The lion is one of the large predatory animals belonging to the cat family. There are several varieties of this animal; in addition, many hybrids are known that appeared from the mixing of different species. Each of them has certain characteristics, but also has similarities. The local population of the lands that are located near the habitat of the beast calls it a “wild cat” and considers it dangerous, and tries to destroy it. Because of this, the population of these animals has greatly decreased. Meanwhile, the lion is an interesting and unique animal, so it’s worth knowing how it differs from other representatives of the fauna.
Leo - characteristics and description
When characterizing an animal such as a lion, you need to provide a description of it. Different types slightly different from each other, but they have a lot in common.
The animal belongs to the cat family, therefore in appearance it is similar to domestic cats, only it is significantly larger than them. He is one of the most major representatives of this family, second only to the tiger.
The body of the animal is flexible and mobile; they have well-developed muscles of the front legs and neck. There are claws on the paws, the length of which reaches 7 cm. Its head is large, with an elongated muzzle and strong jaws. His fangs are long (about 8 cm), the number of teeth is 30. These features give the lion the ability to hunt large herbivores. The tongue is covered with tubercles, thanks to which the lion can clean its fur from dirt and eliminate insects.
On the muzzle there are whiskers, at the base of which there are small dark spots. These spots form a pattern unique to each animal. Cubs are born spotted, but as they grow older, the spots on their body disappear, and the color of the coat becomes uniform - brown or sand. At the tip of the animal's tail there is a black tassel.
The main feature of this animal species is sexual dimorphism. A male lion and a lioness have significant differences. For example, it is impossible to say how much a lion weighs on average without knowing the sex of a particular individual. Males are significantly larger than females in size and weight. In addition, their head is decorated with a mane, which begins to grow in lion cubs from the age of 6 months. The length of the pile and the thickness of the mane depend on age and genetics.
How much does a lion weigh?
How much an adult lion weighs on average depends on the characteristics of its life. But gender especially affects this indicator. The differences in the main parameters are shown in the table.
Despite its massiveness, this predator has the smallest heart size. Therefore, a lion cannot be called hardy. It can reach speeds of up to 80 km/h, but only covers short distances.
Features of life and habitat
When giving a description of any animal, you need to consider not only it appearance. It is also worth finding out how long a lion lives and where it lives.
There are few places where such an animal as a lion lives. IN last years its distribution area has decreased significantly. Previously, this animal was found not only in Africa and India, as it is now, but also in Iran, Russia, southern Europe and the Middle East. But a significant part of the population was exterminated, and conditions in many areas became unsuitable for their life. Therefore, of all the places where these animals could previously be seen, the lion now lives only in the southern part of the African continent (beyond the Sahara Desert) and in the Indian state of Gujarat. The most suitable for them are savannas, forests or bushes.
Individuals unite in small flocks - prides. A pride consists of 5 or 6 related females, their cubs and a male. In some prides there may be two males if they are brothers. Young males, having reached maturity, leave the pride (they are expelled). They have the opportunity to join another pride or create their own. Some of them lead a solitary life.
How much a lioness or male lion weighs depends on their feeding habits. Since the lion is a predator, it leads a hunting lifestyle, feeding on fairly large animals. They may be:
IN in rare cases the animal may attack a hippopotamus or a small elephant. Sick cheetahs, hyenas and leopards can also become its prey.
Lionesses excel in hunting. They are distinguished by dexterity and agility. Hunting is more difficult for males due to their large size and heavy mane. However, the male needs more food. An adult lion eats about 7 kg of meat per day, while a female needs 5 kg. These animals prefer to hunt at night, creeping up to the prey as far as possible.
Reproduction in lions is not tied to the time of year, but begins with reaching maturity. Males are considered sexually mature at the age of 6 years and females at the age of 4 years.
Males tend to fight for females. Sometimes these fights are so brutal that the competitor dies.
