The cat species are extremely hard to tell apart as they all have pretty much the same anatomical structure, with the size usually being what differs them most easily. The lion and the tiger are no exceptions. Both species share pretty much the same anatomy, their size is similar, their genetics are almost identical, their behavior is largely the same. This can be very confusing as it seems like it is one species we are talking about, not two separate ones. The only obvious difference between the tiger and the lion is their fur. The tigers have orange base with vertical black stripes, while the lions are dark yellowish, with the males having a mane as well. The easiest way to check if its two different species in question is to see if they can produce healthy offspring. This is where we can see that it is different species we are talking about. While the lion and the tiger are able to produce offspring, the offspring is abnormally marge, much more than any of the parents. But what is more important is that the offspring is sterile, and very often comes with serious deficiencies, thus providing us with proof that it is two separate species.
