At the end of the Pleistocene, from 100 to 10 thousand years ago, lions lived all over the globe. Their distribution area covered the whole of Europe, Asia from Western Asia to India and north to Siberia, almost all of Africa, as well as both American continents from Yukon to Peru. However, then their territory began to inexorably shrink: about 10,000 years ago there were no lions left in America, in historical time (the beginning of a new era) they completely disappeared in Europe, and in the last two centuries they were exterminated in the south and throughout the north of Africa, in Iran , in India, where less than 30 lions remained in the 1940s, but the population was saved and increased there. Now lions have retained East Africa (with the exception of deserts and tropical forests), in South Africa they live only in the Kruger and Kalahari Gemsbok National Parks, and a separate subspecies is the Asiatic lion ( P.l. persica) - miraculously survived in the Gir forest in northwestern India.
The largest predator in Africa, rivaling only the tiger in size, the lion seems to consist of nothing but muscles. When hunting, with one stroke of his paw, he can knock down an antelope in a jump.
The coat color is sandy to tan above, almost white below. Young animals have dark rosettes and spots on the sides, which last longer in females. At the end of the long tail is a black tassel. In some populations, albinos (animals with uncolored fur) may appear, but cases of melanism (black color) in lions have not been described.
Sexual dimorphism is stronger than in all other cats, and is manifested not only in the larger size of males, but also in the presence of a mane of very long hair (usually dark gold, less often black, sometimes reddish) growing from above on the head , on the sides of the muzzle, and flowing in smooth waves over the shoulders. Lions living in open spaces have a more lush mane.
An adult lion has 30 teeth. The species feature is also the presence of four nipples in females.
When conducting regular observations of lions, individuals use the unique distribution of spots on the part of the muzzle where whiskers grow to identify individuals.
The average male weighs about 190 kg (175-230), the record weight is 272 kg for a lion from the mountains of Kenya. The female weighs an average of 120-130 kg, reaching 180 kg. The body length of the male is up to 3.3 meters, the female is up to 2.7 meters, the average height is 1.2 and 1.1 m, respectively. Tail 0.6–1 m.
The optimal habitat for a lion is park and grassy savannas, semi-deserts, and dense thickets of shrubs. In the mountains, lions are found at an altitude of up to 3000 meters, the height record is 4240m in the Bale Mountains in Ethiopia. They are picky in choosing a place to live, avoiding only vast deserts and tropical forests. The main limitation is the amount and availability of prey. Lions are perfectly adapted to life in semiarid areas, they can not drink for months, being content with the moisture contained in their food. In favorable conditions for them, lions are the second largest predators after the spotted hyena. Crocuta crocuta.
Lions are social animals, unlike other cats, they often live in groups (prides). The pride owns the territory in which it hunts and protects it from other lions. The dominant male of the pride marks its borders with a mixture of urine and secretions from the anal glands, and any lion who approaches his land knows where the border is. Although the territory is not patrolled, any invasion sooner or later ends in a deadly fight between a dominant lion and an invader, or lionesses with an intruder, so any invasion of a lion or several young lions is a challenge that the leader will always answer, and in such wars, many lions end up own life.
Thus, the lion protects the females from the claims of strangers, and the territory protected by the male is the hunting area of his females.
The size of the hunting grounds directly depends on the density of the game and ranges (for African lions) from 20 to 400 km 2, while the number of lions where there is a lot of various prey (mostly ungulates) can reach 12 per 100 km 2.
But there are lions that do not have their own territories - young single predators. Sometimes they migrate along with herds of ungulates, sometimes they wander along the borders of the pride territory, representing a constant threat to the aging leader.
After a night hunt, lions sleep in islands of shade in the grass or on low massive tree branches. If there is enough prey, sleep can take up to 20 hours a day.
Hunting.
Lions can hunt in many ways, depending on the composition of the group of hunters and on the abundance of game.
When a pride hunts large ungulates in open space, as happens in the Serengeti National Park (Tanzania), lionesses take the main part in the capture of the victim. Lions are striking, and therefore their participation in this method is reduced to a minimum: at best, they scare the victim with a growl, driving her to an ambush prepared by lionesses, and sometimes lions do not take any part in the hunt at all. Like all cats, lions are very fast, but not too hardy, this dictates the way of hunting - hiding. Under the cover of a moonless night, lionesses imperceptibly surround a herd of zebras or wildebeests, one of them sneaks up as close as possible to the victim - 20-30 meters - and overtakes her with a swift throw. When the animal falls, other lionesses come to the rescue, grabbing the prey by the rump and neck, squeezing the throat with great force. Usually they hunt either near a watering hole, at the moment when the animals began to drink, or by the joint efforts of the pride, driving them to an ambush. With such a joint hunt, the probability of success is very high, but this is possible only with an abundance of large ungulates - then one animal caught is enough for several days, the pride can afford not to eat everything at once, but to protect its prey from carrion-eating animals. Lions never come out to hunt if the previous prey has not yet been eaten.
