The lion is a large feline, vertebrate and carnivore mammal. its scientific name is Panthera leo.
Known as the King of the Jungle, the lion can be found in Asia, Africa and Europe.
It is currently classified as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN).
Among the main threats to the conservation of lions are indiscriminate hunting and the reduction of their habitats.
The biological classification of the lion is:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: carnivora
Family: Felidae
Gender: panthera
Species: P. oil
Some sub-species of existing lions are: South African lion, atlas lion, Asian lion and cape lion.
Lion Characteristics
Learn about the main characteristics of lions:
Habitat and way of life
Most of the lions that live in the wild today are found in the savannas from Africa and other semi-desert regions. It has already been extinguished from many forest areas in Asia and Europe.
They live in groups of up to 40 individuals, mostly female, led by the alpha male.
The activities in the group are divided among its members. While females are responsible for hunting and caring for the young, males ensure the protection of the group.
Most of the lions' time is dedicated to rest, with hunting and group activities only for 5 hours a day. The rest of the time is for sleeping, resting and saving energy.
Also, their activities usually take place at dusk. Lions have excellent night vision, ensuring that hunting can take place at night.
The communication between the lions is made through roars, they serve to alert and demarcate the occupied territory. To get an idea of its power, the roar can be heard up to 9 km away!
Physical aspects
The male has a characteristic and imposing mane, in addition to being quite hairy. The female is smaller, much less hairy and does not have a mane. The coat color of lions varies from yellow to brown.
Lions and lionesses differ in their sizes and weights, as shown in the table below:
| Size | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 2.6 to 3.3 m | from 2.4 to 2.7 m |
| Height | 60 to 90 cm | 60 to 90 cm |
| Weight | 150-250 kg | 120-185 kg |
Also know about other feline animals:
- Jaguar
- Ocelot
- Tiger
food
Lions are carnivorous animals and their most common prey are zebra, buffalo, wild boar, antelopes and deer. They are excellent predators and occupy the top of their food chains.
Females usually go hunting, due to their greater agility. However, hunting is not always guaranteed. Thus, lions can go up to three days without feeding.
How does reproduction take place?
Lions reach sexual maturity up to 4 years of age. Reproduction can take place throughout the year. Females' heat lasts from 2 to 8 days and occurs at any time of year.
Mating can happen up to 50 times in a single day. Females are only not available for breeding during gestation and lactation.
Gestation lasts from 100 to 119 days, and results from 2 to 4 offspring. The female looks for a safe place to give birth and from where she can continue her hunting activities.
Puppies are born weighing about 2 kg, and their eyes only open 10 days after birth. They can also be breastfed by other females in the group. When they are 3 months old, they start to accompany the mother and the females during hunting.
An interesting feature is the possibility of crossing between a lion and a tigress, resulting in a hybrid animal, the turn on. On the other hand, the crossing of the tiger with the lioness gives rise to a tiger.
Ligers are rare animals that are born only in captivity. In 2013, the Ligre Hercules was considered the largest cat in the world, it was huge, measured 3.33 meters long, 1.25 meters tall and weighed 418.2 kilos.
Learn more, read too:
- Cats
- Strings
- Mammals
- Animal Kingdom
Curiosities about lions
- Lions can eat up to 30 kg of meat in one of their meals throughout the day.
- Lionesses can run up to 80 km/h when traveling short distances. Males are slower, reaching 58 km/h.
- The lion is the second largest feline in the world, behind the tiger.
- Lions can live up to 20 years.
- The white lion (panthera leo krugeri) is leukistic, a condition different from albinism. In this case, the white color is determined by a recessive inhibitor gene. Furthermore, they are not more sensitive to the sun.
