by Sude Özgür
Copyright © 2022
Life of Lions
Copyright © 2022
Physical Description
Lions have strong, compact bodies and powerful forelegs, teeth and jaws for pulling down and killing prey. Their coats are yellow-gold, and adult males have shaggy manes that range in color from blond to reddish-brown to black. The length and color of a lion’s mane is likely determined by age, genetics and hormones. Young lions have light spotting on their coats that disappears as they grow.
Without their coats, lion and tiger bodies are so similar that only experts can tell them apart.
Native Habitat
Lions inhabit a wide range of habitats, from open plains to thick brush and dry thorn forest. Except for a small population of the Indian lion subspecies that remains in the Gir Forest of northwest India, lions now live only in Africa, from the Sahara’s southern fringe to northern South Africa. They are absent from equatorial areas dominated by moist tropical forest.
Lions are the world’s most social felines. They live in groups of related females, called prides, which may comprise several to as many as 40 individuals, including adults, sub-adults (between the ages of 2 and 4) and cubs, plus one or more resident males.
Females usually stay in their mothers’ prides for life, unless food scarcity forces them out. Young males are driven from their prides when they grow large enough to compete with the dominant males (usually between the ages of 2 and 4).
They create coalitions, usually with brothers and cousins, and search for a pride to take over. Males entering a new pride will kill all cubs that cannot run from them. Adult males that are fortunate enough to achieve residency within a pride hold tenure for an average of two years, often leaving due to eviction by another coalition of males. In India, female and male lions live apart, joining only to mate.Males take on most of the defensive duties. However, both males and females mark their territories by roaring — which can be heard up to five miles away — and scent marking with urine. Females raise the cubs and are the primary hunters, although males will sometimes join females during a hunt.
Food/Eating Habits
Lions primarily eat large animals that weigh from 100 to 1,000 pounds (45 to 453 kilograms), such as zebra and wildebeest. In times of shortage, they also catch and eat a variety of smaller animals, from rodents to reptiles. Lions also steal kills from hyenas, leopards and other predators. At times, they may lose their own catches to hyena groups. Lions may also feed on domestic livestock, especially in areas near villages.
The Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s lions eat ground beef, which is commercially produced to meet the nutritional needs of carnivores. Twice a week, they receive knucklebones or beef femurs, and once a week they receive rabbits, which exercise the cats’ teeth and jaws.
How Long Do Lions Live?
In the wild, a lion’s average lifespan is about 10-15 years. However, male lions typically have a shorter lifespan than lionesses. Males live for 8-12 years while females have a lifespan of 10-15 years.
Because lions are apex predators, they aren’t threatened by any other animals, but the abundance of food and fights with other lions can have a dramatic effect on a lion’s life expectancy.
Published: Oct 29, 2022
Latest Revision: Oct 29, 2022
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