In wooded areas, the distribution of roles between females and males is different. Since kittens are much easier to hide in the forest, lions do not spend as much energy on protecting them, they generally interact less with lionesses and go hunting themselves. In the wooded Kruger National Park, males predominately hunt buffalo, females prey on zebras and wildebeest.
Lions use other methods to hunt certain types of animals. Thus, they accompany buffalo herds for a long time, not hiding and thereby creating panic in a usually well-organized and protected herd, and when even ranks of buffalo disperse, they select available prey.
A lone lioness left with her cubs when the pride left after the migrating herds, or an old lion expelled from the pride, do not disdain anything. Hunger for them is a serious danger. But they also find food for themselves - watching for ungulates at a watering hole, smaller game, or even watching hyenas and vultures, which will show them where to find carrion. Hungry, they can eat birds, fish, amphibians and reptiles, rodents, ostrich eggs.
In addition to hunting and eating carrion, lions can take away their prey from other predators.
Each pride may have its own food preferences. Usually the prey is eaten collectively, but the dominant male eats first and only then the lionesses. The lion can make sure there is food for the kittens too. First offal is eaten, then meat with skin. A lion can eat 25–30 kg of meat at a time. Such a feast does not happen every day, and in extreme cases, the lions can go without food for several weeks.
Lions can eat almost anything. In the Serengeti, where the food conditions for lions are ideal, the basis of their diet (about 90%) is ungulates: zebras, wildebeest, Thompson's gazelles, buffaloes, warthogs, hartebeests (cow antelope) and topi hartebeests.
However, the role of lions in regulating the number of ungulates fades into the background compared to the sufficiency of the food supply, therefore, lions, like almost all large predators, are rather useful for the state of the ungulate population, as they destroy weakened animals; this prevents the development of mass diseases and leaves more food for healthy individuals.
Pride structure. Communication.
Lions are the only cats that form social groups, prides. The basis of the pride is 2-18 lionesses, as a rule, these are close relatives who have their own territory (the lioness always inherits the mother's territory). Pride lionesses do not establish hierarchical relations among themselves at all. Several lions live with them, among which one is dominant, he is not always the strongest, but other lions recognize and do not dispute his supremacy. He is the first to eat after a successful hunt, the first to mate with females during estrus, the first to attack the enemy - the lion - invading the territory of the pride. In total, a pride can have up to 40 animals, but on average, about 13.
Young lions, growing up, begin to claim the championship and at the age of 2.5 years are expelled from the pride. Subsequently, they either create their own pride, or live alone or in small groups (up to seven lions, as a rule, they are brothers) without females for 2–3 years. It is easier for such a group to capture a pride than for a lone lion, and it is easier to defend their pride afterwards: if a pair of males usually keeps a pride within 2.5 years, then a coalition of 3-4 males - more than three years. Young lone lions are not burdened with feeding their cubs and taking care of the territory, so they eat better and sooner or later conquer the territory for themselves, which hosts one or even several prides of lionesses. The first thing a male does after capturing a pride is to kill all the cubs. Lionesses, as a rule, are not able to interfere with them, and only cubs older than a year have a chance of salvation. A lioness who has lost her cubs begins estrus (estrus) in 2–3 weeks and she will soon give birth to a new leader. Such infanticide (killing of cubs) is a necessity, because otherwise the new leader would have to wait at least two years for his own offspring, and despite the fact that the leader, as a rule, is replaced every 2-4 years, he would not have time to raise his own cubs .
Pride gives lions the benefits of hunting. In a group, the chance of a successful attack increases, and it also becomes possible to hunt larger and stronger animals, such as an adult buffalo. It becomes possible to protect the half-eaten corpse from spotted hyenas and scavengers. However, the lion still has less food than if he hunted alone, since he gets only a small part of the prey. The reason for the formation of a pride may be the need for cooperation in raising cubs. Lionesses give birth at almost the same time, which allows them to jointly feed and protect all cubs. In addition, a large pride is able to resist the territorial claims of other lionesses, can seize their territory and kill the lionesses of neighboring prides.
But, apparently, the main task of the pride is the joint protection of the cubs from stray lions and from the lions that captured the pride: joint defense, at least, allows you to defend the grown cubs.
Lions get to know each other well. The greatest contribution to this is made by visual perception. For example, two adult males, already by the state of the mane of the opponent, can draw conclusions about how strong and dangerous he is, and decide whether to claim his possessions. The mane is indeed a very good guide, as mane growth is highly dependent on testosterone levels. Greeting each other, the lions of one pride rub their faces and are generally very affectionate.
Odor signals are used when a lion (and sometimes lionesses) marks the boundaries of his area with a mixture of urine and the secretion of special glands. This behavior is formed in lions at the age of about two years.
Lions learn to roar even earlier - about a year. In males, the roar is longer, bass and louder than in females. The lion usually roars while standing, sometimes crouching to the ground. Such acoustic communication serves both to communicate within the pride and to announce to the opponent that the territory is being guarded.