The duration of pregnancy in these animals is 110 days. Shortly before giving birth, the lioness leaves the pride and hides. She can give birth to 1-4 cubs, whose weight is slightly less than 2 kg. Lion cubs are born blind, and they open their eyes only 7 days after birth. For safety reasons, the mother changes her place of stay several times, carrying her children with her. She hunts and feeds her babies with milk. Training cubs to hunt begins at the age of 1.5 months, at which time the entire family joins the pride. With the beginning of the hunt, lion cubs gradually eat meat, although the period of milk feeding lasts about six months.
Lifespan of a lion
One of the important aspects of describing these animals is the question of how long a lion lives. To answer it, you need to take into account many circumstances. How long a lion lives depends on features such as:
- Habitat. How better conditions life, the longer its duration.
- Closeness to people. In close proximity to humans, the risk of extermination of these animals and shortening their lifespan increases.
- Features of life. Lonely individuals live shorter lives than those belonging to a pride.
- Floor. Females have a longer lifespan on average than males because they are less likely to die during fights with other lions.
All these nuances affect how long a lion lives. Therefore, their lifespan varies greatly. On average it is 8-10 years. Some individuals live up to 14 years.
How long a lion lives is greatly influenced by the behavior of people. It has much more impact than other factors. If people do not seek to destroy these animals, then their life expectancy increases. Better results can be achieved if you organize living conditions suitable for animals, for example, nature reserves or zoos. In this case, lions can live 20 or even 25 years, since they are monitored by veterinarians.
Types of lions
How long a lion lives depends also on the variety of this animal. There are several subspecies of lion, each of which differs in certain characteristics, habitat, living conditions and its duration. Some subspecies of this animal have already become extinct, others are at the stage of extinction. There are also several hybrid varieties resulting from crossing with tigers, leopards or jaguars.
Scientists identify 8 main subspecies, one of which is the Asiatic lion. Another name for the subspecies is the Persian lion (or Indian). The Asiatic lion lives in the southern part of Eurasia. Its main habitat is the Girsky Nature Reserve in the Indian state of Gujarat. The Asiatic lion is considered an endangered species. This subspecies is characterized by stockiness. Males are slightly more than a meter in height. Due to its sleek and sparse mane, the Asiatic lion does not seem as large as representatives of the African subspecies. The body weight of males is from 160 to 190 kg, lionesses usually weigh 90-120 kg. The length of the body is 2 - 2.5 m. The largest Asian lion has a length of 2.92 m.
The remaining varieties are found in Africa, which is why they can all be classified as a subspecies African lion. They are characterized by certain general features, for example, sexual dimorphism, coat color, characteristics of life and reproduction, etc. Differences may be in body size and weight.
- Barbary. This subspecies is the largest. It used to spread throughout the African continent, but is now completely exterminated. Males had a mass of up to 270 kg, females - up to 170. Currently, the descendants of these animals can be seen in zoos and nature reserves, but they cannot be called purebred.
- Senegalese. This is also an African lion, living in the west of the continent. The size of these animals is small, the color of the coat is light. Males have almost no mane, or it is very short. You can meet representatives of this subspecies in Nigeria, Guinea and Senegal. Senegalese lions are considered endangered.
- Northern Congolese. He has everything external features, which distinguishes the African lion. Its habitat is savannas in the northeast of Congo. The population size of these animals is gradually decreasing.
- Maasai. Otherwise it is called East African. It differs from other varieties in having longer legs. Their mane is directed back. The male's body length is 2.5-3 m, the female's is 2.3-2.6 m. These animals inhabit Uganda, Zambia and Mozambique. A large number of Maasai lions are kept in the Maasai Mara Game Reserve in Kenya.
- Katangese. This species is on the verge of extinction. The bulk of it lives in southwest Africa (Zimbabwe, Angola). In length, adult males reach 3.1 m, females - 2.65 m.
