Like most savanna species, a lion s coat is darker on top and lighter on bottom. This helps offset the natural shadowing from the sun and makes the lion blend in better. A powerful jaw, long sharp canine teeth, and huge feet with retractable claws that spread out to the size of catcher s mitt also help make the lion a great hunter. Male lions are often thought of as lazy, since females do most of the hunting. Actually, all lions are lazy.
Scientists now think there s a better reason that males don t hunt.
As one writer put it, male lions are about as sneaky as small haystacks moving through the grass. Their big mane makes them a little more obvious than females. They fan out in a semi-circle and creep up to their prey. They move silently until they are within 100 feet or so. Then, they overtake the prey and use their massive sharp paws to grab the animal and slap it down.