Reproduction. Caring for offspring.
Lions breed throughout the year, but peak during the rainy season. In a non-pregnant female, estrus begins 16 days after the end of the previous one. At this time, the lion begins to care for her. The couple leaves the pride for 4-5 days to mate (which at this time occurs on average every 25 minutes), remaining, however, in its hunting territory. Not only males are polygamous, but also females, usually mating occurs both with the dominant male and with other lions from the pride. Pride males usually do not fight for females, the lioness leaves with the first one who meets her. On average, every fifth estrus ends with a pregnancy.
If the lioness becomes pregnant, then after 3.5 months, shortly before the birth, she again leaves the pride. She finds a shady, inconspicuous place and offspring are born there - from 1 to 6, on average, three lion cubs. For the first time, their mother takes care of them, and after returning to the pride, all lionesses are equally affectionate with the cubs and do not distinguish between their own and others. In a pride, lion cubs are born synchronously, which gives them an advantage: it is known that mutual feeding and collective defense significantly reduce the mortality of cubs. The role of a lion in caring for offspring is primarily to protect the pride from stray male lions. He can also make sure that when the prey is divided, the cubs get their portion. But females protect cubs from predators. Lion cubs aged 5-7 months are most at risk. They remain alone for a long time and can become a victim of hyenas and other predators. In addition, sometimes the mother herself attacks weak lion cubs, which cannot yet follow the pride in due time. Mortality in the first six months of life of lion cubs reaches 50%.
If the cubs survived, their mother will give birth next in about two years, but if they all died (usually due to the capture of the pride), then estrus will begin a very short time after their death.
Newborn lion cubs weigh only 1-2 kg. On the 11th day they open their eyes, and on the 15th day they begin to walk. On the skin of small lion cubs (up to 3 months old) there are dark spots, which then disappear. For the first two months of their life, they feed only on milk, but at this age they return to the pride with their mother and, in addition to milk (all lactating lionesses feed them along with their mother), gradually get used to meat. At the age of 7 months (up to 10) they switch completely to eating meat. Soon they begin to accompany adult lions during the hunt, and from 11 months old they can already kill prey on their own. However, independent life is still far away: the lion cub has a chance to survive alone, starting at 16 months, but usually does not leave the pride until the age of two or even four. Young females generally remain in the pride.
Males and females reach sexual maturity at an average of 5 years and 4 years, respectively. But even after that, they continue to grow in size - usually up to six years.
Lionesses live longer, as old lions are usually driven out either by a pride or another, stronger male. In nature, they live an average of 14-16 years (up to 18 years in the Serengeti), and males rarely reach 11 years, but you can meet an older lion (up to 16 years). The average life expectancy of lions in captivity is 13 years, a record of 30.
Enemies and diseases. Significance for a person.
An adult lion is practically invulnerable to predators. The spotted hyena may, however, attack lion cubs, young or old lions. The greatest danger to an adult healthy lion is starvation or death as a result of a collision with another lion. Lions compete for food with other large predators - hyenas, cheetahs and leopards - but they usually come out victorious in a fight with them. At the same time, hyenas will yield disputed prey only to a large male lion, and from lionesses, on the contrary, they can even take away the animal they have killed.
The lion population is limited mainly by the number of surviving cubs. The main cause of their death is infanticide, which is carried out by males when capturing a pride. The mortality of lion cubs also increases markedly with a lack of prey. In addition, left unattended, they become victims of predators, primarily spotted hyenas.
A serious danger to lions is a person. A huge number of lions still continue to be destroyed in national parks. In addition to rifle hunting, arrows, traps and poisoned baits are used (since lions willingly eat carrion, usually it is a carcass with poison in it). In some African countries, hunting lions for food is allowed.
But the harm caused to lions by man is far from being exhausted by direct destruction. As mentioned above, the territory of the lion's habitat has sharply decreased in historical time, and the main reason for this is the development of agriculture and cattle breeding, which gradually forced out large predators to lands not yet developed by man. Even in Africa, this has led to the fact that lions are now kept almost exclusively in hunting reserves. Although lions were found all over the sub-Saharan continent 150 years ago, in western Africa their population continues to decline dramatically, and it seems that soon they will remain only in the eastern and southern parts of the mainland. The problem is compounded by the fact that different reservations are separated by impassable spaces for the lion, and local populations are often too small to support themselves. Subsequently, if the situation does not change, this may lead to an increase in the frequency of genetic anomalies and to a further drop in the number of lions.
Most of the conflict between man and lion is at the boundaries of reserves, but relatively simple measures (such as a reliable fence with live wire) can prevent lions from entering populated areas. However, sometimes lions overcome fences. If this happened to an adult lion with a pride, who simply wanted to expand his territory in this way, then they try to bring him back, and he will no longer try to repeat such an experiment. If this is a young lion, already addicted to killing cattle, which is so common in Africa, then he will continue to overstep the boundaries of the reserve, and they are trying to seize such lions.