- Transvaal. These are lions with black manes. Among the representatives of this subspecies there are individuals whose skin and fur do not have melanocytes. Because of this, they have white fur and pink skin. A lion can be from 2.6 to 3.2 m in length, a lioness - 2.35-2.65 m. Transvaal lions live in southern Africa (Kalahari Desert). They also contain national park Kruger.
- Cape. This species of animal was destroyed in the 19th century. They lived at the Cape of Good Hope (southern Africa). The peculiarity of the species was the black tips of the ears and the presence of a mane on the stomach and shoulders.
This classification is not the only one. There are others to which scientists can add other subspecies.
A notable species of these animals is the mountain lion. It is not very similar to its other relatives; it differs in size and habitat. The mountain lion is distributed throughout America. Its body is from 1 to 1.8 m in length, and its weight can reach 105 kg. This is significantly less than other subspecies. The mountain lion also lacks a mane. Color can vary from gray-brown to brown-yellow. Cougar cubs are born with dark spots and stripes on their bodies, but after 9 months of life these markings begin to fade. The mountain lion prefers to live alone. The exception is mating season and the timing of raising the young.
Another subspecies that may be interesting is cave lion. It is included in some classifications, despite the fact that the cave lion is an extinct species, and it became extinct several thousand years ago. During their lifetime, these animals inhabited Siberia and Europe. The cave lion is one of the ancestors of modern lions. The cave lion was larger than its descendants. If you believe the images of these animals, they did not have a mane, or it was very small. It is not known for sure, but there is an assumption that this subspecies of animals also united in prides.
Despite its name, the cave lion never lived in caves. They were chosen by old and sick individuals shortly before death, which is why greatest number the remains of these animals were found there. That's why the cave lion was named so. The cave lion hunted deer and bears. This is how scientists explain the extinction of these animals. With the onset of warming, the number of bears and deer decreased, and the cave lion was not adapted to a different diet.
Black and white lions
A lion is an animal in which you can notice a lot interesting features. One feature concerns the coloring. Some classifications mention varieties such as White Lion and a black lion. But this is wrong. If a lion with a dark or black mane is a real existing subspecies, then animals with white or black coloring are considered an anomaly.
At the same time, it cannot be said that a lion with an exotic coloring is a fiction. There is a genetic mutation called leucism. Because of it, the fur of animals acquires White color. This occurs due to a lack of melanocytes. The result is the appearance of an animal such as a white lion. One might assume that this is an albino lion, but the color of its eyes, which can be either blue or gold, says otherwise.
The white lion is almost no different in its characteristics from other representatives of the species. It is slightly larger than the others. Their weight can reach 310 kg, and the male’s body length exceeds 3 m. The females of such animals are slightly smaller - 2.7 m. A lion with white fur changes color slightly throughout its life, and by old age its body acquires an ivory shade.
The black lion, according to many scientists, does not exist in nature. They consider photos and videos of such animals found online to be the result of shooting in the dark or special processing. Some suggest that, as opposed to albinism, there is a phenomenon of melanism, in which there is too much pigment in the fur of animals. This is possible in jaguars and leopards. As a result of crossing, a lion with a dark shade of fur may be born, but this is only an accident, so there is no need to separate such animals into a separate subspecies.
Powerful, strong, stately and fearless - we are talking about the lion - the king of beasts. Having a warlike appearance, strength, the ability to run quickly and always coordinated, thoughtful actions, these animals will never be afraid of anyone. Animals living next to lions are themselves afraid of their menacing gaze, strong body and powerful jaw. No wonder the lion was nicknamed the king of beasts.
The lion has always been the king of animals, even in ancient times this animal was idolized. For the ancient Egyptians, the lion acted as a sentry creature guarding the entrance to the other world. For the ancient Egyptians, the god of fertility Aker was depicted with lion's mane. IN modern world, on many state emblems the king of beasts is depicted. The coats of arms of Armenia, Belgium, Great Britain, Gambia, Senegal, Finland, Georgia, India, Canada, Congo, Luxembourg, Malawi, Morocco, Swaziland and many others depict the warlike king of beasts. African lion, according to International Convention, entered into the Red Book as an endangered species.
