Lion and lioness animal world. Why is the lion the king of animals? Description of the lion, habitat and lifestyle. Description of a predatory cat
a lion (lat. Panthera Leo)- carnivorous mammal of the panther family (lat. Panthera), the largest after tigers, a representative of the subfamily of big cats (lat. Pantherinae) and a member of the cat family (lat. Felidae).
Description
Lions are large cats with short, yellowish-brown fur and long tails with a black tassel at the end. They are sexually dimorphic and the males are the only ones with a mane. A three-year-old male grows a mane, which has a color from black to light brown. Manes tend to be thicker in lions that live in open areas. Adult males weigh about 189 kg; the record holder in the largest weight was the male, who reached 272 kilograms. Females weigh an average of 126 kg. The average height at the withers is 1.2 meters for males and 1.1 meters for females. The body length ranges from 2.4-3.3 m, and the tail length is 0.6-1.0 m. The longest recorded male lion was 3.3 meters.
Cubs up to 3 months old have brown spots on grayish coats. These spots can remain throughout the life of a lion, especially in East Africans. Albinism may occur in some populations, but there are no published records to support melanism (black fur) in lions. Adults have 30 teeth, adult females have 4 mammary glands.
Asiatic lions (P. l. persica) are much smaller than African lions and have a less dense mane. Their knees, tail tufts and longitudinal folds of skin on the abdomen are larger than those of African lions. Even though Asiatic lions and African lions have genetic differences, they are no more significant than the genetic differences between human races.
area
African lions (Panthera Leo) distributed south of the Sahara desert, except for deserts and tropical forests. Lions were once extirpated in South Africa, but can now be found in the Kruger and Kalahari-Gemsbok National Parks, and possibly some other protected areas. Previously, lions lived in southwest Asia and northern Africa.
Asian lions (P. l. persica) belong to the one remaining subspecies in this region. After migration from Greece to central India, Asiatic lions persist in the Gir Forest and northwest India.
African lions live in plains or savannahs, where there is a large amount of food supply (mainly ungulates) and the opportunity to hide in a safe shelter. In these optimal habitats, lions are the second most common large carnivore after the spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta). Lions can live in wider ranges, with the exception of deserts. These predators are also adapted to life in forest, shrub, mountain and semi-desert areas. Lions can be found at high altitudes. There is a population of lions living in the mountains of Ethiopia at an altitude of 4240 meters.
Asiatic lions live in tree-shrub and teak vegetation of the small Gir forest, India.
reproduction
Lions breed throughout the year and tend to be polygamous. It is believed that lions copulate 3,000 times for each cub. One heat in five results in pregnancy, and lions mate about 2.2 times per hour during the four-day heat period. The main male of the pride has priority to mating with any female. Fight for females between males is usually absent.
Males are noticeably larger and showier, so they control the reproduction of many females during their pride management. They form coalitions with other males to increase their chances of absorbing another pride. Fierce competition among males and the social structure of the pride leads to the killing of cubs of both sexes. The males who dominate the pride usually rule for about 2 years, until another representative, younger and stronger, overthrows his predecessor. Absorption of prides through fighting and often with violence leads to serious injury and even death of the loser.
The reproductive advantage of the dominant male is expressed in the killing of small cubs, defeated males. A lioness who has lost her cubs leaves the pride for 2-3 weeks, and then returns during estrus. The optimal period between births is 2 years. Thus, by getting rid of all the little cubs at the moment of swallowing the pride, males provide themselves with the opportunity to become fathers and take possession of females that were previously inaccessible to them. Females who strongly defend their offspring during attacks can lose their lives.
Females breed throughout the year, but peak during the rainy season. As a rule, lion cubs are born every 2 years. However, if the offspring of the female dies (mainly with the participation of a lion), then her estrus occurs earlier, respectively, and less time passes between pregnancies. Females are able to breed at the age of 4 years, and males - 5 years. A lioness gives birth to 1 to 6 cubs after a 3.5-month pregnancy. There is an interval between pregnancies equal to about 20-30 months. Newborn kittens weigh from 1 to 2 kg. The eyes usually open on the 11th day, begin to walk after 15 days, and are able to run by the age of one month. The lioness guards her cubs for 8 weeks. Lion cubs stop feeding on milk at the age of 7-10 months, but they are very dependent on adults in the pride, at least until they reach the age of 16 months.
| Breeding interval | breeding season | Number of babies born at one time |
| Females usually have cubs every 2 years. However, if the cubs die (due to male invasion), then the female comes into heat earlier, and accordingly, she becomes pregnant more often. | Reproduction occurs throughout the year, but the greatest activity occurs during the rainy season. | 1 to 6 |
| Average offspring | Average duration of pregnancy | Age at weaning babies from mother's milk |
| 3 | 3.5 months (109 days) | 7-10 months |
| Lion cubs gaining independence | Average age of reproductive maturity in females | Average age of reproductive maturity in males |
| Not earlier than 16 months | 4 years | 5 years |
Females are mainly engaged in raising offspring. They not only feed their cubs, but also take care of the young of their relatives from the pride, if the cubs have a slight age difference. Mortality among kittens is low, this is due to the synchronous feeding of young animals from one pride with milk. If at the same time cubs are born to several lionesses, the entire pride participates in their upbringing. Cubs are often left alone for more than one day at 5-7 months of age. They are most vulnerable during this period and may be attacked by predators (often hyenas). Hungry mothers often abandon weak lion cubs who are not able to keep up with the entire pride. Although males do not care for their offspring, they play an important role in protecting the young from competing males. As long as the male maintains control of the pride, preventing another male from taking over, the risk of infanticide by rivals is reduced.
Lifespan
Females tend to live longer than males (about 15-16 years). Lions are at the peak of their strength between the ages of 5 and 9, after reaching the age of 10 only a small part of the males survive. Some males live up to 16 years in the wild. In the Serengeti, females reach the age of 18 years. In captivity, lions live for about 13 years. The oldest lion lived 30 years.