But even where lions can sometimes appear near housing, attacks on humans are the rarest exception. As a rule, these are old lions, doomed in nature to starvation, old or wounded animals. Healthy lions, deprived of a normal habitat, can also become cannibals, but usually, having met a person, the lion simply leaves, and in places where there are many tourists, he does not even do this, calmly continuing to rest and go about his business.
Another problem is that lions are often carriers of feline immunodeficiency virus, which also infects domestic cats. This virus, which is similar to HIV, is lethal to cats, and apparently not dangerous to lions, but it infects a huge part of the lion population, due to which the natural focus of this infection is constantly maintained.
Lions also benefit people: thanks to them, ecotourism flourishes in many poor countries, bringing substantial income.
Lions are protected by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and the Asian subspecies P. l. persica is listed in the Red Book as endangered.
In some reserves in Africa, where lions became so small that the population could no longer self-renew, they even used artificial insemination to produce offspring. Attempts are being made to populate areas undeveloped by lions with adult females or entire prides in order to reduce the harmful effects of inbreeding in small groups.
In captivity, lions breed well, which made it possible to create their own Asiatic lion population in zoos, which is also used to maintain the number of Asiatic lions in the wild.
Diversity.
The genetic diversity of lions is not very high - less than between people of different races - but it is customary to distinguish several of their subspecies. Genetic analysis data showed that the common ancestor of Asiatic and African lions lived about 100 thousand years ago.
The final opinion on the allocation of subspecies of the lion has not yet been formed. Although all researchers agree that the Asian form is a separate subspecies (P. l. persica), some divide the variety of forms in Africa into several subspecies, sometimes they consider it to be one subspecies. The most widespread classification, where five living subspecies are distinguished among African lions, is given below. All subspecies are separated and named according to the geographic region where they live.
1.Panthera leo senegalensis(West Africa), or the Senegal lion - is endangered.
2. P.l. Azandica(Northeast Congo, Zaire)
3. P.l. bleyenberghi(Katanga, Angola, southern Congo), or Katanga lion - is endangered.
4. P.l. krugeri(South Africa, Transvaal) - includes lions living in the Kalahari Desert. They are characterized by a lighter mane, this is the only species of lions that inhabits the desert. Lions from the Kalahari are sometimes recognized as a separate subspecies, P. l. verneyi.
5. P.l. nubica(East Africa). These include Somali lions ( P.l. somaliensis), Masai ( P.l. massaicus), lions from the Serengeti ( P.l. massaicus), Congo ( P.l. hollisteri) and Abyssinia ( P.l. rosevelti).
Among the subspecies destroyed by man:
1. Atlas, or Barbary lion ( P.l. leo). Back in the early 20th century, they lived in northern Africa, in the Atlas. These lions were distinguished by a huge black mane, which grew not only on the head, but passed over the shoulders to the belly. They differed from living lions in their large size and dense physique. They lived alone in the wooded area, without forming a pride. It was these lions that the emperors of Rome kept. The last Barbary lion was destroyed in Morocco in 1922.
2. Cape lion ( P.l. melanochaita) - lived on the southern tip of the mainland. This is the largest lion that a person could meet. The last Cape lion was destroyed in 1860.
3. Maroczi, or spotted lion ( P.l. maculatus) - from East Africa, where it inhabits mountain forests. Only single encounters with humans have been recorded, and it is not known whether these animals survived. They are very different in appearance from other lions: smaller, no mane, but the skin is covered with spots in the form of rosettes. There is an opinion that this is not a special kind of lion, but a cross between a lion and a leopard, in which case the maroczi cannot be considered as a subspecies of lions.
4. The only lion in Asia is the Indian lion ( P.l. persica) - preserved only in the Girsky Reserve (western India). The natural population has up to 300 adults. The last Asiatic lion outside of India was killed in 1942 in Iran; before that, lions were exterminated in Europe (about 100 AD), Palestine, Turkey (in the 19th century), Iraq (1918), India (for with the exception of the Gir forest, by the beginning of the 20th century).
Outwardly, Asiatic lions are distinguished by a smaller and shorter mane (which never completely covers the ears), somewhat smaller in size. An adult male weighs 160–190 kg, a female 110–120 kg.
Asian lions in nature live in prides, but they are formed, as a rule, only from two females. Males are less social: together with the pride, they live only during the mating season or when they go out on a big hunt together. This does not happen often, as the usual prey in the Gir forest is small, often Indian deer and sambar, although it is traditional for the Asiatic lion to hunt larger animals, especially more affordable cattle. Perhaps this feature is the reason for the decrease in the size of the pride.