This is interesting!
African lions were first tamed by ancient people back in the eighth century BC.
Description of the African lion
Since childhood, we all know what a lion looks like, just from the mane alone. Small child can recognize the king of beasts. Therefore we decided to give short description this powerful beast. The lion is a powerful animal, but is only slightly more than two meters long. For example, it is much longer than a lion, reaching 3.8 meters in length. The usual weight of a male is one hundred eighty kilograms, rarely two hundred.
This is interesting!
Lions living or in natural history zones specially designated for them always weigh more than their counterparts living in the wild. They move little, eat too much, and their mane is always thicker and larger than that of wild lions. In natural history areas, lions are looked after, while wild cats in nature they look unkempt, with disheveled manes.
The head and body of lions are dense and powerful. Skin color varies depending on the subspecies. However, the main color for the kings of animals is cream, ocher, or yellow-sand. Asiatic lions are all white and gray in color.
Old lions have coarse hair that covers the head, shoulders and extends down to the lower abdomen. Adults have a black, thick mane or a dark, brown mane. But one of the subspecies of the African lion, the Masai, does not have such lush mane. The hair does not fall on the shoulders, and there is none on the forehead.
All lions have rounded ears with a yellow spot in the middle. The spotted pattern remains on the skin of young lions until the lionesses give birth to cubs and the males reach sexual maturity. All representatives of lions have a tassel at the tip of their tail. This is where their vertebral section ends.
Habitat
Once upon a time, lions lived in completely different territories than in the modern world. A subspecies of the African lion, the Asiatic, lived mainly in southern Europe, India or inhabited the Middle Eastern lands. Ancient lion lived throughout Africa, but never settled in the Sahara. The American subspecies of lion is therefore called American, as it lived in North American lands. Asiatic lions gradually began to become extinct or exterminated by humans, which is why they were. And African lions remained in small flocks only in the African tropics.
Nowadays, the African lion and its subspecies are found only on two continents - Asian and African. The Asian king of beasts live quietly in Indian Gujarat, where there is a dry, sandy climate, savannah and scrub forests. According to the latest data, all five hundred and twenty-three Asiatic lions have been recorded to date.
There will be more real African lions in Western countries African continent. In the country where the most better climate for lions, Burkina Faso, over a thousand lions. In addition, many of them live in the Congo, there are over eight hundred individuals there.
Wildlife no longer numbers as many lions as there were in the seventies of the last century. To date, they only thirty thousand left, and this is according to unofficial data. African lions have chosen the savannahs of their favorite continent, but even there they cannot be protected from hunters scurrying everywhere in search of easy money.
Hunting and feeding of the African lion
Leos do not like silence and living in silence. They prefer the open spaces of savannas, plenty of water, and settle mainly where their favorite food lives - artiodactyl mammals. It is not for nothing that they deservedly bear the title of “king of the savannas,” where this animal feels good and free, since he himself understands that he is the ruler. Yes. Male lions do just that, they only dominate, rest most life in the shade of bushes, while the females get food for themselves, him and the lion cubs.
Lions, just like our men, wait for the queen lioness to catch dinner for him and prepare it herself, presenting it “on a silver platter.” The king of animals must be the first to taste the prey brought to him by the female, and the lioness herself patiently waits for her male to eat and leave leftovers from the “royal table” for her and the lion cubs. Males rarely hunt, unless they do not have a female and they are very, very hungry. Despite this, lions will never give offense to their lionesses and cubs if other people's lions encroach on them.
The lion's main food is artiodactyl animals - llamas, wildebeests, zebras. If lions are very hungry, then they will not disdain even rhinoceroses and hippos if they can defeat them in the water. Also does not skimp on game and small rodents, mice and non-venomous snakes. To survive, a lion needs to eat a day over seven kilograms any meat. If, for example, 4 lions unite, then one successful hunt for all of them will bring the desired result. The problem is that among healthy lions there will be sick ones who are unable to hunt. Then they can even attack a person, since, as you know, for them “hunger is no big deal!”