Adults are not threatened by predators, but are vulnerable to humans, starvation, and attacks from other lions. Infanticide is an important factor in the increase in mortality among lion cubs.
Female Asiatic lions live an average of 17-18 years, with a maximum of 21. Male Asiatic lions usually reach the age of 16 years. The mortality rate for adult Asiatic lions is less than 10%. In the Gir forest, about 33% of cubs die within the first year of life.
Behavior
Prides are the main social structure of lion society. Members can come and go from these groups. The number of lions varies from 2 to 40 individuals. In the Kruger and Serengeti National Parks, prides consist of an average of 13 lions. The average composition of these prides is 1.7 adult males, 4.5 adult females, 3.8 juveniles, and 2.8 cubs.
Pride resident males are immigrants who have gained control of a pride through forcible capture. In order to successfully master the family, males form coalitions, usually from brothers. Boys leave their native pride when their fathers (or new leaders) begin to consider them as competitors, usually at 2.5 years old. These males are nomadic for two to three years and then form a coalition and look for a pride to conquer. Coalitions of 2 males tend to rule the pride for no more than 2.5 years, this time is enough for the birth of one generation of cubs. Coalitions of 3-4 males usually run the pride for more than 3 years. Coalitions of more than 4 males are very rare, as large coalitions are difficult to stick together.
Prides consist of females who are related to each other. They remain to live in their mother's territory. Females do not compete with each other and do not express dominant behavior as seen in some matriarchal social systems. Related females often synchronously reproduce and then cross-feed each other's young. Such mutually beneficial behavior prevents the manifestation of dominance. Unlike females, males are very aggressive towards other members of the pride, especially during food intake. The lack of dominant behavior among females may have made the process of raising offspring easier, since females cannot influence the reproduction of other female members of the pride. On the other hand, the mutualistic benefits of co-parenting have reduced the propensity to form a hierarchy in the pride.
Lions have the ability to inflict wounds and even kill other lions during an encounter in a fight. Fighting a male of the same age and gender not only endangers the life of one individual, but there is also the possibility of injuring an important member of the team, who can later protect the pride from danger.
The behavior of lions from the Serengeti National Park, located in Tanzania, has been continuously studied since 1966. Studies have shown that lions form groups for a variety of reasons, not taking into account the increase in efficiency during hunting. Since lions live in more populated areas than other big cats, they need to cooperate with their own kind to protect their territories from being swallowed up by other lions. In addition, lionesses synchronously reproduce offspring and form fairly stable groups that protect lion cubs from infanticide. Finally, small prides tend to be more outgoing than other large prides in order to defend their territories as a large group.
The territories where lions live have a wide variety of mammals (prey), in open areas there are about 12 lions per 100 square kilometers. In areas with sufficient prey, lions sleep about twenty hours a day. They become most active at the end of the day. Hunting often falls at night and early in the morning.
Lions have a greeting ritual: they rub their head and tail along the air ring against each other, while making a sound similar to a groan.
Communication and perception
Lions have a cognitive ability to recognize people and interact with other lions which helps them survive. They use visual cues in these connections. For example, the mane is believed to act as a copulation signal and indicate the suitability of the male. (The growth rate of the mane is mainly controlled by testosterone.)
Males regularly mark their territory by spraying urine over vegetation and wiping trees with their sides. Females rarely do this. This behavior in lions begins after two years. This type of marking is chemical and visual.
Males begin to growl after a year, and females a little later. The roar of the male is louder and deeper than the females. Lions can roar at any moment, but usually they do it standing or crouching a little. The roar serves to protect the territory, communicate with other members of the pride, and also as a demonstration of aggression towards enemies. Lions also roar in unison, perhaps a form of social bonding.
Finally, lions use tactile communication. Males show physical aggression during the pride management period. During the greeting of the members of the pride, the bodies of two individuals come into contact. A physical bond exists between a lactating female and her offspring.
Nutrition
Lions are predatory animals. As a rule, they hunt in groups, but there are also loners. Often, lions dump prey larger than themselves. Males are more difficult to disguise due to their pronounced physique than females, so in the pride, females do most of the capture of prey. Males during feeding behave more aggressively than females, although, most likely, they did not kill the victim.
African lions feed on the most common large ungulates (Thomson's gazelle (Eudorcas thomsonii), zebra (Equus burchellii), impala (Aepyceros melampus) and wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus)). Individual prides tend to have a preference for certain animals, such as the buffalo. (Syncerus caffer) and . Lions that are unable to capture large prey may temporarily feed on birds, rodents, ostrich eggs, fish, amphibians, and reptiles. Lions can also eat up after hyenas and vultures.
In the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, local lions feed on 7 species of animals: zebras (Equus burchellii), wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), Thomson gazelles (Eudorcas thomsonii), buffaloes (Syncerus caffer), warthogs (Phacochoerus aethiopicus), cow antelope (Alcelaphus buselaphus) and swamp antelopes (Damaliscus lunatus).
Hunting becomes more effective during group attacks. Studies in the Serengeti have shown that an individual succeeds in hunting about 17% of cases, while the group - 30%.
Threats
Adult lions have no threats among animals, but are persecuted by humans. Lions often kill and compete with other predators - leopards (Panthera pardus) and . spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) have been known to kill lion cubs, as well as young, weak, or sick individuals.
Abandoned for some time, cubs can become victims of other large predators. However, infanticide is the main threat to little lions.
Poaching is the main threat to lions. These animals are attacked with firearms and also fall into wire traps. Since lions can feed on carrion, they are particularly vulnerable to deliberately poisoned carcasses. In some national parks in Africa, poachers hunt. An estimated 20,000 lions were killed by poachers in the Serengeti National Park in the 1960s. Trophy hunting is allowed in 6 African countries.