Life expectancy averages 17–18 years for females and about 16 for males, reaching sexual maturity at 3–4 and 5–8 years, respectively. In one litter from 1 to 5, usually 2-3 cubs, however, mortality in the first year of life is very high and is about 30%, then it sharply decreases and does not exceed 10% for adult animals
Various measures are being taken to protect the Indian lion. Although its population is slowly but steadily growing, there is a danger that due to illness it can all disappear at once, so an attempt was made to create a reserve population in captivity in order to subsequently release animals to places where they could live and leave offspring. However, in the 1980s, it became clear that almost all Asiatic lions bred in zoos are, to a large extent, a cross between African lions and African lions.
Tatyana Smirnova
» Mammals » Lion
a lion is a member of the cat family. This predatory mammal, found mainly in East and South Africa (very few lions survived in India), is considered one of the largest predatory animals. He is the tallest among the cats, and second only to the tiger in weight. The weight of males can reach 250, and sometimes 300 kilograms. But in terms of height at the shoulders (up to 123 centimeters), the lion is the champion among cats.
Once upon a time (about 100 thousand years ago), lions inhabited almost all continents, they could be found on the territory of all modern countries. About 10 thousand years ago, the picture changed dramatically: there were no lions left in the countries of North and South America, Europe was also left without these beautiful animals.
What does a lion look like?
Lions are large animals, shaped like a cat. Their fur has several shades of red and brown. As a rule, the back is colored brown, the sides are red, and the paws are almost yellow (or white).
Very rarely, a white cub, that is, an albino, can be born to a female lion. This phenomenon is very rare. However, black or gray lions do not exist in nature at all.
Not everyone knows that earlier lions were found in the south of Europe, the Middle East and the Caucasus, but were exterminated by man. The Grand Duke of Kyiv Vladimir Monomakh spoke about his meeting with a lion in the 12th century.
It is easy to distinguish a lion from a lioness by the mane, which can cover the shoulders, chest and part of the back of the animal. It is believed that with its help, the lion frightens enemies and attracts a lioness - the more magnificent and darker the mane, the more chances he has to please his chosen one. In addition, the color of the mane distinguishes different subspecies of the lion. The female is much smaller than the male in body size. The male weighs approximately 190-230 kg (the record weight was about 270 kg), and the female is no more than 150 (the record weight was 180 kg). At the same time, the male has a body length of more than three meters, and the female does not grow more than two and a half meters.
Pride - lion family
Lions, unlike other cats, live in families called prides. Pride sizes vary. They usually consist of one or two adult lions, five or six lionesses, and varying numbers of cubs.
The head of the family is an old lion.
He usually guards the territory, although lionesses can also do this. Males do not allow other lions into their territory, females - other people's lionesses. And the territory of the pride can reach up to 100 square kilometers, depending on the availability of water sources and possible extraction.
The number of females in the pride changes only when one of the lionesses dies or when a young shift grows up. But the males always leave the family, as soon as they are 2-2.5 years old. The head of the family of rivals will not tolerate, and therefore young males, having wandered for a year or two, must establish their own pride.
To give birth to cubs, the lioness leaves the pride. Lion cubs, like all kittens, are born blind and helpless. After 6 weeks, mother and babies return to the family. Usually all lionesses of one pride give birth almost simultaneously. And then they feed the lion cubs, not dividing where theirs is, where someone else's, and jointly protect. It's easier to survive that way.
Newborn lion cubs are threatened by large predators. Therefore, the mother takes them to a new lair (shelter) several times a month so that the smell that attracts enemies does not accumulate. Just like a domestic cat, she wears them, holding the fold on her neck - as they say, "by the scruff".
It is not easy for lion cubs to immediately join the family.
They are afraid of everyone except their mother. But gradually they begin to play with their peers and get used to the adult members of the pride. However, the kids may face a serious threat: if the power changes in the pride and the main lion is forced out by another, he seeks to kill the cubs of the vanquished. So the story told in the cartoon "The Lion King" has a real basis.
lion hunting
Lions live in open areas, almost never entering forests. This is due to the fact that lions hunt large, artiodactyl animals that also live in open areas. Lion hunting is very interesting.
Large and majestic lions in their family (pride) are engaged only in the protection of the territory and procreation, and only lionesses are responsible for the extraction of food - antelopes, buffaloes, zebras, giraffes, as well as elephants and even representatives of the cat family.
Each of these brave animals knows exactly its place in the group (some drive the victim, others surround, others attack, etc.), so the hunt almost always ends in luck. The male approaches a herd of antelopes or zebras, frightens them with his growl and drives them in the direction of the female, who lies in ambush nearby.
Males directly can take part in the hunt only as an exception: if the prey is too large, and even a few lionesses are not able to cope with it. When attacking, the lion jumps on the back of the victim - this is not a big deal for him, because he is able to overcome three-meter fences.
Most often, hunting takes place at night near a river or stream, where animals come to drink. Lions are very careful about food, they always eat the caught animal to the end, without leaving a single piece, only after that they go on the next hunt. Hunting does not take place every day - one large antelope can be enough for a small pride for a week.
When dividing the prey, the first choice is given to the lions, then to the lionesses, and only in the very last place - to the cubs. An adult lion needs about 20 kilograms of meat for one "lunch". Having eaten enough, the father of the family goes to rest. And the lions rest for a long time - about 20 hours a day. Interestingly, lions are able to go without food for up to several weeks.
