Lion Characteristics, Habitat, & Facts

Know about lion lifestyle

Wednesday, 1st September 2021

The lion (Panthera leo) is a huge, powerfully built cat of the Felidae family, second only to the tiger in size. The lion, the fabled "king of beasts," has long been one of the most well-known wild creatures. Lions are most active at night and can be found in a range of environments, but their preferred habitats include grassland, savanna, deep scrub, and open forest. They used to be widespread throughout most of Europe, Asia, and Africa, but currently they are mostly found south of the Sahara. In India's Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, an isolated group of about 650 Asiatic lions form a slightly smaller race that lives under extreme protection.

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General characteristics

The lion is a huge, muscular cat with short legs and a long body. The size and look of men and women differ significantly. The male's most distinguishing feature is his mane, which differs between individuals and communities. It can be completely absent, fringed around the face, or full and shaggy, covering the back of the head, neck, and shoulders and going across the throat and chest to join a fringe along the belly. The mane and fringe of certain lions are extremely dark, practically black, giving the animal a magnificent aspect. Males with manes appear larger, which can be used to intimidate rivals or impress potential mates.

A fully grown male is roughly 1.8–2.1 metres (6–7 feet) long, excluding the 1-metre tail, and stands about 1.2 metres tall at the shoulder, weighing 170–230 kilogrammes (370–500 pounds). With a body length of 1.5 metres, a shoulder height of 0.9–1.1 metres, and a weight of 120–180 kilogrammes, the female, or lioness, is the smaller of the two. The lion's coat is short and ranges in colour from buff yellow to orange-brown to silvery grey to dark brown, with a darker tuft on the tail tip than the rest of the coat.

Hunting

Lions prey on a wide range of animals, from rodents and baboons to Cape (or African) buffalo and hippopotamuses, but they are most commonly seen hunting medium- to large-sized hoofed mammals like wildebeests, zebras, and antelopes. Geographically, as well as between neighbouring prides, prey choices differ. Elephants and giraffes have been known to be taken by lions, but only when they are young or unwell. They devour any flesh they can get their hands on, including carrion and new kills scavenged from hyenas, cheetahs, and wild dogs. Lionesses who live in open savannas conduct the majority of the hunting, while males often eat from the females' kills. Male lions, on the other hand, are skilled hunters and hunt often in some locations. In scrub or woodland habitat, pride males spend less time with the ladies and hunt the majority of their own food. Male nomads must always be self-sufficient in terms of food. Despite the fact that a troop of hunting lions is potentially nature's most powerful predatory force on land, many of their hunts fail. The cats seem unconcerned about the direction of the wind (which could bring their scent to their prey), and they fatigue quickly after short distances. They usually stalk prey from adjacent cover before bursting forth to chase it down in a short, quick burst. After leaping on the victim, the lion lunges at the animal's neck and bites until it is strangled. Other members of the pride scramble to get a piece of the kill, often fighting for it. Members of a pride may encircle a herd or approach it from opposite directions, then close in for a kill in the ensuing panic. The cats usually feast themselves before resting for several days in the area. An adult man can eat over 34 kg (75 pounds) of meat in a single meal and then recover for a week before returning to the hunt. When prey is plentiful, both sexes spend 21 to 22 hours per day relaxing, sleeping, or sitting, and just 2 or 3 hours per day hunting.

The News Talkie Bureau

Source

britannica