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Lions

African Lion

Scientific Name: Panthera Leo comes from the genus Panthera
South Africa
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae

- 2nd Largest Cat, tiger is the first

Sizes of Cat in order Tiger, Lions, Jaguar, Leopard

Interesting Facts

Lions are also known to be the King of Beasts across most cultures of the world. This is mostly because of a lion's appearance and partly because of the social structure of a pride and the lion's role in the pride. A lion does possess a royal look and attitude. Add to that a tremendous roar that can be heard over miles on the Savannah. Also, living in a pride, a lion doesn't need to hide itself or avoid any other animals including human beings. A lion lives in the open and controls its territory like a true king. Sporting a 'kingly' mane and heading a pride that feeds him. The Bible of the Christians and the Geeta of the Hindus both mention the lion as the king of the beasts. So it has got accepted as a sign of royalty all over the world from as early as the Roman Empire.

• Largest Lion in captivity: 806 lbs (366 kg)
• Largest Lion found in the wild: 702 lbs (318 kg) and 11? (3.35 m)
• Average size (mode) of African Lion: 410 lbs (186 kg) and 8?10? (2.7 m)
• ** Lions stand around 1.15m (including mane) at shoulder as opposed to 1m of a tiger **

The King of The Kings:
When you think of a lion, you think of an African lion. The Asiatic ones are somewhat smaller in size and relatively unknown living in the tiger country. There is no significant variation in size among the African lions. In some online forums it is claimed that Ngorongoro Crater lions are the largest sub-species of lions. But there is no base to that claim. The Tsavo lions are generally considered more aggressive, but they are naturally mane less.

Relative advantages over a tiger:

1. Thick protective mane. It also makes a lion look much bigger, heavier and taller than it really is. This is of immediate psychological disadvantage to any animal fighting a lion. It's downright scary to see a lion coming towards you roaring. A lioness, even if it were of similar size, wouldn't inspire as much awe. From the fight videos, it does seem that the mane is of huge advantage to the lion. In the only fight-video of a mane less (shaved) lion, the lion seemed too easy to beat by the tiger. The mane is the biggest weapon for a lion - both for defense and for scaring off the opponent.
2. More massively built shoulders. Both the cats have extremely powerful and muscular 'shoulders'. But a lion has it more developed and stronger than a similar-sized tiger. Again, this is an advantage for the lion.
3. Role played as a fighter. This is the most important point cited by the ones who pick a lion to win. A lion is built to be a fighter - super-strong forequarters, protective mane, shorter ears, large head (compared to its body), a big muzzle and strong jaws. In every respect, it seems to have been built for pit fights. And lions do fight over territory and mating fairly often.
4. Taller structure. This makes the lion more intimidating. Also, this somewhat compensates for the weaker hindquarters.
   Here's a very good video showcasing lions.

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Main Characteristics

The Lion is the second largest feline species. They have a body length between 1.7 and 2.5 m (5.5 - 8.25 ft), a tail length between 0.9 and 1.1 m (3 - 3.5 ft) and they weigh between 120 and 250 Kg (265 - 550 lbs). Males are much larger than females and can weigh up to 50 % more.

Their coloration can vary from nearly white to deep brown, but tawny/yellow is the most common color. They are solidly built and have a long tail which has a black tuft on the end.

Male Lions have a very distinctive mane. The mane enables them to be distinguishable from a female Lion from a distance, it acts as protection in a fight and it is also a sign of a healthy Lion. The mane is thick and woolly and it develops on the neck and shoulders as they mature.

Lions lack endurance and have to be close to their prey before they attack. In short bursts they can reach speeds of 60 Km/hr (37 mph). Hunting takes a lot out of them and they spend up to 20 hours per day resting.

- Currently in critically endangered chart, putting them into the vulnerable status in the conservation status. They have shown in numbers to be declining 30 to 50 in the past two years and the numbers keep on getting lower.

- Hunting usually occurs at night

They are known to kill in strangulation with their large teeth

Their max amount to hunt when fully grown is 1210 lbs.

- They hunt in groups, usually the Lioness are the ones that hunt together for their Lion and bring him the food

- Average weight 600lbs

- Females vs Males

260 to 330 lbs 330lbs and up

Hunt in packs Known for their Mane

Required to eat to maintain a healthy balanced meal

Eat 11lbs of meat a day 15.4 lbs of meat a day

Habitat

- Africa, India

Lions are found in Africa and the Gir Forest in North West India. They live on the fringes of deserts, in woodlands or on open savannahs.