A photo
Who is stronger lion or tiger?
The lion is called the "king of beasts". But does the lion rightfully bear such a name?
Recently, scientists, after analyzing the facts, gave an answer to the age-old children's question, who is stronger: a lion or a tiger?
Is there a black lion?
Lions are one of the most beautiful wild cats. Usually lions are red (golden, light brown, beige) ...
white lions
White lions are rare in nature. They owe their color to a rare mutation that reduces the amount of pigments on which the color depends.
Lion in human culture
The lion as a multi-valued symbol in various cultures occupies one of the main places. Even primitive hunters painted it on the walls of caves.
Vladimir Shebzukhov2013-09-21 16:46:26 LION AND JACKAL It is not enough for a jackal to be a jackal! He is a lion, calling attention to himself, The lion looked lazily, sleepily. The tongue of the jackal is long. “These speeches disturb my sleep! http://www.beesona.ru/id4203/literature/13468/ |
Vladimir Shebzukhov2013-09-20 02:58:10 What will not meet in fate ... Haven't learned to be angry yet It seemed like a little more It's time to become a formidable lion. Ready, it was already, and attack. “How did this happen all of a sudden? “You are a lion - the master of all the animals. http://www.beesona.ru/id4203/literature/13469/ [Reply][Reply with quote][Cancel reply] |
Lions and tigers - these animals are one of the largest and most dangerous representatives of the cat family. Many people are familiar with the saying that the lion is the king of beasts. But, despite its regal title, it is still inferior in size to the tiger, which is considered the largest of all modern cats. Among predatory mammals, only lions have the most pronounced external difference between the sexes, which consists in the presence of a mane in males. It is the mane that is an indicator of the strength and power of the lion.
Habitat
Previously, these beautiful predatory cats lived in vast territories that included the entire African continent, with the exception of deserts and tropical forests, and the territory from Greece to the Hindustan Peninsula. But since the beginning of human exploration of these spaces and the persecution that began as a result of this persecution, the natural boundaries of the habitat of lions have been greatly reduced.
Distribution area of lions
Now these predators have survived only in Africa (south of the Sahara, in the eastern and southern parts of the continent) and in India (in the Gir Forest, located in the Indian state of Gujarat), and then to a greater extent in the territories of national parks and reserves, where hunting for them is prohibited. The largest and most significant of them are the Eshota National Park (Namibia), the Serengeti National Park (Tanzania) and the Kruger National Park (South Africa).
Lions are most comfortable in the savannas, where there is little dense bush and vegetation, but they can sometimes be seen in forests.
Appearance
About the fact that these cats are slightly inferior in size to tigers, we have already mentioned. The average body weight of males is about 180-200 kg, females - 120-130 kg. Most often, the size of these cats depends on their habitat and on the environment. In the wild, you rarely see lions heavier, but in captivity - please. Indeed, in zoos, food is better and more frequent, and there is not much space for free movement.
male and female
The body length of males reaches 170-250 cm, females - 140-175 cm. The height at the shoulders for males is about 120-125 cm, for females - 105-110 cm. This is without a tail. But once the hunters came across a 3-meter giant, however, he turned out to be a cannibal (October 1973, Angola).
We are used to the fact that the lion has a yellowish color. But there are other options: from gray-beige to dark brown. Usually the mane is the same color as the pelt, but sometimes it can be much darker. The back is slightly darker than the belly; a black tassel flaunts at the end of the tail. Some lions, in particular females and cubs, may have small dark spots on the abdomen and legs.
Like all predators, lions have strong jaws with huge fangs reaching a length of 8 cm. Hunting in a pack, they are able to kill a fairly large animal, including a giraffe and even a small elephant.
giraffe hunting
Lions have highly developed sexual dimorphism, i.e. external difference between males and females. Lionesses are inferior to males in size, and they do not have a huge mane.
The lion's mane is the main distinguishing feature of the male. She is a symbol of power. Manes are different: black and light, large and not very big. It can grow around the neck with a small collar, or it can be very thick and long and start at the forehead, then smoothly move to the neck and end on the belly. Some males also have a lateral mane, which is a wide strip of long hair located in the lower part of the sides.
Due to the color and length of the mane, zoologists distinguish about 8 subspecies among lions. Previously, 12 was allocated.
This “symbol of power” begins to grow from a year and a half. And every year it becomes thicker, longer and more beautiful. The older the animal, the darker it is. So in very old lions, the mane can turn out to be almost black. For obvious reasons, lions in zoos have much prettier and larger manes than their wild counterparts. This is due not only to nutrition, but also to the environment. Hunting and walking for many kilometers, lions have to make their way through dense thickets of vegetation and shrubs, in which they often leave shreds of their hair.
