apex-predators of their environment. But, Tiger is very strong and heavier than the wolf; if they encounter wolf then it is almost impossible for an adult wolf to kill an adult tiger. They are incomparable in their strength and power; tiger would hence be declared unopposed winner of this duel.

Comparison Chart: Wolf vs Tiger

Comparison Heads	Grey Wolf	Tiger
Kingdom	Animalia	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata	Chordata
Class	Mammalia	Mammalia
Order	Carnivora	Carnivora
Family	Canidae	Felidae
Genus	Canis	Panthera
Species	Canis Lupus	Panthera Tigris
Geographical Distribution	United States, Alaska, Canada, Mexico, and Eurasia.	Grassland, swamp areas, and forest.
Habitat	Arctic tundra to forests, prairie, and grasslands.	Tropical lowland evergreen forests, dry thorn forest, woodlands, tundra,mangrove and deciduous forests.
Behaviour	Social: live in packs	Live solitary life
Body Length	152-182 cm	270-330 cm
Weight	40-80 kg	200-317 kg
Top-Speed	70 km/hr	49-65 km/hr
Lifespan	10-14 years	10-15 years

Comparison Video: Wolf vs Tiger

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXxrWqOEvl8

FAQ’s- Frequently Asked Questions