Role in the ecosystem
Lions are the main predators in their territory. It is not yet clear how lions regulate the populations of their prey. Some studies have shown that the distribution of potential prey over a certain area plays a more significant role in regulating animal populations than in the diet of lions.
Economic importance for humans
positive
Lions have a glamorous look and are well known all over the world. The lion is the symbol of England and is considered to be one of the most highly valued animal species providing economic benefit to ecotourism in Africa. These cats are the subject of many documentary and research papers.
negative
People are afraid of lion attacks both on themselves and on their livestock. In most cases, this is not a big problem. Historically, lions coexisted with the Maasai tribes and their cows in eastern Africa. When food supply is plentiful, lions usually do not attack livestock. In addition, if a lion sees a walking person, as a rule, he changes his direction in the opposite direction.
There are known cases of lion attacks on humans. For example, man-eating lions from Tsavo killed 135 construction workers. These events became the basis of the historical adventure film "The Ghost and the Dark" by Stephen Hopkins. As lions lose their habitats, they enter settlements more often, thereby creating new conflicts and potential attacks on people.
Feline immunodeficiency virus is common in lions (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, FIV) which is similar to HIV. In Tanzania's Serengeti and Ngorongoro National Parks, as well as in the Kruger National Park, South Africa, 92% of the lions tested were found to be infected. This disease does not adversely affect the health of animals, but for domestic cats it can be fatal.
conservation status
barbary lion (Panthera leo leo) and cape lion (Panthera leo melanochaita) are two extinct subspecies of the African lion. The African lion population has declined significantly in numbers in West Africa and other African countries. If there are no corridors between the reserves, it will most likely become a problem.
Asian lions (Panthera leo persica) limited to one population, live in the Gir forest reserve of India. The population size is about 200 mature individuals. This subspecies is listed as endangered. The Asiatic lion population is in dire need of restoration. Threats to the inhabitants of the Gir forest come from humans and livestock in close proximity, as well as from habitat degradation.
Some small populations of lions are in need of genetic control for continued survival and conservation of the species. For example, in the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi park in Natal, there are 120 individuals that have been bred from just three lions since 1960. In 2001, scientists used artificial insemination techniques to rejuvenate the gene pool of these South African lions. This process is quite complex and energy intensive. Inbred populations could also be introduced into entire prides in a given area (whereby conflict between existing and introduced lions would be minimized).
Subspecies
Asian lion
Asian lion (Pantheraleopersica), also known as the Indian lion or Persian lion, is the only subspecies in India, in the state of Gujarat. This subspecies is listed in the IUCN Red List due to its insignificant population. The number of lions in the Gir forest is steadily growing. The number of individuals has more than doubled, from a low of 180 in 1974 to 411 as of April 2010. Of these: 97 adult males, 162 adult females, 75 adolescents and 77 cubs.
For the first time, the Asiatic lion was described by the Austrian zoologist Johann N. Meyer in the trinomen Felis leo persicus. The Asiatic lion is one of five large feline species such as the Bengal tiger, Indian leopard, snow leopard and clouded leopard found in India. Previously, the Asiatic lion lived on the territory of Persia, Israel, Mesopotamia, Balochistan, from Sindh in the west and to Bengal in the east, from Rampur and Rohilkhand in the north to Nerbuddah in the south. It differs from the African lion in having less swollen auditory capsules, a larger tassel at the end of the tail, and a less developed mane.
The most striking external difference is the longitudinal fold on the abdomen. Asiatic lions are smaller than African lions. Adult males weigh from 160 to 190 kg, and females - 110-120 kg. The height at the withers is about 110 centimeters. The length of the body of an Asiatic lion, including the tail, is on average 2.92 m. The mane of males grows on the top of the head, so their ears are always visible. In small numbers, the mane is seen on the cheeks and neck, where it is only 10 cm long. About half of the Asiatic lions from the Gir Forest have a divided infraorbital foramen, while African lions have only one on either side. The sagittal crest of Asiatic lions is more developed than that of African lions. The length of the skull in males varies from 330 to 340 mm, in females from 292 to 302 mm. Compared to the African lion population, the Asiatic lion has fewer genetic variations.
barbary lion
barbary lion (Panthera leo leo), sometimes referred to as the Atlas lion, was part of the African lion population, thought to have been extinct in the wild since the mid-20th century. The last wild Barbary lions are believed to have died or been killed in the 1950s and early 1960s. The last video recordings with the participation of the Barbarian lion date back to 1942. Filming took place in the west of the Maghreb, near the Tizi n "Tichka" pass.
The Barbarian lion was first described by the Austrian zoologist Johann Nepomuk Meyer in the trinomen Felis leo barbaricus, based on a typical member of the Barbarian subspecies.
The Barbary lion has long been considered one of the largest representatives of lions. Museum specimens of the male Barbary lion are described as having dark and long-haired manes that extended over the shoulder and belly area. The length of the body of the male ranged from 2.35-2.8 m, and the females - about 2.5 m. In the 19th century, a hunter described a large male, allegedly reaching a length of 3.25 meters, including a 75-centimeter tail. In some historical sources, the weight of wild males was indicated as 270-300 kg. But the accuracy of these measurements can be questioned, and the sample size of captive Barbary lions is too small to conclude that they were the largest subspecies of lions.
Before it was possible to study the genetic diversity of the lion population, the distinctive color and size of the mane was considered a strong reason to distinguish these big cats into a separate subspecies. The results of long-term studies of lions in the Serengeti National Park show that various factors, such as environmental temperature, nutrition and testosterone levels, have a direct effect on the color of a lion and the size of its mane.
Barbary lions can have long-haired manes due to the ambient temperature in the Atlas Mountains, which is much lower than in other African regions, especially during winter. Thus, the length and density of the mane is not considered as appropriate evidence that the lion belongs to its ancestors. The results of a mitochondrial DNA study published in 2006 contributed to the identification of unique Barbary lion haplotypes found in museum specimens believed to be descended from Barbary lions. The presence of this haplotype is considered a reliable molecular marker for identifying Barbary lions that have survived in captivity.