Lion breeding
Unlike many mammals, lions are pack predators and mate at any time of the year, which is why you can often see an old lioness basking in the sun with cubs of different age categories. Despite the fact that females have nothing to worry about, they can calmly bear lion cubs and even walk side by side with other females; males, on the contrary, can seriously fight for a female, even to the point of their death. It is survival of the fittest, and only the strongest lion has the right to possess the female.
The female carries the cubs for 100-110 days, and mainly three or five cubs are born. Lion cubs live in large crevices or caves, which are located in places that are difficult for humans to reach. Lion cubs are born as thirty-centimeter babies. They have a beautiful, spotted color that persists until puberty, which usually occurs in the sixth year of the animal’s life.
IN wildlife lions do not live long, on average 16 years, whereas in zoos lions can live for thirty years.
African lion species
Today, there are eight varieties of the African lion, which differ in color, mane color, length, weight and many other features. There are subspecies of lions that are very similar to each other, except that there are some details that are known only to scientists who have been studying the life and development of lions from the cat family for many years.
Classification of lions
- Cape Lion. This lion has not been in the wild for a long time. He was killed in 1860. The lion differed from its brothers in that it had a blacker and overly thick mane, and there were black tassels on its ears. Cape lions lived in the southern African region, many of them chose the Cape of Good Hope.
- Atlas lion. He was considered the largest and most powerful lion with a massive build and overly dark skin. Lived in Africa, lived in the Atlas Mountains. The Roman emperors loved to keep these lions as guards. It is a pity that the very last Atlas lion was shot dead by hunters in Morocco at the beginning of the 20th century. It is believed that descendants of this subspecies of lion live today, but scientists still argue about their authenticity.
- Indian lion (Asian). They have a more squat body, their fur is not as splayed, and their mane is more sleek. Such lions weigh two hundred kilograms, females even less - only ninety. In the entire history of the existence of the Asiatic lion, one Indian lion was entered into the Guinness Book of Records, whose body length was 2 meters 92 centimeters. Asiatic lions live in Indian Gujarat, where a special reserve is reserved for them.
- Katangese lion from Angola. They called him that because he lives in the province of Katanga. It has a lighter color than other subspecies. An adult Katangese lion reaches three meters in length, and a lioness - two and a half. This subspecies of the African lion has long been considered endangered, since there are very few of them left to live in the world.
- West African lion from Senegal. It has also been on the verge of complete extinction for a long time. Males have a light mane, rather short. Some males may not have a mane. The physique of predators is not large, and the shape of the muzzle is also slightly different, less powerful than that of an ordinary lion. Lives south of Senegal, in Guinea, mainly in central Africa.
- Masai lion. These animals differ from others in that they have longer limbs, and the mane is not tousled, like that of the Asiatic lion, but “neatly” combed back. Masai lions are very large; males can reach a length of over two meters and ninety centimeters. The height of the withers of both sexes is 100 cm. Weight reaches 150 kilograms and above. The habitat of the Masai lion is African southern countries, also live in Kenya, in reserves.
- Congolese lion. Very reminiscent of its African counterparts. Only he lives mainly in the Congo. Just like the Asiatic lion, it is an endangered species.
- Transvaal lion. Previously, it was classified as a Kalahari lion, since by all appearances it was reputed to be a very large animal and had the longest and darkest mane. It is interesting that in some subspecies of the Transvaal or South African lion, significant changes were observed for a long time due to the fact that in the body of lions of this subspecies there were no melanocytes, which secrete a special pigment - melanin. They have white fur and pink skin color. In length, adult individuals reach 3.0 meters, and lionesses - 2.5. They live in the Kalahari Desert. Several lions of this species have been housed in the Kruger nature reserve.
