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Lion | Facts And Information About Lion With Picture
The lion is called the king of the forest and this species is famous all over the world for its courage, power and strength. Lions are powerful and huge animals that have been used as a symbol of courage for centuries. This is the reason why most people in the world like to get lion head artwork.
Lion is a type of big cat and it is found in African or Asian grasslands. Apart from this, everyone knows that lions are carnivorous animals and like to eat a lot of meat. Lions sleep during the day and are known to come out for food as soon as night falls.
The lion is known as one of the fastest hunters and lives in a group of about 15-20 members called prides. Lions sometimes commit cannibalism or even hunt a human if they get the opportunity but this behavior is not seen most of the time.
Where Are Lions Found
It is believed that in ancient times, lions roamed the forests of entire Africa, southeastern Europe, and western and southern Asia. But now we can currently see this magnificent animal only in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of India. Apart from this, tigers, jaguars and leopards come in the lion genus.
Its two subspecies are known as African lion and Asiatic lion. About 10,000 years ago, both the subspecies of lion got separated. Apart from this, a group of female lions like to hunt together and hunt large animals which can fulfill their food requirements.
These magnificent creatures are known to live in a variety of habitats, preferring grasslands, savannas, scrublands bordering rivers, and open forests with thickets. Lions live in dense forests or closed forests in very small numbers.
The lion species can be found at altitudes as high as 3600 meters above sea level and close to the snow line of Mount Kenya. Lions are mostly seen in open savanna grasslands with scattered acacia trees for shade.
Lions living in Asia can only be found in the forests surrounding Gir National Park in Gujarat in western India. The habitat there is a mix of dry savannah forests and dry deciduous scrub forests for these animals.
White lions are a rare species with a genetic condition called leucism and white lions are seen in Kruger National Park, Timbavati Private Game Reserve in eastern South Africa.
Scientific Name Of Lion
The scientific name of the lion is Panthera leo and the lion comes under the mammal class. There are two subspecies of lions in the world and they are known as African lion and Indian lion. Most of the lions are in Africa and a small population of wild lions can be seen in the Gir forest of India.
Lions are social animals and prefer to live in small groups called prides. A pride of lions can be made up of 2-3 male lions along with 5-12 females and their cubs. Apart from this, the male lions patrol the area with trees and rocks to avoid intruders.
The hunting in the forest is managed by female lions together because the male lion is slow and can be easily seen. Female lions hunt wild animals together and kill any prey even if it is faster or bigger than them.
Lion Habitat
Lion prides were mostly found in Africa, parts of Europe and Asia. But currently lions live in sub-Saharan Africa and only a small population of lions can be seen living in the Gir Forest of India.
These animals adapt well to very dry climates as they get most of the moisture from their food. A group of lions prefer open forests, bushes and tall grasslands where there is a variety of prey to hunt.
These animals are not found very far away in dense rainforests or deserts. Apart from this, many countries in the world are now promoting new national parks to observe the group of lions within a safe habitat.
How Lions Look Like
Lions have always been famous around the world for their courage. The lion has been depicted as a symbol of power in many places and whether it is in the form of flags, emblems or identification marks. The lion has the most powerful body after the tiger in the cat family.
The roar of a wild lion can be heard up to 5 miles and adult lions have yellow gold colored bodies. Also, male lions are famous for their long hair that surrounds their heads. The body of a lion is powerful and strong with a round head. The body of a lion is light brown, silver-gray yellowish red and dark brown in color.
Lions are fierce looking animals and we always associate them with strength and fear but when seen in their natural habitat they look cute and lazy. Their cubs and male lions with their manes look majestic as these carnivorous animals are at the top of the food chain in the forest. Read- Spider Monkey | Know About Monkey That Walks Like A Spider
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Size of Lion
Lions are big cats and are the largest among the big cat species like panthera, tiger, jaguar and leopard as the lion is a big animal with a length of 4.5 to 8.2 feet. The Southern African female lion weighs around 117-145 kg and the male lion weighs 186-226 kg.
The East African female lion weighs around 120 kg and the male lion weighs around 174 kg. The Asian female lion weighs 108-120 kg and the male lion weighs around 160-190 kg.
Male lions are known for their roar on the other hand, female lions are known for their hunting ability. Asiatic lions are small in size and African lions are known for their strong jaws with 30 teeth, including 4 canines and 4 premolars which are perfectly designed to bite flesh.
What Do lions Eat
Lions are known as keystone predators which means that they have a huge impact on their environmental surroundings due to their wide prey spectrum. Lions hunt mammals and mostly hoofed animals such as plains zebra, blue wildebeest, gemsbok, African buffalo and giraffe.
Also, lions prefer to hunt species that weigh between 190-544 kg. In India, lions hunt sambar deer, spotted deer and domestic cattle and a single lion is capable of killing a wildebeest or zebra.
