Photo showing a lions claws exposed as it grips a rhino carcass
Photo showing a lions claws exposed as it grips a rhino carcass
Predator Conservation Trust: African Lion information : Panthera Leo
The lion is the second largest of the cat family and the largest carnivore in Africa. The males weigh an average of 180 kg, but weights of up to 270 kg have been recorded.
Females are smaller and weigh an average of 130 kg.
The average height of a Lion at the shoulder is 120cm. Their coat is a tawny colour but can vary from creamy to dark tan. The males are characterised by
a mane around their neck and shoulders but this can also vary locally in size and colour and in certain individuals it extends along the belly.
Male lions in the Tsavo area of Kenya are characterised by their lack of a mane. The
Lion is also the only cat to have a tuft at the end of it's tail.
Being a carnivore (meat eater) the Lion is equipped with sharp carnassial teeth (pre-molars and molars) for slicing and chewing meat and large canines
for biting and holding prey. They also have large and sharp retractable claws that hook and hold prey.
The Lion has excellent binocular vision and
is able to see very well in low light. This is an advantage when hunting at night.
In the wild males can live up to 16 years but 12 years is more usual and
females average 16 years. In captivity Lions have been known to live up to 25
years.
Every lion has a unique pattern of whisker spots on its face and these
remain the same throughout its life and this allows researchers to identify
individual lions by comparing photographs to the lion being observed. This
identifying trait was discovered by a researcher called Judith Rudnai, and has
now become widely used as the whisker spot patterns are as unique as
fingerprints are for humans. Other identifying characteristics such as
spots on the nose or cuts and notches on the ears are less effective as these
can change throughout the Lions life.
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