Lions from western and central Africa are believed to be smaller than lions from southern Africa. There are also suggestions that they have smaller manes, live in small groups, and have a distinctively shaped skull. In where West African lions live, almost all males do not have manes or they are mild.
The West African lion is distributed in western Africa, south of the Sahara, from Senegal to the Central African Republic in the east.
Lions are rare in western Africa and therefore may be endangered. In 2004, the population of West African lions numbered 450-1300 individuals. In addition, there were about 550-1550 lions in Central Africa. In both regions, the area historically occupied by lions decreased by 15% in 2004.
A recent study that took place between 2006 and 2012 found that lion numbers have declined even more in West Africa. Only about 400 individuals remained in the territory between Senegal and Nigeria.
Congo lion, or Northeast Congo lion, or North Congo lion (Panthera leo azandica), also known as the Ugandan lion, has been proposed as a subspecies from northeastern Belgian Congo and western Uganda.
In 1924, the American zoologist Joel Azaf Allen introduced the trinomen Leo leo azandicus, in which he described a specimen of a male lion, as a typical representative of the subspecies, which was kept in the American Museum of Natural History. This male was killed in 1912 by museum staff as part of a zoological collection that consisted of 588 carnivores. Allen admits a close relationship with the Massai lion (Panthera leo nubica), which is expressed in the similarity of the cranial and dental characteristics, but noted with the statement that his typical specimen differed in coat color.
Congolese lions were previously found in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in the western part of Uganda, in the southeast of the Central African Republic, including in some regions of South Sudan. Previously, they lived in Rwanda. They are the largest apex predators of the savannas, where lions hunt and feed on zebras and antelopes. They can also be found in meadows and forests.
Like other African lions, the population of the Congolese subspecies is currently rapidly declining, due to habitat loss and a decrease in the number of potential prey.
Northeast Congolese lions are found in various national parks in the Belgian Congo, Uganda such as Cabarega, Virunga and Queen Elizabeth National Park. They used to live in the national parks of Rwanda until they died from poison during the genocide and after it.
Masai lion or East African lion (Panthera leo nubica), a subspecies of lions that lives in eastern Africa. A typical pattern is described as "Nubian". This subspecies includes the previously recognized subspecies " massaica", which originally lived in the territory of Tanganyika, in East Africa.
Oscar Rudolf Neumann first described the Massai lion as less round-faced, with longer legs and less flexible backs than the other subspecies. Males have moderate tufts of hair at the knee joints, and their manes look like they are combed back.
Male East African lions, as a rule, have a body length with a tail of 2.5-3.0 m. Lionesses are usually smaller, only 2.3-2.6 m. The weight of males is 145-205 kg, and females - 100-165 kg. Lions, regardless of gender, have a height at the withers of 0.9-1.10 m.
Male Masai lions have a wide range of mane types. Mane growth directly depends on age: older males have wider manes than younger males; manes grow until they reach the age of 4-5 years, then the lions reach sexual maturity. Males that live at altitudes above 800 meters have more massive manes than individuals living in the warm and humid lowlands of eastern and northern Kenya. Such lions with more sparse manes or no manes at all.
This subspecies is relatively common and well protected in large protected areas such as the Serengeti Mara ecosystem.
Southwestern lions are one of the largest subspecies. Males have a body length of 2.5-3.1 m along with a tail, and females - 2.3-2.65 m. The weight of males is 140-242 kg, and females - 105-170 kg. The height at the withers is 0.9-1.2 m.
Like all African lions, Katanga lions prey mainly on large animals such as warthogs, zebras, and wildebeest. Males tend to have lighter manes than lions of other subspecies.
There is a small population of these lions in captivity. 29 lions of this subspecies are registered with the International Species Information System. Southwestern lions are descended from animals that were captured in Angola and Zimbabwe. However, the purity of the bloodline of these captive lions cannot be verified. Genetic analysis indicates that they may be descended from lions from West or Central Africa.
Males tend to have a well developed mane. Most of them are black. The body length of males varies between 2.6-3.2 m, and females - 2.35-2.75 m. The weight of males reaches 15-250 kg, and females - 110-182 kg. Height at the withers - 1.92-1.23 m.
White lions have a rare color mutation, they belong to the Transvaal lions. Leucism occurs only in these lions, but is rare. They live in several nature reserves and zoos around the world.
According to recent genetic studies, the extinct Cape lion, previously identified as a separate subspecies, did not have significant differences from the South African subspecies. Therefore, the Cape lion represented the southern population of the Transvaal lion.
Over 2,000 individuals of this subspecies are well protected in the Kruger National Park. In addition, about 1,000 lions are registered with the International Species Information System. These animals are descendants of lions captured in South Africa.
As with the Barbary lion, there is a lot of confusion due to the dark colored mane in captive animals. The dark mane is the result of breeding and crossing lions captured long ago in Africa. Mixing of subspecies has contributed to hybridization, which is why most modern lions in captivity have mixed alleles of representatives of different subspecies.
Early authors justified the allocation of a separate subspecies by the presence of a fixed morphology in animals. The males had a huge mane extending beyond the shoulders and covering the abdomen and ears, as well as distinctive black tassels. However, it has now been proven that such external characteristics depend on the ambient temperature and other factors. The results of a mitochondrial DNA study published in 2006 do not support the isolation of a separate subspecies.
Cape lions preferred to hunt large ungulates such as antelopes, zebras, giraffes and buffaloes. They also killed donkeys and cattle belonging to European settlers. The cannibals were usually old lions with bad teeth.
Cape black-maned lions lived in southern Africa, but since they were not the only representatives of lions in the southern territories, it is difficult to determine the exact range of habitat. Their stronghold was the Cape, near Cape Town. One of the last representatives living in the province was killed in 1858, and in 1876 the Czech explorer Emil Golub bought a young lion, who died two years later.