Yes, and in the pride, females give their preference to the male with the thickest and darkest mane. Lucky for those whom nature has awarded with good genes. After all, the size and color of the mane often depend on genetic prerequisites. The growth of the mane also depends on the level of testosterone - the male hormone.
young male
Lifestyle
Lions live in prides. It's not a flock. Pride is more like a large extended family. It consists of one or more adult males (in this case, the pride is called a coalition), 5-6 females, their cubs and teenage lions. Teenage males leave the pride when they reach puberty. The females usually stay. Each family has its own territory, which is jealously guarded by males.
Pride females
But in lions, this is not the only type of social organization. There are also lone wandering lions. Most often these are the same males who left the pride. Over time, each of them can organize their own “family” or join an existing one, which is much less common. A lonely lioness has a harder time, other lionesses are not always ready to accept a stranger.
Despite the fear and horror that lions inspire on humans and many animals, these big cats sleep most of the day. And to be more precise, it takes them up to 20 hours to sleep and rest. The remaining 4 hours they are either busy hunting or moving around their territory.
Leos love to communicate with each other. They do this with the help of a growl, which can be completely different in strength and height. Sometimes it seems that the sounds do not come from the throat, but originate somewhere in the belly. In addition, there are a lot of visual gestures and peculiar movements. The most common is head rubbing and partner licking. A sign of greeting is considered to be rubbing the nose against the neck or head of another lion.
Food
At nightfall, the lions come out to hunt. The main earners are females. They are faster, more flexible and more agile. Males, because of their mane, which leads to overheating, do not tolerate great physical exertion. The hunting group is very organized, as a result of which they do not return to the family with empty “hands”. This applies to large prey, while small ones are eaten on the spot. The male starts the meal first, driving away the females from the prey. In the family, everyone clearly knows their duties and place.
They hunt almost all large and medium-sized mammals that live in their neighborhood: buffaloes, antelopes, zebras, warthogs and other African animals, and in India - wild boars, deer and more. Their diet does not include only elephants and giraffes (although if lions go hunting in a large group, then he can also become a “dinner”), rhinos, hippos, and also very fast antelopes. Because lions can only run fast for short distances.
With booty
reproduction
Lionesses reach sexual maturity at the age of 4 years. During estrus, females stop eating. One female can mate with several males. Pregnancy lasts about 4 months. At the end of the term, the lioness leaves the pride and finds a secluded place for herself (dense thickets of bushes, a cave or a rock crevice), where the female gives birth to 1 to 4 cubs.
At first, she hunts near the place where her cubs are hidden. Yes, they are hidden, as many predators would not mind eating them. And the buffaloes, smelling the smell of lion cubs, go to this place and try to trample them. Therefore, the female in the first month of their life tries to look for several secluded places for the cubs.
For about 6-8 weeks, the female lives with her cubs in seclusion, and then returns to the pride together with her offspring. The cubs gradually begin to get to know other family members. First with other cubs, and then with adults. Females are tolerant of other cubs, but the male can be a danger to them. By the age of 3-4, males reach sexual maturity and leave the pride.
In captivity, in addition to lions, you can also see their hybrids, such as tigers. The first occurs when a male lion and a female tigress are crossed, the second occurs when the father is a tiger and the mother is a lioness.
Despite their unspoken authority as the most dangerous predator in the African savannas, lions can become victims of their relatives during a showdown. Old and sick individuals, as well as cubs, become easy prey for hyenas and leopards.
The main threat to these cats, of course, is a person, but besides him, there is another animal that a lion cannot always cope with - this is the Nile crocodile.
Currently, the number of lions is declining every year. Statistics show that by 2004 their numbers decreased by 2-6 times compared to 1970 (2004 - from 16.5 to 47 thousand individuals, in 1970 - 100 thousand). The reasons are banal. Firstly, it is human intervention, and secondly and thirdly, climate change, habitat loss and disease.
The African lion is a member of the cat family. This is one of the most powerful predators.
In terms of size and body weight, it is second only to the tiger. The African lion lives in African countries located south of the Sahara desert. It normally exists only in protected areas, in other places it is actively destroyed by the local population, whose number is constantly increasing.
Now in Africa there are up to 50,000 representatives of this species. Also, about 2,000 African lions live in captivity: in zoos and circuses. The situation with the population of these predators causes serious concern.
Appearance
Representatives of this species of cats have external differences by gender. Males are much larger than females. Also, males have long lush manes, the length of which is about 40 cm. The hair of lions grows on the head, neck and chest and forms separate manes that join into one. There is a hair brush on the tail, the length of which is not more than 5 cm. Inside it has a small curved bone.
Lions have a yellow-gray color, however, some individuals may differ in shade. The color of the mane is the same as the color of the skin, the hairline of the shoulders is very dark, sometimes black. The coat on the belly and back is short. Lionesses do not have manes, which makes them more resistant to heat. Also because of this, they easily pass through any dense thickets. Probably, this is the reason why lionesses are engaged in hunting, and lions protect the territory.
The lion is truly the king of the savannah.