Mostly, lions prefer to hunt in their groups which are known as prides. A pride consists of about 15-20 lions and consists of 3 males, 12 females and young lions. The diet of a lion consists of 5-7 kg of meat per day.
But lions hunt and eat large animals so they can survive for up to 5 days without eating. A large lion is known to sleep up to 20 hours a day when they have eaten a heavy meal and lions can sleep with one eye open.
How Lions Reproduce
Most lions reach their sexual maturity by 3-4 years and have no specific mating season. Lionesses are polygamous and a female lion can mate with more than one male lion during her heat cycle.
A female lion gives birth to 1 or 4 cubs after a gestation period of 110 days. During this time, the female lion hunts alone and close to the den. The cubs are born blind and helpless. The cubs start walking after about 3 weeks.
Female lions join the pride when the cubs are 6 to 8 weeks old. Female lions mostly synchronize their reproductive cycles and raise cubs communally. Also, cubs are weaned at 7 months.
How Long Do Lions Live
Lions living in the wild live for about 8-15 years and lions living in zoos can live up to about 25 years of age. But this depends on the type of habitat the lions are in and whether they are given proper care and nutrition or not.
How Fast Can Lions Run
A lion can run at a speed of about 50 miles (80.467 kilometres) per hour in short bursts and female lions cannot run away until they are very close to their prey. Apart from this, this animal is known to jump up to about 10 meters.
The lion is a carnivorous animal and when a lion walks, its heels do not touch the ground, seeing this it appears that the lion is walking on its toes. The roar of a lion can be heard up to 5 miles (8.047 kilometres) away. Read- Beautiful Sunbird Habitat | Interesting Facts About Sunbird
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How Lions Communicate
Lions like to communicate in a variety of ways which include sounds such as groans, grunts, roars, growls, grunts, snarls and rumbling. Lions are also great non-verbal communicators and male and female lions have been known to growl, lick and nibble at each other.
How Many Lions Are There In The World
There are about 20,000 male and female lions worldwide and about 26 African countries have extinct lion populations. The African lion can be found in 28 African countries and the Asiatic lion can be found in only one country, India which has six protected complexes that house more than 1000 lions.
The conservation status of the lion is vulnerable and the encroachment of their natural habitat for agriculture and cities is the most serious threat to these animals. Hunting of lions for sport was also a major reason for the decline in its population.
To promote lion conservation, lion hunting has been banned in Asia and Africa. Apart from this, dedicated national parks are being created to provide safe habitat to the lion.
Lion Behavior
Lions are dangerous if we trouble them the wrong way and lions are not known to hunt or attack a human unless provoked or in dire circumstances.
Efforts are being made to restore their natural habitat instead of keeping lions as pets and we have already seen a steady decline in their numbers. Lions have survived in zoos but it would not be a good idea to keep them as pets.
Lion Facts For Kids
1. How many days can a lion stay hungry?
A lion's diet includes 5-7 kg of meat per day. But lions eat large prey like wild animals then it can stay without eating anything for up to 5 days. A large lion is known to sleep for 20 hours a day when they have eaten a heavy meal and lions can sleep with one eye open.
2. What are the special features of a lion?
The roar of a lion can be heard up to 5 miles (8.047 kilometres) and the lions have a yellowish gold coloured body. The male lions are known for their long hair surrounding their head and the lion has a strong body with a round head. The body of a lion is light brown, silver-grey yellowish red and dark brown in colour.
3. What are 5 facts about lions for kids?
A female lion found in Asia weighs around 108-120 kg and a male lion weighs around 160-190 kg. Lions are initially spotted and the male lion's magnificent mane tells a story. Cubs are raised together and lions can get their water from plants.
4. What is an amazing fact about lions?
Female lions are hunters. Male lions guard the cubs while the females go out in search of food. A lion's roar can be heard up to 5 miles away and lions mark their territory with scent. Lions mark boundaries using their urine.
5. What is a lion cub called?
A baby lion is commonly referred to as a cub, and baby lions can also be called cubs and lionesses.
6. What does a lion eat?
Lions are carnivores which means that the diet of a lion is meat. Lions hunt large herbivores such as zebra, wildebeest and buffalo for their food but lions also eat smaller animals and can scavenge carcasses. When large prey is scarce they hunt rabbits, birds, rodents for their food.
7. Why is a lion so special?
Lions are unique because lions are the only animals to live in social groups called prides. A pride consists of mostly related females, their offspring and a small number of male lions who are mostly brothers or close relatives who help defend the group.
8. Where do lions sleep?
Lions in the wild sleep during the day and always look for shade during the day which can take the form of trees or bushes.
9. How fast is a female lion?
Female lions can run at speeds of up to 80 km/h in short bursts. This speed is used during hunting where the female lions chase prey or defend territory.
10. What are the qualities of a lion?
Lions are known to be powerful, confident and decisive, capable of leading and motivating others. They also have a strong sense of family and companionship within their pride which highlights their social nature.