The Cape Lion disappeared so quickly after contact with Europeans that habitat destruction can hardly be considered a significant factor. Dutch and English settlers, hunters and sportsmen simply destroyed the lions.
Ecology
Main:
Known for being some of the only truly social cats, lions prefer to lead a nomadic lifestyle and live in groups called prides, and leadership in these groups is mainly held by females.
Lions have golden fur, while males have a shaggy mane that varies in color from light to reddish or even black. Coat color depends on the lion's age, genetics and hormone levels.
Adult male lions can reach a length of up to 3 meters and usually weigh between 150 and 250 kilograms, while females are slightly smaller in size - a maximum of 2.7 meters in length and weigh about 120-180 kilograms. The tail of a lion can reach a length of 0.6-1 meter. Asiatic lions are slightly smaller than their African relatives.
The body of a lion is ideally suited for hunting: they are strong and fit, have powerful front legs and jaws that help them kill prey.
Lions mainly feed on large animals, such as zebras and wildebeests. They do not disdain to take prey from other predators - hyenas and leopards. The most important hunters of the pride are females.
Lionesses mate every 2 years and can give birth to 1 to 6 cubs at once 3.5 months after conception. Approximately 60 to 70 percent of lion cubs die in their first year of life. Pride females help each other care for their offspring.
In the wild, male lions live an average of 12 years, and females 15 years. In the zoo, lions can live longer - more than 20 years.
Up to 40 lions can live in a pride, including adult females, juvenile lions (2-4 years old) and 1-2 adult males. Females remain in their mother's pride for life unless food shortages cause the pride to split. Males are driven out of the pride when they get old in order to compete with younger rivals.
Males travel first with the whole group, which consists of his relatives, and then look for another pride to join. Usually males live in one pride for 2-3 years.
Males and females mark their territories with urine, and also drive away rivals with their menacing roar.
Where do they live?
Once upon a time, lions lived throughout Europe, Africa and North America, but today they can be found mainly in Africa - from the southern edge of the Sahara desert to the northern part of South Africa. The habitat is savannas.
A small population of lions - about 300 individuals - lives in the Gir forest in western India.
Guard status: the African lion is vulnerable, the Asiatic lion is critically endangered
Lion populations are suffering from human prey and territory taking, and lions are threatened by diseases that can be transmitted from domestic dogs in neighboring villages.
Over the past 2 decades, the lion population in Africa has halved for various reasons, including the punitive measures of farmers: lions encroach on livestock.
Human intervention in the habitat of Asiatic lions has endangered their population in the Gir Forest.
The closest relatives of lions are tigers, with which lions can interbreed in captivity. As a result, hybrids of these cats are born - a liger and a tiger.
Lions are the second largest cat in terms of size (after tigers).
The menacing roar of a lion can be heard for 8 kilometers in the savannah.
The lion's mane helps the lion defend itself during fights.
Lions can reach speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour, chasing prey, although they can cover short distances. The lion's jump reaches 11 meters.
Asiatic lions have a more sparse mane than their African relatives, and they have a characteristic skin fold on their abdomen. The ears of African lions are hidden in the mane, while those of Asiatic lions stick out of the mane.
During the mating season, lions may mate 20-40 times a day.
Lions have two types of social organization - pride and lone lions. However, it is possible to single out the third - groups of bachelor lions, which play an important role in the fate of the first type - prides.
It has long been not entirely correct opinion about the pride. Usually the pride is considered as a kind of patriarchal family - the lion-father, the lioness-wives and their children, where the lion-patriarch rules until the end of his life. This is not entirely true, not even entirely true.
Pride is the basic social unit of lions. Prides vary in size and structure, but typically contain 5-9 adult females (range 1 to 18), their dependent offspring, and a coalition of 2-6 immigrant males (raised in other prides). The number of adult lions in a coalition is usually two, but their number can rise to four, and then decrease again. Upon reaching puberty, young males leave the pride. Pride sizes are smaller for worse conditions, such as in arid areas with limited prey. On average, lionesses have 1/7 of the genes of other members of the pride. The number of lions in a pride varies depending on the timing of births or the high mortality rate of cubs. Males are in the pride for about 2 years, then they are replaced by another group of males.
The second type of social organization is the wandering lions. A small part of the lions leads a nomadic lifestyle, more often young and adult males without a pride. Most young males go through this, and some of them remain single until the end of their lives. Nomadic lions follow the migrations of their prey and hunt in groups. Lionesses are very attached to their pride and only a few females lead a nomadic lifestyle. A lone female usually returns to or settles near the natal pride. It is much more difficult for her to join another group, since the lionesses in the pride are always related and usually expel strangers. Stray lions tend to have very large patch sizes that can overlap with a pride's territory. They are usually found singly or in groups of about 5, the membership of which fluctuates freely.
Lions can change their way of life: nomads can form their own pride or join an existing one, and those living in a group can leave it.
The territory of the pride is 20-500 km², but the average size of prides in Africa is 26-226 km².
Lions have different patterns of behavior both between prides and within the prides themselves. Different populations differ in diet and hunting preferences and methods.
Members of neighboring prides try to stay a few kilometers away from their neighbors. If neighboring prides do make contact, the lionesses will usually try to drive out the intruders, even if there are more of them than they are. Some lionesses play a larger role in territorial defense than other females in a pride.
Territorial defense is carried out by males, females and immature lions. Males protect the pride from intrusions of other males, thus providing some exclusivity of mating, females protect their offspring from stray males and their territory from prides of female neighbors. Females protect dens, hunting grounds, watering places from other prides. Increased aggressiveness in pride defense is common in places with high lion density, such as the Ngorongoro Crater. Territorial disputes often end with larger groups expelling and persecuting smaller groups.
Males defend their territory through cooperative behavior that is not driven by kinship or companion behavior. By making a roar, he warns the pride of the threat, and also prevents the invasion of the territory of non-pride members. Females with cubs determine the roar of their males from the roar of strangers who may pose a threat to their offspring.
