Family: Felidae
Species: Panthera leo
Famously referred
to the King of the jungle, they actually do not inhabit jungles
It is partially
true to refer to the lions as 'King of the beasts'. It is a fact that
they really are kings of the predatory beasts, but they can be easily backed
down or killed by elephants and water buffalo. A pack of hyenas can also
back down or even kill a solitary lion.
But
they are in themselves packed for the kill. They have strong, compact bodies and powerful forelegs,
teeth, and jaws for pulling down and killing prey. Their coats are yellow-gold,
and adult males have long, dark, shaggy manes. Young lions have light spotting
on their coats. Their strength is also reflected during mating whereby
can copulate up to as many as 100 times in a 24 hour period.
Male lions grow larger than females, reaching up to ten feet
long (females reach up to nine feet long), plus a two- to three-foot-long tail.
Male lions weigh from 330 to 530
pounds; females weigh 270 to 300 pounds. Lions stand
between 3-4 feet
tall at the shoulder.
They
are the only true social members of the cat family and live in groups called
prides.
All
females in a pride are related
All
lactating females will allow any cub in their pride to nurse
Lions
run at a rate of 50 mph,
and sleep up to 20 hours a day
Tigers
are lions' closest relatives. Without their coats, lion and tiger bodies are so
similar that only experts can tell them apart.
Their
roar can be heard up to five miles away.
Male
lions can usually only hold on to a pride for 2-4 years before a younger,
stronger male or coalition of males throws him out and takes over.
Many
people only think of the females as doing the hunting, but as males spend much
of their lives in search of a pride, they too must fend for themselves and are
quite capable of hunting.
Though
grown-up lions have rarely been known to have spots, there is one male in Masai
mara that I have seen time and again that was born with a huge black patch on
the chest and inner front left leg. I have watched him from birth till he was
kicked out of the pride with his brothers. Definitely he left the vicinity and
only hears about his where a bouts from time to time.
Lions
are the only sexually dimorphic members of the cat family.
Male
lions are the only members of the cat family to have a mane.
They
are the only felines with tufts at the ends of their tails.
Female
lions (lioness) reach two thirds of their adult size by the time they are 2
years old.
Males
begin to really grow between 3 and 3 1/2 years and by 4 will be almost their
adult
size and weight.
Both
males and females continue to grow until they are 6 years old, primarily
becoming more massive
Habitat
Lions inhabit a wide range of habitats, from open plains to thick
brush and dry thorn forest.
Diet
Lions eat primarily large animals, such as zebra and wildebeest,
weighing from 100 to 1,000
pounds. In times of shortage, they also catch and eat a
variety of smaller animals from rodents to reptiles. Lions steal kills from
hyenas, leopards, and other predators, but may also lose their catches to hyena
groups. Lions may also feed on domestic livestock, especially in areas near
villages.
Reproduction
Female lions usually give birth to a litter every two years.
Females are receptive to mates for a few days several times a year, unless they
are pregnant or nursing. Mating spurs ovulation. Females give birth to one to
five cubs after a gestation of about three and a half months. Cubs nurse for
six months, but start eating meat at three months. Due to varied dangers,
including starvation during times of food shortage and attacks by male lions
taking over prides, up to 80 percent of lion cubs die within their first two
years of life.
Life
Span
Zoo lions may live up to 25 years, while wild lions live about
15 years.
Behavior
Lions live in groups called prides, which may include from
several to 40 individuals. Pride mates associate in sub-groups within the
pride. Female pride mates are related to each other. Although both males and
females defend the pride's territory, the larger males take on most defense
duties, marking territory with roars and scent marks (urine). Females do most
of the hunting. Several females stalk prey from different angles to within 100 feet before attacking
the targeted animal. Females stay in their mothers' prides for life, unless
food scarcity forces them out. Young males are driven from their prides when
they grow large enough to compete with the dominant males. Young males join in
coalitions, usually with brothers and cousins, and search for a pride to take
over. Males entering a new pride will kill all cubs that cannot run from them.
In India,
female and male lions live apart, joining only to mate.
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