- White lions- Scientists believe that these lions are not a subspecies, but a genetic deviation. Animals that suffer from leukemia have light, white fur. There are very few such animals, and they live in captivity, in eastern reserve SOUTH AFRICA.
We would also like to mention the “Barbary lions” (Atlas lion), kept in captivity, whose ancestors lived in the wild and were not as large and powerful as the modern “Berberians”. However, in all other respects, these animals are very similar to modern ones, they have the same shapes and parameters as their relatives.
This is interesting!
There are no black lions at all. Such lions would not survive in the wild. Maybe somewhere they saw a black lion (people who traveled along the Okavango River write about this). It seems that they saw black lions there with their own eyes. Scientists believe that such lions are the result of crossbreeding between lions different colors or between relatives. In general, there is still no evidence of the existence of the black lion.
A lion: Interesting Facts, photo and brief description for preparing a report or presentation for children in grades 2-3-4.
Habitat
The lion is a predatory animal that is called the king of all animals. The lion is a member of one of the four genera of panthers. The habitat is predominantly considered African continent, south of the Sahara. Lions can be found much less frequently in Asia, where there are only a negligible number of them left due to human activity.
Appearance
Outwardly, lions are very impressive. This is a large and strong animal. A lion can weigh up to 250 kilograms, inferior in this indicator among big cats only to the tiger. Males differ significantly from females in size and have a characteristic mane. The lion's skin often matches the color of its mane, being yellow-gray in color. However, sometimes there are individuals with a black mane.
The body length of males on average reaches from 1.7 to 2.5 meters, in females - from 1.4 to 1.8 meters. The height at the shoulders of lions does not exceed 1.25 meters. The tail is up to 1 meter long, fluffy at the end.
Reproduction and lifespan
Lionesses are ready to mate from the age of 4 years. Males begin this process when females go into heat. During this period, the lioness mates from 20 to 40 times a day, with different partners. The duration of pregnancy is about 110 days.
Usually 4 lion cubs are born. A newborn lion cub weighs from 1.2 to 2.5 kilograms. For the first 6-7 months, young lions are closely attached to their mother. Puberty they begin only at the age of 3 years, and by 4.5 years they are ready to displace other males from the pride. Lions live in the wild from 10 to 14 years.
Behavior and nutrition
The lion is a predator that needs to eat meat every day. The lions go together for prey. This process is well organized for them. Synchronized Actions lion pack always bring success during a hunt. Having gathered in a group, they are ready to go in search of a victim. Most often, lions prey on animals weighing from 50 to 450 kg. The daily norm for a male is 7-8 kilograms of meat, for a female - 5 kg.
Most often, lions behave calmly, because they understand well that few can compete with them. If it comes to a fight, the lion poses a huge danger to the enemy due to its strength and mass.
Ecology
Basics:
Known for being some of the only truly social cats, lions prefer to be nomadic and live in groups called prides, and the leadership of these groups mainly belongs to females.
Lions have golden fur, and males have a shaggy mane that ranges in color from light to reddish or even black. Coat color depends on the lion's age, genetics and hormone levels.
Adult male lions can reach a length of up to 3 meters and usually weigh between 150 and 250 kilograms, while females are slightly smaller in size - a maximum of 2.7 meters in length and weigh around 120-180 kilograms. A lion's tail can reach a length of 0.6-1 meter. Asiatic lions are slightly smaller than their African relatives.
The lion's body is ideally suited for hunting: they are strong and fit, have powerful front paws and jaws that help them kill prey.
Lions mainly feed on large animals, such as zebras and wildebeest. They do not hesitate to take prey from other predators - hyenas and leopards. The most important hunters of a pride are females.
Lionesses mate every 2 years and can give birth to 1 to 6 cubs at once 3.5 months after conception. Approximately 60 to 70 percent of lion cubs die in the first year of life. The females of the pride help each other care for their offspring.
In the wild, male lions live on average 12 years, and females 15 years. In the zoo, lions can live longer - more than 20 years.