Usually, males usually stay on the periphery of the pride area. Mostly lionesses take part in the hunt - they are smaller, faster and more flexible than lions. During the hunt, females act in a coordinated manner - this helps them most successfully attack the victim. The division of hunting duties among lionesses in Etosha National Park shows that females constantly perform the same role - some pursue, others ambush and kill the victim. When hunting, the group often begins to draw circles around the intended victim, and each lioness chooses the best route so that the victim runs away in the right direction, where an ambush awaits her. At the same time, team hunting is highly developed in the Serengeti, where individual lionesses may refrain from hunting, depending on the type of prey pursued.
Since lionesses hunt in open areas where their prey can easily spot them, coordinated actions lead to more successful hunting. Moreover, a group of lionesses is able to protect their prey from other predators, such as hyenas, which are attracted by vultures flying over the corpse of a killed animal. The females do most of the hunting. Males, as a rule, do not participate in it, except when the victim is a large animal - for example, a giraffe or a buffalo.
However, if there is a male in the vicinity of the hunt, he always dominates the division of prey. He more willingly shares his prey with offspring than with lionesses, and in the case of a self-killed victim, he feeds on her himself. Small prey is eaten on the spot by the hunters themselves, larger prey is dragged to the territory of the pride, where other members of the family also get access to it. On the spot, lions often behave aggressively towards each other and strive to eat as much food as possible.
Young individuals observe the hunting of adult animals, but they themselves begin to take part at the age of one year. They are able to fully hunt only from the age of two.
The social organization of lionesses allows individual members of the pride to concentrate on caring for offspring for quite a long time, without taking part in obtaining food. During the hunt, each member of the family performs a specific role, more or less permanent. One of the key factors in the survival of the pride is the health of the miners - for this reason, they are the first to get the right to butcher the carcass. It also contributes to the social organization of selection, due to which related individuals have priority in the division of prey (kin-selection), organized protection of offspring, protection of the territory and insurance in case of injury or starvation.
Usually a female joins her pride when her cubs reach 6-8 weeks of age. Sometimes she can return to the pride earlier, especially if the birth took place in sync with other lionesses. In such cases, the cubs grow up almost simultaneously, consume the same amount of food, and they have a better chance of survival.
In the pride, lion cubs are kept apart in the "kindergarten" until the age of 1, although the mother looks after them for about 2 more years until she becomes pregnant. "Kindergartens" - the social core of the pride. They carry out maternal protection of cubs and adolescents from predators and infanticide. Lion cubs can get milk from any lactating female in the pride, although mothers mainly feed their own or the children of close relatives (sisters). Females with small litters are more likely to care for foreign cubs than females with large litters.
Males may treat cubs differently: sometimes they can play with them, and sometimes they drive them away from themselves. In most cases, they like to share food more than females.
The number of females changes only after the birth or death of any lioness, although some of them may leave the pride themselves and become nomadic. Mature males leave their natal pride at 2-4 years old, if the capture of the pride by other males does not force him to do so earlier. Most females remain in the natal prides, but some young females (33% in the Serengeti) leave, also at the age of 2-4 years. Leaving the pride leads to a reduced survival rate of the litter, especially the first one. Females remaining in the natal pride are reproductive for about 12 years, starting at 4-5 years of age.
During the rest, the communication of lions passes through various expressive movements. The most common tactile gestures are head rubbing and licking, which can be compared to grooming in primates. When lions rub their noses against the head, neck, or face of another lion, this is a sign of greeting. Such a sign is used in the case of the return of the animal to its relatives. Males tend to rub against other males while cubs rub against their mothers.
Licking another individual often occurs along with friction. This is a mutual gesture aimed at obtaining pleasure. In most cases, lions lick their heads and necks.
There are many facial expressions and postures that lions use as visual gestures. They are able to make sounds that vary in strength and pitch. Lions can growl, purr, hiss, cough, bark and roar. The roar occurs in a characteristic manner, starting with a few deep sounds and ending with strong ones. Usually lions roar at night; the sound is heard at a distance of up to 8 km. It is used as a signal to other lions, both members of their pride and strangers.
Three or more males usually form new prides from their group, and lone lions or pairs of males often combine into larger groups consisting of the same males from different prides in order to successfully capture an existing pride. Bachelor groups form as coalitions of related and unrelated males. Coalitions of unrelated males consist of no more than 3, while coalitions of close relatives consist of 4-9 animals. The reproductive success of a male is directly related to his length of stay in the pride, which depends on the number of males in the coalition.
After conquering a pride, a coalition of males usually kill the cubs. Within a few days after the death of the cubs, the females enter a state of oestrus. Sexual activity with new males begins in females that have lost offspring almost simultaneously, which leads to synchronous births in the pride. Immature males usually leave the pride, young females stay away or also leave the pride if they do not mate with new males. This is especially true for already pregnant young females, who will have to raise offspring on their own.
When the pride becomes too large, the next generation of young females may be forced to leave the natal territory without changing males or coalitions of males in the pride.
The lion is unanimously recognized as the king of beasts. He received such a high title for his impressive appearance, noble disposition and fear, which he inspired people from time immemorial. This animal is a favorite object of heraldry; its images can be seen on the coats of arms of most of the reigning dynasties, including those that, due to geographical reasons, have never come into contact with this animal.
Lion (Panthera leo).
Lions are the only predators with such pronounced sexual dimorphism. While females look like typical big cats, males have thick manes that make them stand out from all other animals.
Lion and lioness during the mating game.
The mane is by no means symbolic, but a very real sign of the "masculinity" of the lion. Its growth directly depends on the amount of the sex hormone testosterone - the higher the level of the hormone, the more magnificent the mane.
Lion with dark mane.
However, in different subspecies of lions, the size and color of the mane can vary greatly from light to almost black, from a small mane on the neck to a thick, exciting chest, paws and underbelly.