Lions live in prides that consist of 3 - 30 individuals, but they usually average at 4 - 6 individuals. The pride will be made up of females that are related to each other and males that are related to each other, but not to the females.

Lionesses stay in the pride that they were born into, but males are expelled from it when they reach maturity. They usually form coalitions with other males, often to whom they are related, and they hunt together.

Male Lions defend the pride and they patrol and mark their territory with urine and faeces. The size of a Lions home territory depends on the available resources but it can be between 8 and 150 sq. miles (13 - 240 sq. Kms). Competition between the males to lead the pride is fierce and they only tend to hold ownership of it for 2 - 3 years.

Diet

The diet of a Lion mainly consists of antelopes, gazelles, warthogs, wildebeest, deer, buffalos, young giraffes, young elephants, zebras and occasionally hares and birds. They will also readily eat carrion and sometimes they take kills from hyenas and wild dogs.

Hunting usually takes place either at night or dawn and several females will hunt together in a pack to increase their chances of success. They will stalk their victim until they are within 30 m (98 ft) then they will launch a short powerful attack and prey is usually killed by strangulation. Male Lions that are attached to a pride do not usually participate in hunting unless it is for large prey such as a buffalo.

Adult females need 5 Kg (11 lbs) of meat per day and adult males 7 Kg (15 lbs) of meat per day. Lions can survive for long periods without water as they get all the moisture they need from plants and their prey.

Breeding

After a gestation period of 100 - 120 days, 2 - 5 cubs are born in a den. When they are born they are blind, helpless and they weigh less than 2.3 Kg (5 lbs). They have a spots on their coat which disappear as they get older.

Within three weeks they have their eyes open and they can walk around, and by the time they reach one month old they have their first set of teeth. They are weaned when they reach 6 - 7 months old but they stay in the vicinity of their mother for the first 2 years.

The females in a pride will synchronize their reproductive cycles so they all have cubs together. The cubs are cared for by all the females in the pride so if a mother is away hunting another lactating Lioness will feed her young.

In the wild competition for food is fierce and between 14 and 73 % of cubs will die before they reach 2 years old.

A new male Lion in a pride will kill all the cubs under 2 years old, this encourages the females to come into season so the new male can mate with them and therefore all the cubs in the pride will be his.

Lionesses will become sexually mature at 2.5 - 3 years of age while a male Lion will become sexually mature at approximately 5 years of age

Lion cubs

- First show hunting skills around 3 months, but do not fully participate in actual attacks till about a year old.

Male lions have been known to attack one another to determine their reign within the pack

Time of longevity is about 10-15 years, reach maturity level at 3 years, and gain pride from 4-5 years (this applies to females).

Forms of endearment

Within the pride (group) occurs licking, head rubbing

Predators

Lions do not have many natural predators, but it has been known for hyenas to kill an injured Lion, or if food is scarce they will attack a healthy one.

Subspecies

Lions have several subspecies, the main differences being in location, size, mane appearance and distribution:

Barbary Lion
(Panthera leo leo)
They are also known as the Atlas Lion or Nubian Lion. They were found in North Africa continuing to Egypt . They are extinct in the wild and were the largest subspecies of Lion.

North East Congo Lion
(Panthera leo azandica)
The are found in the north eastern parts of the Congo .

South West African Lion
(Panthera leo bleyenberghi)
They are also known as the Katanga Lion and they are found in Zimbabwe , Angola and Zaire .

South East African Lion
(Panthera leo krugeri)
They are also known as the South African Lion or Transvaal Lion. They are found in the Transvaal region of south east Africa including the Kruger National Park.

East African Lion
(Panthera leo nubica)
They are also known as the Massai Lion and they are found in east Africa.

West African Lion
(Panthera leo senegalensis)
They are also known as the Senegal Lion. They are found in West Africa from Senegal to Nigeria .

Asiatic Lion
(Panthera leo persica)
They are also known as the South Asian Lion, Persian Lion or Indian Lion. They are only found in the Gir Forest in north east India and only approximately 350 of them exist in the wild.