A pride can contain up to 40 lions, including adult females, adolescent lions (2-4 years old) and 1-2 adult males. Females remain in their mother's pride for life unless food shortage causes the pride to split. Males are driven out of the pride when they become old in order to compete with younger rivals.
Males first travel together with the entire group, which consists of his relatives, and then look for another pride to join. Usually males live in one pride for 2-3 years.
Males and females mark their territories with urine and also drive away rivals with their menacing roars.
Where do they live?
Lions once lived throughout Europe, Africa and North America, but today they can be found mainly in Africa - from the southern edge of the Sahara Desert to the northern part of South Africa. The habitat is savannas.
A small population of lions - about 300 individuals - lives in the Gir forest in western India.
Security status: African lion – vulnerable, Asiatic lion – critically endangered
Lion populations are suffering due to human hunting and taking away the animals' territory, and lions are also threatened by diseases that can be transmitted from domestic dogs in neighboring villages.
Over the past 2 decades, the lion population in Africa has halved by various reasons, including punitive measures against farmers: lions attack livestock.
Human intervention in the Asiatic lion's habitat has threatened their population in the Gir forest.
The closest relatives of lions are tigers, with which lions can interbreed in captivity. As a result, hybrids of these cats are born - liger and tiger lion.
Lions are the second largest cat in size (after tigers).
The menacing roar of a lion can be heard 8 kilometers away in the savannah.
The lion's mane helps the lion defend itself during fights.
Lions can reach speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour when chasing prey, although they can only travel short distances. The lion's leap reaches 11 meters.
Asiatic lions have sparser manes than African relatives, and they have a characteristic fold of skin on their abdomen. African lions' ears are hidden in the mane, while Asian lions' ears protrude from the mane.
During mating season, lions can mate 20-40 times a day.
The lion is one of the largest representatives of the cat family. The weight of adult lions can reach 250 kg. Males are usually much larger and heavier than females; they can be easily distinguished externally by the presence of a thick mane on the head and chest. The coat color is yellowish-gray, but white lions are also found. The hair on the body, paws, muzzle and tail is short. The mane consists of long, thick hair, and at the tip of the tail there is a tassel of long hair.
Distribution and habitats of lions
IN natural conditions lions live only in Africa and Asia. In Africa they can be found in areas located south of the desert Sahara, and in Asia in the Indian state of Gujarat in the Gir forest.
Lions prefer spacious savannas, but can live in forests or areas overgrown with bushes.
Nutrition
Lions are predators. They usually hunt large animals. Zebras, wildebeests, buffaloes and other animals often become victims of African lions. Lions native to Asia hunt wild boars, deer and other mammals.
An adult lion can eat up to 30 kg of meat at a time, but usually a lion eats about 7 kg of meat per day, and a lioness 5 kg.
Lifestyle
Lions are social animals. They unite in groups - prides. A pride consists of one or more adult lions, several related lionesses, and their offspring. Some lions live alone or in pairs. Adult males usually prefer independent life.
Lioness are more often involved in hunting. They form a group and hunt down prey together. The meat is eaten by all members of the pride, including those who did not take part in the hunt.
Each pride occupies a certain territory, the boundaries of which the lions jealously guard, driving out uninvited guests. Typically, lions drive away other males, and lionesses drive away other lionesses. Lion cubs, when they become adults, can remain in the pride or leave it. As a rule, females continue to live in the pride, and older males leave it. Later they can choose single life or create your own pride.
A lioness's pregnancy lasts 110 days and subsequently gives birth to one to four cubs. She gives birth to her cubs in some secluded place - in a cave or in dense thickets. Babies are born blind and helpless, their weight ranges from 1200 to 2100 grams. The lioness feeds the cubs with milk and tries not to leave them alone for a long time, hunting nearby. When the cubs are about a month and a half old, they will join the pride.
In natural conditions, lions live from 10 to 14 years, and in captivity their life expectancy can reach 20 years or more.
Leo brief information.
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