And this lion is a light, fawn color.
Among the lions there are specimens with a very low level of pigment in the coat - white lions (not to be confused with albinos, which are completely devoid of pigmentation).
White Lion.
Lions belong to the cat family, where they rightfully occupy an honorable ... second place in size. The second, because the first place belongs to the tiger, large specimens of which can reach 3m in length and weigh 270kg. Lions reach a length of 2m and weigh up to 220kg. When kept together in zoos, lions are almost always inferior in fights to tigers.
Lions at the watering hole.
In the savannahs, lions also give way to elephants, rhinos, hippos, crocodiles at a watering place. They avoid attacking adult buffaloes, giraffes and even warthogs (an African species of pig) because these animals can seriously fight back and even kill attackers.
This lioness attacked the buffalo, but the victim resisted, and now the attacking side has to retreat. Most likely, the lioness left the pride due to some internal struggle. Forced to hunt alone, she hopelessly loses the competition. Only extreme hunger could force her to such a risky adventure. Usually lions avoid attacking buffaloes, preferring easier prey to them.
But in fairness, it should be noted that lions can attack all of the above species of animals if they are very hungry, attack in a large group, or their prey is too weak (due to age or illness).
A group of lions managed to kill a baby elephant. At a young age, elephants are defenseless against such a group attack, but as they mature, they respond to lions with undisguised hostility.
In turn, the lions will not fail to destroy a competitor in the face of some smaller predator: they attack the young of cheetahs, leopards, hyenas, or simply take away the food they have obtained. This completely dispels the myth of a noble hunter and a thunderstorm of all animals.
The family organization of lions is also very peculiar. Lions are the only felines that live in groups.
A family of lions is called a pride and consists of one (occasionally two) males and 5-15 females.
The life of a pride is very much like a harem, where the male mainly defends the territory from competing prides, other males and hyenas attacking the young. The females are engaged in the extraction of food.
Lions very rarely take part in the hunt, preferring to take the prey from the females.
Friendly relations reign between the females in the pride, they often come to the rescue of each other in dangerous situations, there are even cases of feeding other people's cubs.
Friendly relations are sealed with a special sign language, when the lions rub their cheeks against each other and lick their brothers.
Lions are tolerant of their offspring and even allow cubs to play with them. But as soon as the male lion cubs grow up, they are forced to leave the pride, unable to compete with the leader.
While the lion cub's little father allows him a lot.
Young lions wander alone until they get stronger and can join the fight for someone else's pride. The new head of the pride destroys all the offspring of the previous leader, thereby stimulating the start of a new sexual cycle in females.
In general, the life of a pride takes place in lazy rest, which lions can indulge in up to 20 hours a day.
The young lion, after a hearty meal, fell asleep right on the "dining table".
When resting, lions can climb trees to rest in the shade, but they cannot drag prey up trees, unlike, say, a leopard.
Lionesses on a tree.
Lions hunt mainly at night. In this process, there is a clear division of responsibilities: some of the lionesses openly attack the herd, causing panic among potential victims, while the other part sits in ambush at this time. The lionesses single out a weak animal in the herd and drive it towards the hiding accomplices, then they surround the victim and strangle it with common efforts. Often, a hungry pride begins the meal even before the victim expires, literally eating it alive. The main objects of the lion's hunting are large ungulates - zebras, wildebeest, buffaloes.
Lions during a night buffalo hunt.
Lions have few natural enemies, but this does not mean that they do not exist at all. First of all, it must be said about the special relationship between lions and hyenas. These relations throughout the territory where the ranges of these two species intersect can be called a "blood war". Lions and hyenas hate each other, and this hatred goes beyond the usual food competition. Lions try to kill hyenas whenever possible, but this is not always possible. Because hyenas are also pack animals and, on occasion, are not averse to surrounding a lone lion, and in this case, victory will already be theirs.
The power and strength of the lion is covered with legends. Because he looks really regal. Imagination primarily draws a lion in his prime. His incomparable dark gold or black-brown mane gives him the majesty of a monarch. And the voice of the lion is no less impressive than his appearance. On a quiet night, the lion's roar inspires awe in all who hear it - even at a distance of eight kilometers. In his behavior, the lion also shows many royal qualities.
The lion is a huge predator, with a strong, flexible, agile and muscular body. He runs well. This large predatory cat has a well-developed neck and front paws with which it captures and holds its prey. The jaws of the lion are powerful, with huge fangs. The grip of a lion with only one teeth is very strong. It can hold even such large animals as the wildebeest. The tongue is rough and covered with tubercles in the form of sharp spikes, which help it grab and tear off pieces of meat, literally tearing the prey apart. These same spikes help the lion catch fleas and remove the ticks when he grooms his skin. Lions prey on large animals: zebras, gazelles, wildebeest and do not disdain theft, taking prey from other predators.
The male lion is much larger than the female and 50 percent heavier in weight. It is easily recognizable by its massive mane.
The huge weight of the lion gives crushing power to his blow. He easily scatters females when he takes prey from them. Many males live exclusively on food obtained by females, and almost never try to get anything themselves. Usually the main role of males is to protect the territory from other animals encroaching on it. The females are mainly engaged in hunting. Lions differ from other cats in that they do not hunt alone, but in groups. They first try to isolate the victim from the herd, and then attack and kill her. They usually hunt at night, especially on the plains, where the grass is low and it is difficult for a predator to hide in it.
Several lionesses surround the intended animal, approaching it by about 30 meters, and in this way they finally determine their choice. When the lioness comes very close to the victim, she will knock her down with a strong blow of her huge paws and immediately dig into her throat with her teeth. Every fourth attack ends, as a rule, with the complete victory of predators. When the huntresses greedily pounce on their prey, a male lion appears. It is possible that a flock of hyenas may be nearby. Usually, lions, cracking down on a large killed animal, generously allows others to feast on prey. The habitat is usually protected by male lions. Within the same territory, a pack of lions can live, consisting of six male lions, twelve adult lionesses and young lion cubs.
