Lion

## Basic Info

* Habitat/Range: Sub-Saharan Africa and a very small population in Western India
	+ Historically: Northern Africa, the Middle East, much of India, and possibly Europe
* Biome: Savannah grasslands and historically Mediterranean climates
* Conservation Status: Vulnurable
* Individuals in Wild: 17,000 - 47,000

## Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Carnivora

* Suborder: Feliformia

Family: Felidae

* Subfamily: Pantherinae

Genus: Panthera

* Among the *panthera* the lion's closest relative is in dispute, it is either the jaguar or the leopard

* There are two recognized subspecies:
	+ African Lion
	+ Asiatic Lion
* The differences between the two subspecies are extremely minute however, and differ less genetically than some human racial groups differ from one another

## Biology

* Sexual dimorphism is very prevalent, with males being larger and having manes, which females lack entirely
* Typically within prides, the lion with the darker mane is the alpha male, as dark manes are signs of good health
* Cubs when born have blue eyes, but when they are about three months old they begin to turn amber in color
* Typically male lions have body lengths (excluding tails) of 6 feet while females are closer to 5 feet in length
* Males typically weight 370 - 500 lbs while females weight much less, more around 260 - 400 lb
* Is the only panthera species with a tuft of hair on the end of their tail, which is usually darker than the rest of their coat

## Diet and Behavior

* Very social animal, the most social of the panthera
* Typically lions are found in groups called prides, which usually consist of an alpha male, several other males, and many lionesses and their cubs
* Prides may be as larger as several dozen, but 15 lions is the usual size
* Lion prides have very clearly defined territories, but they will only fiercely defend the core of their territories
* More diurnal than most panthera, but if human persecution becomes too intense they can quite easily adapt to night activity
* Females typically hunt together in packs for the whole pride, and typically large ungulates are their prey of choice, though they will hunt elephants and primates if necessary
* They are also known to scavenge and eat carrion if necessary, and due to their status as an alpha predator they will often steal prey from other large predators such as cheetahs and jaguars
* They can roar very loudly, and typically do so at evening and dawn
* Lions are not as well adapted to pack hunting as wolves or African Wild Dogs, and often rely on causing panic among a herd and picking off members during the panic rather than chasing individual members into ambushes
* Lions typically rest and sleep for 20+ hours, and only hunt a couple hours a day
* If a male lion is challenged for alpha status or a place in the pride, the defeated male's young are usually killed by the new male
* In certain areas lions climb trees to rest, though they are not as well adapted as their relatives the jaguar and leopard

## Reproduction

* Breeding occurs year round, and in the wild females typically give birth every 2 years or so
* Gestation is a little more than three months, when a lioness can conceive a male lion will mate with it every thirty or minutes or so for a couple days
* Litters are usually 2-4 cubs in size, but can be larger
* Around half of cubs die within their first year, this is largely due to poisonous snakes, stampedes, male lions from outside the pride, and even at times elephants will chase and attempt to kill cubs as lions are the only predators of elephants

## Fun Facts

* Lions are keystone predators, meaning their hunting of other species is critical in keeping their numbers down and maintaining ecologic balance