How Much Does Each Type of Tiger Weigh?

If you’re interested in big cats, you might be wondering: How much does a tiger weigh? The answer depends on what type of tiger you see.

There are two main types of tigers; the continental tiger and the Sunda Island tiger. These two types were further divided into nine subspecies – three of which became extinct in the twentieth century. Continental tigers include Siberian, Caspian, Bengal, Malayan, Indochinese and South China tigers. Sunda tigers are those tigers that live in (or live in) Indonesia; they include the Javan tiger, Sumatran tiger, and Bali tiger.

Let’s find out how much each Tiger weighs, starting with the largest and ending with the smallest.

1. Siberian (Amur) tiger – 600 pounds

Male Siberian tigers can reach up to 11 feet in length and can weigh more than 600 pounds. Female Siberian tigers can grow up to 9 feet in length and weigh up to 370 pounds.

The Siberian tiger is the largest tiger in the world. Once found in the forests of much of eastern Russia and northeastern China, these incredible big cats are now only found in the Russian Far East. They have been known to hunt elk, moose, Asiatic black bears, and even brown bears.

2. Bengals – 570 pounds

The Bengal tiger is the second largest (existing) tiger in the world. Male Bengal tigers can weigh up to 570 pounds and reach a length of 10 feet. Female Bengal tigers can weigh up to 350 pounds and reach a length of 8.7 feet. They live in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Bhutan and Pakistan, where populations are finally starting to stabilize. Unfortunately, Bengal tigers occasionally come into conflict with humans, which can lead to retaliatory hunting of tigers. Besides human/wildlife conflict, their main threats are poaching and habitat loss.

3. Caspian tiger (extinct) – 530 pounds

Caspian tigers can grow up to 10 feet in length and weigh up to 530 pounds, with females being slightly smaller than males. The Caspian tiger, which lives in Central Asia and the Middle East, has been extinct since the 1970s (and in many places before). These tigers are habitat experts; they only live in river valleys. Unfortunately, expanding populations and habitat loss led to their extinction.

4. Indochinese Tiger – 430 pounds

Male Indochinese tigers can weigh up to 430 pounds and reach a length of 9.4 feet. Female Indochinese tigers can weigh up to 285 pounds and grow up to 8.4 feet long. Like all tigers, the Indochinese tiger is an apex predator at the top of the food chain. They are also keystone species, meaning their presence is critical for a healthy local ecology. Indochinese tigers face extreme pressure from poaching, habitat loss and fragmentation. They are only found in Myanmar, Thailand and Laos.

5. South China Tiger – 330 pounds

Male South China tigers can weigh up to 330 pounds and reach a length of 8.8 feet. Female South China tigers can weigh up to 240 pounds and reach a length of 7.10 feet. The South China tiger is the smallest of all the continental tiger subspecies. They are one of the most endangered tigers in the world with an estimated number of fewer than 100 individuals. Conservation efforts for these and other tigers are currently underway, but if swift action is not taken now, the South China tiger may well join the ranks of extinct tigers.

6. Javan tiger (extinct) – 315 pounds

Javan tigers can weigh up to 315 pounds and reach a length of 8.2 feet, with females reaching up to 250 pounds. The Javan tiger has been extinct since the 1970s and lives only on the Indonesian island of Java. These smaller tigers succumbed to severe habitat destruction and overhunting pressures. The Javan tiger is the largest of all the Sunda Island tiger subspecies.

7. Sumatran Tiger – 265 pounds

Male Sumatran tigers can weigh up to 265 pounds and reach lengths of up to 8 feet. Female Sumatran tigers can weigh up to 200 pounds and reach a length of 7 feet. Sumatran tigers are the only remaining Sunda Island tigers; they only live on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. They are currently the most endangered of all tigers in the world. Their greatest threats are habitat loss (mainly due to the palm oil industry) and poaching.

8. Malayan Tiger – 260 pounds

Malayan tigers can grow up to 9.5 feet in length and weigh up to 260 pounds, with females being slightly smaller. Native to Peninsular Malaysia, the Malayan tiger is critically endangered. There may be fewer than 300 left in the wild. Their main threat is habitat loss and fragmentation, which is almost entirely attributable to the palm oil industry.

9. Bali Tiger (extinct) – 220 pounds

The Bali tiger is the smallest of all tigers. Male Bali tigers can weigh up to 220 pounds and reach a length of 7.7 feet. Female Bali tigers can weigh up to 175 pounds and reach a length of 7 feet. These little tigers live only on the Indonesian island of Bali. They became extinct in the 1950s due to overhunting and habitat loss.

Ian Warkentin

I am broadly interested in how human activities influence the ability of wildlife to persist in the modified environments that we create.

Specifically, my research investigates how the configuration and composition of landscapes influence the movement and population dynamics of forest birds. Both natural and human-derived fragmenting of habitat can influence where birds settle, how they access the resources they need to survive and reproduce, and these factors in turn affect population demographics. Most recently, I have been studying the ability of individuals to move through and utilize forested areas which have been modified through timber harvest as they seek out resources for the breeding and postfledging phases. As well I am working in collaboration with Parks Canada scientists to examine in the influence of high density moose populations on forest bird communities in Gros Morne National Park. Many of my projects are conducted in collaboration or consultation with representatives of industry and government agencies, seeking to improve the management and sustainability of natural resource extraction.