Depending on the living conditions in a given territory and the number of other animals, a flock can occupy an area of up to 400 square km.
However, where there is more than enough food, this area can be much smaller. Lions breed at any time of the year, however, females of one pack (pride) prefer to have cubs at the same time (to make it easier to protect them from other predators and male lions of another pride). They even feed them, not dividing them into friends and foes. If one female dies, the rest take care of the cubs of the deceased. On average, a lioness brings up to three cubs in one litter. The cubs stay with their mother for up to six months while they suckle her. From the age of three months, they begin to eat meat little by little. Lionesses in the pride are almost always related to each other by family relations, newcomers are reluctantly accepted. Male lion cubs are taught to hunt later than lionesses, sometimes young lions begin to learn only in the fifth year of life. Therefore, it is important that males remain in their native pride as long as possible, but they are usually expelled when they are still young. These outcast males sometimes huddle together where they have more opportunities to survive. The pride of male bachelors is short-lived. Driven by instincts, males go to prides where lionesses live, and there they try to fight for leadership. In the heat of battle, success accompanies the strongest and most dexterous, and the once friendly flock of males soon breaks up. One of the mysteries of the behavior of lions was that males for some reason killed their cubs. Now this mystery has been solved. The fact is that the attack of males is caused by their jealousy of young lion cubs. Male lions do not tolerate extra rivals in their flock, which is why they seek to get rid of them. There is another explanation for such cruel and incomprehensible behavior. The male in this way encourages the female to give birth to new cubs. And they have a better chance of survival than the old cubs. Yes, they will get more food.
During the mating period, the relationship between partners is very tender. The dominant lion mates with a female in heat every twenty to thirty minutes - and so on for hours (up to 30-40 times a day in total). During sexual intercourse, the male lion bites the lioness on the scruff of the neck, as is typical of cats. Three and a half months after mating, the pregnant lioness leaves the pride, searches for a secluded, grassy corner and gives birth to offspring there. Lion cubs are born blind and helpless. Their skin is covered with spots that gradually disappear as they grow older (although occasionally there are also adult lions with preserved “childish” spots). In most cases, no more than half of all lion cubs survive. Lion cubs suck their mother's milk from birth to six or seven months of age. Then they only eat meat. At the age of about two months, lion cubs join the pride. A lion is considered an adult at the age of 5 and by this time is gaining its optimal "combat" size.
The lion is one of the largest predators on earth. The average African male weighs about 350 pounds (160 kilograms), and is about 8.5 feet (2.6 meters) long. However, a 690-pound (313 kilogram) male was shot dead in South Africa in 1936. The animal was exceptionally massive; probably, individuals of this weight no longer exist in nature. Life expectancy: up to 17-20 years in nature and up to 30 years in captivity.
White lions are lions with reduced melanin pigment production. The reason for this phenomenon is a rarely manifesting recessive gene. The result of its action is a light color, varying from cream-beige to snow-white. Some white lions are white in some parts of the body and cream in others; some are painted in an even white-cream color. White lions often have blue eyes (which is also associated with low levels of melanin). Currently, about 300 white lions live on earth. There are special programs for the preservation of this type of color. But for the lions themselves, living in the wild, such a color only harms, as it unmasks them, making it difficult to hunt. There is an assumption that the gene that gives white color in lions remained from distant ancestors who lived in the Ice Age, when the white color of the coat was necessary for camouflage
A bit of lion history:
Lions reached their maximum distribution at the end of the Pleistocene: approximately 100,000–10,000 years ago they had the most extensive land range among mammals. Various geographical races or subspecies of lions were found from Alaska and Yukon in North America to Peru in South, throughout Europe, Asia to Siberia and most of Africa. In North America, they became extinct about 10,000 years ago. In historical times, lions lived in the extreme south of Africa and throughout the north of this continent, as well as throughout Western Asia, reaching India, where they occupied semi-desert plains in the northern half of the country, and the Balkan Peninsula in Europe. On the European continent, lions were exterminated by 100 AD, and in other parts of the former range - by the end of the last century. In Iran, several lions were kept until 1942; in India, their number was reduced to about 25, and they remained there only in the Gir forest, but they were taken under protection, and since the 1940s their population has increased significantly. Now there are about 225 Asian lions. Studies have shown that these animals are morphologically and genetically different from African ones. Unfortunately, apparently as a result of prolonged inbreeding, Asiatic lions have almost completely lost their genetic diversity, which reduces their adaptive flexibility with environmental changes. In addition, they had symptoms of reproductive dysfunction (poor sperm quality with numerous abnormalities). Lions breed easily in captivity. As part of a worldwide program that includes dozens of zoos, over the years they have already received several hundred Asiatic lions, which make up their “reserve” population, which can be used to strengthen the wild. However, it was recently discovered that not only purebred Asian lions, but also African lions served as the founders of this population in captivity, so work is underway to create a new, “pure” population, as well as to establish separate genealogical books for African lions bred in zoos.
The lion is called the "King of the Beasts". In the European tradition, it is a symbol of power, embodying the power of the sun and fire. In heraldry, the lion symbolizes royal dignity and nobility. In the countries of Southeast Asia (China, Japan, Korea) since ancient times there has been a special, highly mythologized and stylized image of a lion - the so-called Chinese lion. It bears little resemblance to a real lion, and rather resembles a mythical creature. In accordance with the beliefs of Ancient China, the lion is the mythical protector of the Law, the guardian of sacred structures. It is a symbol of power and success, royal power and strength. Such lions were installed as "guards" in front of the gates of imperial tombs, government residences, administrative buildings and religious buildings of imperial China (approximately since the Han Dynasty) and Japan. At present, it is an attribute of Buddhist temples in East Asia (China, Korea, Japan) and Central Asia (Mongolia and Russia) and Shinto shrines.