These animals are large. The average weight of a male is 180 kg, and the maximum is 250 kg. Females weigh an average of 125 kg, with a maximum of 180 kg. Lions living in southern Africa are larger than representatives of the eastern and western regions. At the withers, males reach a height of 120 cm, females - 90 cm, extremely rarely - 100 cm. The body of a male reaches 2.5 meters in length, females - 1.8 meters. Tail length ranges from 70 cm to 1 meter. The maximum weight that was recorded was 370 kg, the maximum length was 3.6 meters.
Pride, reproduction, lifespan
This predator is the most socially organized of all members of the cat family. African lions live in large groups, the so-called prides. All pride females try to get pregnant at the same time, because. it is easier to feed and look after cubs born at the same time. The duration of pregnancy is 110 days. Lionesses give birth in secluded places outside the pride: in caves, thickets of bushes.
Up to 4 cubs weighing up to 2 kg, helpless and blind, are born. Babies open their eyes 10 days after birth, after another 10 days they begin to walk. The female constantly goes to hunt, leaving the cubs alone. To prevent other predators from finding babies by smell, lionesses change their den every few days.
Females return to prides when the cubs are already 1.5-2 months old. The cubs are fed with milk for six months. Lionesses have different attitudes towards offspring: they love males less. When the father of the offspring dies, another lion kills his male cubs. At the same time, the lioness may not react to this in any way, but she will protect the female cubs to the end and will not allow anyone to touch them.
Listen to the voice of the African lion
When the males are 2-3 years old, they are expelled from the pack and they lead a solitary lifestyle. Then they either create their own group or join an existing one. Some males live all their lives alone or in pairs. Lionesses stay with their mothers forever. All lionesses of the group are relatives, there are no other females in the flocks. Young lions have a very high mortality rate; out of 100 lions, only 20 will survive to 2 years of age.
Males become sexually mature at 3 years of age. The first birth in females takes place at 4 years. The heyday of the powers of a predator from 4 to 10 years. Then the lions gradually age. The life span in the wild is up to 15 years, in captivity - up to 20-22 years.
Food and hunting
The usual habitat for African lions is the savanna, where many ungulates live with them. They form the basis of the diet of these predators. Females hunt, and males at this time protect the territory from attacks by lions from other prides. Such collisions are not uncommon, and one of the lions often dies as a result.
They hunt mainly at dusk, in the early morning and late evening, although sometimes lionesses go hunting during the day. Small prey is eaten on the spot, large prey is taken to a group and there they all eat it with the whole flock.
Healthy and strong animals and the sick and wounded receive food on equal terms. Lions do not start hunting until they have eaten past prey. At this time, they do not attack potential victims, even if they are nearby.
Most of the time, these felines are resting.
Enemies
These giant cats often feud with, because these animals have the same diet of food. Predators often take the prey of hyenas, which are forced to sit and wait for the lions to satisfy their hunger. If the hyenas are a flock, and the number of lionesses is small, then the hyenas select prey. In these confrontations, strength always wins. The same thing happens in the confrontations between lions and cheetahs and leopards.
Representatives of the cat family. An impressive magnificent mane, a ferocious roar, a muscular huge body, a stranglehold - all this very much characterizes the powerful and strong king of the jungle. In the people of lions it is customary to call the kings of the jungle. Hence the misconception was born that these live in tropical thickets.
The weight of an adult male lion can reach 250 kg, and females 150 kg. The body length of the animal is from 2.3 m to 3.0 m.
Lion habitats
In fact, lions today can only be found in two places on the globe - in the African savannah, as well as in India. They mostly disperse in groups that scientists call prides. These groups include about 20 individuals, of which, as a rule, no more than 4 males.In the Middle Ages, the lion was much more extensive - the entire territory of Africa, excluding the tropics and the desert, the Middle East, Iran, part of Europe, even the southern outskirts of Russia, India. But the hunt for lion skins, wars, destroyed the predator's familiar environment. Lions have lost most of their range. In 1944, the last lion in Europe was found in Iran - he was dead.
Now in Africa, lions occupy the territory south of the famous Sahara desert. Here, in unlimited conditions of existence, animals feel more than comfortable, which contributes to their reproduction. Despite this, the population of lions is rapidly decreasing every year.
About 80% of all lions in the world live on the hottest continent of the planet - in Africa.
In India, the kings of the jungle occupy a territory in the West of the country with an area of 1400 sq. km. They settled in a region called the Gir Forest. Unfortunately, this population of felines is quite small - about 360 individuals. The sad statistics forced the country's government to protect the lions and do everything to prevent the decline in the wild cat population. And this played a positive role: according to the latest data, the size of the group began to slowly grow.
Savannah is considered a favorite place where lions prefer to live, but often they settle in areas with an abundance of shrubs, in forests. Important for lions is the presence in the settlement area of a special type of acacia. It is this plant that protects flocks from the scorching sun, and also saves from heat and sunstroke. Lions do not live in dense moist forests and waterless deserts.