Tigers and Panthers are both humongous mammals that are kind feared by mankind and even other smaller animals.
Since both of the animals belong to the cat family, it might get a little confusing to point out the differences between the two.
Key Takeaways
- Tigers have a distinct orange coat with black stripes, while panthers are either black or dark brown, depending on the species (leopard or jaguar).
- Tigers are the largest big cats, with males reaching up to 660 pounds, while panthers are smaller and more agile.
- Tigers are native to Asia, whereas panthers can be found in Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
Tiger vs Panther
Tigers belong to the species Panthera tigris and are the largest cats in the world. They are easily recognized by their distinctive orange coat with black stripes, powerful build, and massive heads. Panthers are not a specific species but rather a term used to describe any big cat with a black coat.
Tigers have a lifespan of about 15 to 20 years in the wild, however, tigers in captivity may live longer than the lifespan in the wild.
Tigers can grow up to a height of about 8-10 feet and can, jump pretty high in the air, and weigh around 600 pounds. Tigers are purely carnivore animals that live off my hunting, herbivores like deer, rabbits, and cows.
Panthers are animals that live off alone most of the time, except while mating. The cubs of the panthers are born in around 100 days, and the cubs are born blind, and later, around after a week and a half, they open their eyes.
They have a lifespan of about 10-15 years.
Comparison Table
| Parameters Of Comparison | Tiger | Panther |
|---|---|---|
| Size and Height | Tigers are around 10 feet in size with a weight of about 600 pounds. | Panthers have a height of about 8 feet and 250 pounds in weight. |
| Colour Variants | Tigers are found in 3 colors- orange, brown, and white. | Panthers are found in 2 colors- black and dark brown. |
| Hunting characteristics | Tigers can hunt during day or night. | Panthers hunt only at night. |
| Natural Instinct | Tigers are pretty good swimmers | Panthers are good tree climbers. |
| Life- Span | Tigers live for about 10-15 years in the wild, and for about 25 years in captivity. | Panthers live for about 10 years in the wild and a maximum of 20 years in captivity. |
| Cubs | Tigers cubs take around 100days to be birthed. | Panther cubs take around 100days to be birthed. |
What is Tiger?
Tiger is one of the largest species of the cat family. They have thick, intense fur to protect themselves in all weather and are very large in size.
An average male tiger may weigh about 300 kgs while the weight of the female tiger maybe like 200 kgs. Tigers can be found in three color variants- In shades of orange, brown, or white.
Tigers and black strips on their body and tail. While there are several types of tigers, some of them to be named are Bengal, Siberian, China, et Cetra.
Among the named three types, the Bengal tiger is the most famous and second largest in the tiger family
Due to the increased hunting of tigers, tigers have become endangered, as hunters for their skin hurt them. However, most tigers are found majorly in parts of Asia only.
Tigers have a lifespan of about 15 to 20 years in the wild, however, tigers in captivity may live longer than the lifespan in the wild. Tigers can grow up to a height of about 8-10 feet and can, jump pretty high in the air, and weigh around 600 pounds.
Tigers are purely carnivore animals that live off my hunting, herbivores like deer, rabbits, and cows. They prefer an environment of dense forests and are excellent swimmers.
What is Panther?
Panthers are mostly black in color, however, some may be found in shades of dark brown. Black panthers have a pretty high speed and hunt only at night.
This makes it easy for them to catch their prey. They have a size of about 8 feet and can weigh an average of 250 pounds. They have a lifespan of about 10-15 years, depending on the environment.
With good speed in their claws, panters are also food fish catchers.
The age for mating for panthers may start after the age of two. Panthers are animals that live off alone most of the time, except while mating.
The cubs of the panthers are born in around 100 days, and the cubs are born blind, and later, around after a week and a half, they open their eyes.
Panthers are of several kinds, like- Black Panther, Leopard, Jaguar, and cougher however, when speaking about the Panther, it is mostly about the Black Panther.
Black Panthers are excellent tree climbers and hunt their prey pretty silently. They may also follow their prey silently for a long time before actually killing them.
Main Differences Between Tiger and Panther
- Tigers are around 10 feet in size with a weight of about 600 pounds, whereas Panthers are a bit smaller and slimmer than tigers as they have a height of about 8 feet and 250 pounds.
- Tigers can hunt during the day or night, but Panthers hunt only at night.
- Tigers are of 9 types, out of which 3 are extinct, while Panthers are of 3 types only.
- Tigers are pretty good swimmers, while Panthers are good tree climbers.
- Tigers may be orange, brown, or white in color whereas Panther is only black or brown in color.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1196632/
- https://omanlawblog.curtis.com/2010/02/doing-business-in-oman-faq-what-is.html
Last Updated : 13 June, 2023
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
I don’t think tigers have to worry about being mistaken for panthers, considering their distinct orange coat and black stripes.
Although both are members of the cat family, the unique features and distinct behaviors of tigers and panthers set them apart in fascinating ways.
While panthers are smaller and more agile and tigers are the largest big cats, I find it fascinating that they have such different characteristics and yet both belong to the cat family.
It’s sad to learn that tigers are endangered due to hunting for their skin. We should all be more aware of the impact on wildlife.
This article provides a good comparison between tigers and panthers. I appreciate the detailed information about their differences and characteristics.
Panthers are black or dark brown, and tigers can be found in shades of orange, brown, or white, making their appearances quite distinct.