Basic Facts About Lions. Renowned for its majesty and nicknamed "the king of the jungle," the lion possesses both beauty and strength.
Lions vary in color but typically sport light yellow-brown coats. Mature male lions are unique among big cats due the thick brown or black manes that encircle their necks and protect them while fighting. © Jess Jones Diet Lions consume a wide variety of prey, from wildebeest, impala, zebra, giraffe, buffalo and wild hogs to sometimes rhinos and hippos. Population The lion population in Africa has been reduced by half since the early 1950s. Range Though lions used to live in most parts of Africa, they are now found only in the south Sahara desert and in parts of southern and eastern Africa. Behavior Did You Know? Both male and female lions roar, and that roar can be heard over five miles away! The only social member of the cat (Felidae) family, lions live in large groups called "prides," consisting of about 15 lions. Females do almost all of the hunting. Reproduction. Great Cats: Lions. Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Felidae Species: Panthera leo The world's most social felines, lions usually get by with a little help from their pride mates.
Physical Description: Lions have strong, compact bodies and powerful forelegs, teeth, and jaws for pulling down and killing prey. Size: Male lions grow larger than females, reaching up to ten feet long (females reach up to nine feet long), plus a two- to three-foot-long tail. Geographic Distribution: Except for a small population that hangs on in the dry Gir Forest of northwest India, lions now live only in Africa. Status: The lion is listed as vulnerable on the World Conservation Union's (IUCN's) Red List of Threatened Animals. Habitat: Lions inhabit a wide range of habitats, from open plains to thick brush and dry thorn forest. Natural Diet: Lion. Lion, large carnivore of the cat family, Panthera leo, found in open country in Africa, with a few surviving in India.
Lions have short-haired coats of tawny brown, with the tail ending in a dark tuft. Most males have black or tawny manes of varying length growing from the head, neck, and shoulders. The mane may be quite long and magnificent, giving the lion the imposing appearance that has led it to be known as king of the beasts in folklore; studies indicate that long manes are typical mainly of cooler climate lions. Grown males are about 9 ft (2.7 m) long including the 3-ft (90-cm) tail, stand about 3 ft (90 cm) at the shoulder, and weigh up to 400 lb (180 kg). Females are smaller and lack manes. Lions are the only cats that are social rather than solitary. In early historic times lions ranged over Eurasia from E Europe to India and over all of Africa. Lions are classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, order Carnivora, family Felidae.
Lion Facts and Pictures. Lion (Panthera leo. Lion. We began with a roar!
Whenever people are asked to name animals that are in a zoo, lions are usually at the very top of the list. They have certainly been an important part of the San Diego Zoo’s history! There was no San Diego Zoo in 1915, when a handsome male lion named Rex and two females, Rena and Cleopatra, arrived in town as part of the Panama-California International Exposition. It was soon after the Exposition ended that Harry Wegeforth, M.D., decided to create a zoo in San Diego after hearing Rex roar!
Rex, Rena, and Cleopatra became some of the new Zoo’s earliest residents. In 1923, an open-air lion grotto opened along what is now the Zoo’s Center Street. Lion Camp at the Safari Park The San Diego Zoo Safari Park has had lions on exhibit since it opened in 1972. Lion Camp is currently home to three of those original six cubs, who are all adults now: male Izu and his two adoring females, Oshana and Mina. Lions in the Zoo's Elephant Odyssey.