LION

LION

·        Lion

The lion (Panthera leo) could be a giant vertebrate of the family Felidae (cat) family. Some giant males weigh over 250 kilogram (550 lb).[3] Today, wild lions board Sub-Saharan Africa and in Asia.[4] Lions area unit tailored for all times in grasslands and mixed areas with trees and grass. The comparatively tiny females area unit quick runners over short distances, and coordinate their searching of herd animals.

Lions have disappeared from North Africa and southwest Asia in historic times. Until the late Pleistocene epoch, about 10,000 years past, the lion was the most widespread large land mammal after humans. They were found in most of Africa, across continent from western Europe to India, and in the Americas from the Yukon to Peru.[5] The lion is now a vulnerable species. There was a decline in its African vary of 30–50% over twenty years within the half of the twentieth century.[2] home ground loss and conflicts with humans area unit the greatest causes of concern.

Lions area unit usually known as the "king of the beasts". They are used as symbols representing courage. They appear in heraldry a lot of usually than the other animal. They are an icon of courage and royalty.

Lions live for ten to fourteen years after they area unit within the wild. When they area unit captured, they'll live longer than twenty years. In the wild, males don't typically live longer than ten years. This is as a result of wounds from fighting with different males create their lives shorter.[6] they typically board grassland and piece of land. These areas do have bushes and trees, however lions area unit chiefly tailored to catch feed on grasslands. Compared to other cats, lions are social. A group of lions is called a pride. In a pride of lions, there area unit connected females, their young, and one or 2 adult males. Groups of female lions often hunt together.

Lions area unit carnivores and scavengers.[7] Carrion makes up over five hundredth of their diet.[8] Lions scavenge animals either dead from natural causes (disease) or killed by different predators. They keep a continuing lookout for circling vultures, as a result of this suggests there's a dead or injured  animal accessible.[7]

·        Adaptations

They have associate degree archetypical roar that is employed to speak with different cluster members and warn totally different intruders of territorial boundaries.

They have long, retractile claws that facilitate the lion to grab and hold prey. They even have a rough tongue that helps them peel the skin of prey animals faraway from flesh and flesh faraway from bone. Across their belly, they need loose skin that permits the species to be kicked by prey with very little likelihood of associate degree injury.

·        Description

There area unit regarding thirty,000 lions left within the wild in Africa. Only 350 lions are left in Asia. They board the Gir Forest[9] within the state of Gujarat, India.

Lions hunt many animals, such as gnus and antelopes. Male lions typically weigh between one hundred fifty and 250 kilograms (330 and 550 pounds). Large lions have reached 250 to 270 kilogram (550 to 600 lb). Females (lionesses) area unit typically a hundred and twenty to 182 kilogram (265 to 401 lb).[3] Mature male lions are the only cats with a mane.

·        Behavior

Lions live in groups that are called prides. 10 to forty lions could sleep in a pride. Each pride contains a home space that's known as its territory. Lions don't permit different carnivores(meat-eating animals) to hunt in their territory. A territory is as giant as 260 sq. kilometres (100 sq. miles).

The lions' roar is distinct to each individual. It is used for territorial marking and warning off different lions in separate prides (or lone individuals). This but, is typically administered by competitory males.

Lions aren't as designed for extreme speed as cheetahs square measure, but hunt in packs. This is unusual in cats. The females typically do the looking for the pride. However the males will typically facilitate if required, to require down massive animals. After lions have brought down a prey, they suffocate it by biting the front of its face to stop it respiratory. Lions even have long retractile claws that act like grappling hooks, to keep hold of the prey.

·        Breeding

A Panthera leo is prepared to own young once she is 2–3 years previous. Baby lions are called cubs. Cubs are born after 3 1/2 months. The cubs area unit born blind; their eyes don't open till they're a few week previous, and can't see well till they're regarding fortnight previous. Lions do not have a den (home) where they would live for a long time. The lion conceals the cubs in thick bush, gullies, or rocky outcrops. If the place has been seen by different predators, then the lioness will move the cubs to a new hiding place. The cubs are introduced to the pride at regarding six weeks previous. The cubs area unit terribly vulnerable once the lion goes bent hunt and wishes to depart the cubs behind. Also, when a new male takes over a pride from another male, he usually kills all of the cubs. The cubs' mothers will then mate with the new pride male, which means that the first batch of new cubs will be his offspring. A litter of 2-6 cubs are born. Usually, solely 1-2 cubs survive till introduced to the pride, at which point they are protected by the whole pride.

In zoos, lions are known  to breed with tigers. If the fogeys area unit a male lion and a feminine tiger, the offspring is called a liger. If the fogeys area unit a male tiger and a feminine lion, the offspring is named a big cat.