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’re looking at.

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

Let’s learn what each type of tiger weighs, starting with the biggest, and ending with the smallest.

1. Siberian (Amur) Tiger – 600 pounds

Male Siberian tigers grow up to 11 feet long, and may weigh over 600 pounds. Female Siberian tigers grow up to 9 feet long, and may weigh up to 370 pounds.

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

2. Bengal Tiger – 570 pounds

Bengal tigers are the second largest (living) tigers in the world. The male Bengal tiger weighs up to 570 pounds and grows up to 10 feet long. Female Bengal tigers weigh up to 350 pounds, and grow up to 8.7 feet long. They live in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Pakistan, where their populations have finally begun to stabilize. Unfortunately, Bengal tigers occasionally come into conflict with human populations, which leads to retributory tiger killing. Aside from human/wildlife conflict, their main threats are poaching and habitat loss.

3. Caspian Tiger (Extinct) – 530 pounds

The Caspian tiger grew up to 10 feet long, and weighed up to 530 pounds, with females growing a little smaller than males. Extinct since the 1970s (and earlier in many places) the Caspian tiger lived in Central Asia and the Middle East. These tigers were habitat specialists; they lived only in riverine valleys. Unfortunately, expanding human population and habitat loss led to their extinction.

4. Indochinese Tiger – 430 pounds

The male Indochinese tiger weighs up to 430 pounds, and may grow up to 9.4 feet long. Female Indochinese tigers weigh up to 285 pounds, and may grow up to 8.4 feet long. Indochinese tigers, like all tigers, are apex predators at the top of the food chain. They’re also a keystone species, which means that their presence is crucial to a healthy local ecology. Indochinese tigers face extreme pressure from poaching, as well as habitat loss and fragmentation. They’re found only in Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos.

5. South China Tiger – 330 pounds

Male South China tigers weigh up to 330 pounds, and grow up to 8.8 feet long. Female South China tigers weigh up to 240 pounds, and grow up to 7.10 feet long. The South China tiger is the smallest of all continental tiger subspecies. They’re some of the most critically endangered tigers in the world, with an estimated population of under 100 individuals. Conservation efforts for these, and other tigers, are currently under way, but without swift action now, it’s likely that the South China tiger will join the ranks of extinct tigers.

6. Javan Tiger (Extinct) – 315 pounds

The Javan tiger weighed up to 315 pounds, and grew up to 8.2 feet long, with females reaching up to 250 pounds. Extinct since the 1970s, the Javan tiger lived only on the island of Java, in Indonesia. These smallish tigers succumbed to the pressures of severe habitat destruction and overhunting. Javan tigers were the largest of all Sunda island tiger subspecies.

7. Sumatran Tiger – 265 pounds

Male Sumatran tigers weigh up to 265 pounds, and grow up to 8 feet long. Female Sumatran tigers weigh up to 200 pounds, and grow up to 7 feet long. Sumatran tigers are the only Sunda island tigers left; they live only on the island of Sumatra, in Indonesia. They’re currently some of the most critically endangered of all tigers left in the world. Their biggest threats are habitat loss (largely due to the palm oil industry) and poaching. 

8. Malayan Tiger – 260 pounds

Malayan tigers grow up to 9.5 feet long, and weigh up to 260 pounds, with females being slightly smaller. Native to the Malaysian Peninsula, Malayan tigers are critically endangered. There are likely fewer than 300 individuals left in the wild. Their main threat is habitat loss and fragmentation, due almost entirely to to the palm oil industry. 

9. Bali Tiger (Extinct) – 220 pounds

The Bali tiger was the smallest of all tigers. The male Bali tiger weighed up to 220 pounds, and grew up to 7.7 feet long. Female Bali tigers weighed up to 175 pounds, and grew up to 7 feet long. These tiny tigers lived only on the island of Bali, in Indonesia. They became extinct in the 1950s due to overhunting and habitat loss. 

Up Next

• 7 Extinct Big Cats

• Why Are Tigers Endangered?

• Are There More Tigers in Texas Than in the Wild?

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Gerckens-Photo-Hamburg/Shutterstock.com