Lion facts
Also known as the King of the Jungle, the lion belongs to the order Carnivora, Felidae family. Although untill 10.000 years ago the lion was, after man, the most widespread large land mammal, today the asian lion is an endangered species and the african lion is declared a vulnerable species.
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The lion is the second biggest feline after the tiger. Its fur color can vary from pale yellow to brown or even tawny. The hair on its abdomen is lighter in color and the tails' tuft is black. The cubs have brown spots on their fur, similar to leopards. There are even white lions, the light color being caused by a recessive allele in the genetic code. Lions can vary in size depending on the area that they live in, but on average, females weigh 120-180 kilos and the males 150-230 kilograms.
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The mane of the adult male lion, unique among cats, is one of the most distinctive characteristics of the species. It makes the lion appear larger, providing an excellent intimidation display; this aids the lion during confrontations with other lions and with the species' chief competitor in Africa, the spotted hyena. Source
Interesting lion facts
- Lions can't roar untill they reach 2 years of age.
- An adult male lion roars so loud that it can be heard from a 5 mile distance.
- They feed once at 3-4 days.
- The females handle most of the hunting while the male prefers to rest.
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Female lion exhausted after a full day of hunting.
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