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Lions
Introduction:
The lion is the second largest member in the feline family
of "big cats", that comprises of four species
including the lion, tiger, jaguar and leopard. Lions have
powerful legs, strong jaws, and long canine teeth. Their
colouration varies from light buff to yellowish, reddish
or dark brown, with a mane varying from blond to black.
A lion's underparts are generally lighter and the tail
tuft is black. There are also white lions that have cream
coloured coats, and black lions that have been reported
in some parts of Africa.
Location:
Lions exist in the wild in sub-Saharan Africa and in Asia,
with a critically endangered population in Northwest India.
They typically inhabit savannah and grassland, although
they may take to bush and forest. They can live at high
altitudes – as high as 16,400 ft – or at sea
level, and anywhere in between!
Size:
Average listed weights for the lions are between 330 –
500 lbs (150 – 225 kg) for males, and 260 –
330 lbs (120 – 150 kg) for females. Head and body
length is 5.2 ft – 8.2 ft (170 – 250 cm) in
males and 4.6 ft – 5.8 ft (140 – 175 cm) in
females; shoulder height is about 4 ft (123 cm) in males
and 3.3 ft (100 cm) in females. The tail length is 2.3
ft –3.3 ft (70 – 100 cm).
Food:
Lion's prey consists mainly of large mammals, with a preference
for wildebeest, impalas, zebras, buffalo and warthogs
in Africa, and nilgai, wild boars and several deer species
in India. Lions are capable of taking down most animals,
even healthy adults. However, they rarely attack very
large animals such as buffalo bulls, fully grown male
giraffes, and adult hippopotamuses, rhinoceroses or elephants,
due to the danger of injury. They are capable of killing
other predators such as leopards, cheetahs, hyenas and
wild dogs, as well as scavenging animals either dead from
natural causes or killed by other predators. An adult
female lion requires an average of about 11 lbs (5 kg)
of meat per day, a male about 15.4 lbs (7 kg).
Life Cycle:
Most lionesses will reproduce by the time they are four
years of age. A female may mate with more than one male
when she is in heat; during a mating bout, which could
last several days, the couple copulates twenty to forty
times a day and are likely to forgo hunting. The average
gestation period is around 110 days, the female giving
birth to a litter of one to four cubs. Lionesses in a
pride will synchronize their reproductive cycles so that
they cooperate in the raising and suckling of the young,
who suckle indiscriminately from any or all of the nursing
females in the pride. Cubs are usually born and initially
kept hidden from view in thickets or sheltered areas.
They weigh 2.6 - 4.6 lbs (1.2–2.1 kg) at birth and
are almost helpless, beginning to crawl a day or two after
birth and walking around three weeks of age. Weaning occurs
after six to seven months. In the wild, competition for
food is fierce, and as many as 80% of the cubs will die
before the age of two. Females do not again become fertile
and receptive until the cubs grow up or die. Lions can
live for approximately 10–14 years in the wild.
Interesting Facts:
· Lions are the second-largest cat after the tiger.
· Until about 10,000 years ago, the lion was
the most widespread large land mammal beside man.
· Lions are unusually social compared to other
cats.
· Groups of female lions typically hunt together.
· The lion is the only felid to have a tail
that ends in a hairy tuft. It develops around 5½
months of age.
· The darker and fuller the mane, the healthier
the lion.
· Lions spend much of their time resting and
are inactive for about 20 hours per day.
· They spend an average two hours a day walking
and 50 minutes eating.
· They can reach speeds of 59 km per hour
(40 mph), though only for short bursts.
· Their variations of sounds include snarling,
purring, hissing, coughing, meowing, woofing and roaring.
· A lion's roar can be heard from a distance
of 8 km.
· Most lions drink water daily if available,
but can go four or five days without it.
· The dark spots on a lion’s muzzle
are unique to each lion, like a fingerprint on a human.
Population & Predators:
Until about 10,000 years ago, lions were found in most
of Africa, much of Eurasia from western Europe to India
and the Bering land bridge and in the Americas from Yukon
to Peru. The lion is a vulnerable species, having seen
a possibly irreversible population decline of 30 to 50%
over the past two decades in its African range; populations
are untenable outside designated reserves and national
parks. Habitat loss due to human population growth and
agricultural expansion, as well as hunting and poaching
by livestock ranchers are currently the lion's greatest
threat, as adult lions have no natural predators. Currently,
estimates of the African lion population range between
16,500 and 47,000 living in the wild in 2002–2004,
down from early 1990's estimates that ranged as high as
100,000 and perhaps 400,000 in 1950. Conservation of both
African and Asian lions has required the set-up and maintenance
of national parks and game reserves; among the best known
are Etosha National Park in Namibia, Serengeti National
Park in Tanzania and Kruger National Park in eastern South
Africa.
Help Protect Their Environment:
· Learn. The more you know about them, the
more you can tell other people. Education and knowledge
are the most important tools!
· Help preserve and encourage the protection of
savannah, grasslands, bush and forest in Africa and India.
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