Animal Class >>Carnivores
The Lion is the second largest feline species, after the tiger. The male lion, easily recognized by his mane, weighs between 150-250 kg (330-500 lb). Females range 120-150 kg (260-330 lb). In the wild, lions live for around 10-14 years, while in captivity they can live over 20 years. They enjoy hot climates, and hunt in groups. Female lions usually hunt at night or dawn and in packs. Their prey consists mainly of large mammals, such as antelopes, gazelles, warthogs, wildebeest, buffalos and zebras, but smaller animals like hares and birds are also taken occasionally. Carrion is readily taken and often recovered from other predators like hyenas and wild dogs. An adult female lion needs about 5 kg (11 lbs) of meat per day, a male about 7 kg (15 lbs). They are found only in India and Africa.
Facts about Lions
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Lions are family animals and truly social in their own communities. They usually live in groups of 15 or more animals called prides. Prides can be as small as 3 or as big as 40 animals.
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A full-grown male mountain lion may be 9 feet long, including his tail!
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Mountain lions are known by more than 100 names, including panther, catamount, cougar, painter and puma. It's scientific name is Felis concolor, which means "cat of one color." At one time, mountain lions were very common!
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In a pride, lions hunt prey, raise cubs, and defend their territory together.
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In prides the females do most of the hunting and cub rearing. Usually all the lionesses in the pride are related-mothers, daughters, grandmothers, and sisters.
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Many of the females in the pride give birth at about the same time. A cub may nurse other females as well as its mother.
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Each pride generally will have no more than two adult males. While the females usually live with the pride for life, the males often stay for only two to four years. After that they go off on their own or are evicted by other males who take over the pride.
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When a new male becomes part of the pride it is not unusual for him to kill all the cubs, insuring that all future cubs will have his genes.
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The main job of males in the pride is defending the pride's territory. A male's loud roar, usually heard after sunset, can carry for as far as five miles (eight kilometers). The roar warns off intruders and helps round up stray members of the pride.
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Hunting generally is done in the dark by the lionesses. They often hunt in groups of two or three, using teamwork to stalk, surround, and kill their prey.
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Lionesses aren't the most successful of hunters, because they usually score only one kill out of several tries. After the kill the males usually eat first, lionesses next-and the cubs get what's left.
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Males and females fiercely defend against any outside lions that attempt to join their pride. Maybe in this case the family that preys together stays together!
- • Dog
- • Coyote
- • Cat
- • Crow
- • Squirrel
- • Tiger
- • Cheetah
- • Gorilla
- • Orangutan
- • Monkey
- • Brown Bears
- • Polar Bear
- • Panda
- • Elephant
- • Hippopotamus
- • Rhinocerose
- • Giraffe
- • Peafowl
- • Camel
- • Kangaroo
- • Insects
- • Reptiles
- • Fishes
- • Crocodile
- • Dolphin
- • Penguin
- • Sharks
- • Frog
- • Vampire Bats
- • Birds
- • Chimpanzee
- • Pig
- • Horse
- • Duck
- • Owl
- • Pigeon
- • Snake
- • Flamingo
- • Woodpecker
- • Ostrich
- • Chameleon
- • Sparrow
- • Tortoise
- • Spider
- • Grasshoppers
- • Praying Mantis
- • Dragonfly
- • Fox
- • Butterfly
- • Chicken
- • Turtle
- • Bees
- • Dog
- • Coyote
- • Crow
- • Squirrel
- • Gorilla
- • Orangutan
- • Monkey
- • Polar Bear
- • Panda
- • Elephant
- • Hippopotamus
- • Rhinocerose
- • Giraffe
- • Peafowl
- • Camel
- • Kangaroo
- • Insects
- • Reptiles
- • Fishes
- • Crocodile
- • Dolphin
- • Frog
- • Vampire Bats
- • Birds
- • Chimpanzee
- • Pig
- • Horse
- • Duck
- • Owl
- • Pigeon
- • Flamingo
- • Woodpecker
- • Ostrich
- • Chameleon
- • Sparrow
- • Tortoise
- • Spider
- • Grasshoppers
- • Praying Mantis
- • Dragonfly
- • Fox
- • Butterfly
- • Chicken
- • Turtle
- • Bees
