How Fast Can a Tiger Run?

The Tiger is a swift animal that can run up to 65km/h (40 Miles/h). Even if it is not as fast as its cousins, the lion or the cheetah, it is still one of the fastest land animals.

If you're here, it's because you want to learn a little more about the reasons behind such speed. Indeed, you may wonder how such a powerful predator can move so fast. You will see that behind the vivacity of the felines are hidden genuine weaknesses.

We will try to enlighten you on this subject with all our expertise and knowledge because the Tiger race is a much deeper and richer subject than one might think at first sight.

Enter The Universe and watch the big cat gallop across the savannah with this unique article!

What is the maximum speed of the Tiger?

The tiger is a very fast animal. It can reach a maximum speed of 50 to 65 km/h (the record is 85 km/h for the Siberian tiger). Even if it is not as fast as its feline cousins such as the Lion or the Cheetah, it remains among the fastest land animals.

As we told you before, the Tiger can reach a maximum speed of 65 km/h. Although this speed is impressive, the big cat can only keep this pace for 20 meters.

On the other hand, it can travel several dozen kilometers in search of prey. In the vastness of the Indian savannah, it is not uncommon for it to spend several hours to find its meal. In addition to that, the striped fawn is an excellent swimmer able to cross stretches of water up to 10 km long.

In addition to that, we would like to debunk the belief that all super-predators are 100% successful in their hunt. Indeed, even if this latter can reach impressive speeds, it is necessary to know that the herbivores are also very fast. Thus, scientists estimate that the Tiger succeeds in killing its prey one time out of 10.

Therefore, it is clear that its speed is not so spectacular, given that of other ungulates. However, we will see that the Tiger's explosiveness is a formidable weapon! 

The Striped Fawn: an explosive race

1) The Tiger's physique

 You must surely know that the Tiger is the largest of the felines. This large size is not an advantage for the speed of the felid. However, it serves many other purposes. Indeed, the Tiger attacks stealthily by surprising its target, contrary to the Lion, which prefers to tire its prey before attacking it.

Its impressive stature allows it to pounce on its prey and kill it in a few seconds because its back legs are endowed with phenomenal power enabling it to leap on not less than 10 meters.

Okay, but how does the fawn manage to approach its future prey if it cannot catch them?

Well, it's straightforward; his camouflage and his discretion are his best weapons. Because beyond being the most agile animal of the animal kingdom, the Tiger is also equipped with long black stripes. These make it almost invisible among the trees and plants of the jungle. The big cat uses its coat to approach the wilderness without being noticed.

We can see that the Tiger is equipped with a complete arsenal to make explosive runs. Moreover, our pendants wonderfully transcribe the omnipotence of the big cat!⤵️

2) A habitat far from being conducive to speed

 The Jungle or the Tiger Savannah is a very dense and vegetated environment. So, that it becomes almost useless to know how to run on long distances so much the ground is strewn with pitfalls. In such an environment, the cheetah would never have reached the phenomenal speed peaks around 120km/h to achieve in the African savannah.

It would be effortless for a herbivore to escape from the Tiger if it could only run fast because it could easily escape by dodging between the many trees in the forest. That's why it can climb, swim, change direction quickly to follow its prey. The latter is perfectly adapted to this environment by limiting its speed but favoring its reactivity.

You can imagine that a lion would be unable to hunt in the jungle because of its lack of agility. The same is true for the Tiger, which could not pursue its prey in the vast, dusty expanses of Africa.

So the Tiger's habitat is not suited for it to break speed records, but then does the big cat only have one weakness?

How the tiger use is speed to hunt?

Tigers are one of the most impressive land predators, and they rely on their speed to hunt their prey. While they are not known for being endurance runners, they use their short bursts of rapid speed to close the distance between themselves and their prey.

Tigers are ambush hunters, which means they rely on the element of surprise to make their initial attack. Once they spot their prey, they stalk it as closely as possible without being detected. When they are within striking distance, they use their incredible speed to launch themselves at their target with lightning-fast reflexes.

The tiger's speed and agility allow it to take down large prey with relative ease, making it a formidable predator in the animal kingdom.

The low Stamina of the Tiger

1) The Tiger is quickly exhausted

Here it is, the only actual flaw of these big felines: endurance!

Indeed, the whole family of felines is known to be composed of species that exhaust themselves very quickly. The Tiger is undoubtedly the animal the most touched by this phenomenon, and fortunately, we almost want to say. Because apart from this handicap, this carnivore is a machine of destruction, equipped with an unfailing versatility!

If the Tiger always attacks by surprise, it is not for nothing to come back to its endurance. It is utterly incapable of catching prey by simply running behind them. He uses the cunning and ingenuity that the wildlife has given him to achieve his goals.

The stalking of this hunter is characterized by a concentrated intelligence, coupled with a touch of elegance when he approaches his prey discreetly. The animal has no room for error, and it is this particularity that makes each of its attacks so impressive.

But despite this, a good number of animals manage to escape from the clutches of the Tiger. As long as the Tiger has not bitten its target in the neck, everything is possible.

The lack of energy sometimes forces the feline to abandon struggling prey. Because after having jumped, it doesn't always have enough strength to finish off an animal that is too robust.

However, their sprinting distance is limited to short distances. If you want to learn more about tigers, including their weight, make sure to check out  How much does a tiger weigh on Tiger Universe.

2) The power of the fawn is therefore limited

For those who thought the Tiger had no flaws, you see that its power is limited. Stamina is an essential characteristic in a long, hard fight. If the cat had inexhaustible energy, we can't imagine the massacres that would take place among the animal and human populations.

The Tiger is not the king of the jungle because of its speed, quite the contrary. His explosiveness and his power of concealment allow him to be almost invisible within the foliage. This way, it manages to surprise its prey to finish it in record time. The striped feline gets a large part of its power from its discretion.

However, one must admit that seeing a small family of Tigers having fun chasing each other must be an unforgettable experience. This is observable on safari but impossible to see in captivity. When they are in a zoo, tigers lose some of their excitement. This bit of madness characterized their wild nature and allowed them to run at full speed.

To summarize

 As you have seen, the Tiger is an animal with speed far superior to ours. With a race oscillating between 50 and 65 km/h, this feline is armed with explosiveness to any test. This faculty is explained by the so particular anatomy of the felid. Indeed, its entire body is tailor-made for surprise and lightning attacks.

Despite this, the Tiger, like other big cats, gets exhausted very quickly. It is one of the predators with the most limited endurance, which prevents it from hunting prey over long distances. Fortunately for the latter, its physique is perfect for lightning attacks in the middle of the jungle and the tall grass.

In this way, the Tiger's power is limited by its ability to resist fatigue. This can be explained by the nature of the environment in which the animal evolves. Forests and savannahs with dense vegetation are not conducive to smooth and unobstructed running. Liveliness is much more effective than endurance in this type of environment.

To finish with an anecdote, top sprinters and great runners love the image of the Tiger. Because the explosiveness of the striped fawn inspires them to push their limits even further, you will find the necklaces adored and worn by the greatest sportsmen of this planet on our store! ⤵️