subject: Get to Know About the Lions [print this page] Get to Know About the Lions Get to Know About the Lions
The lions are the second largest living cats of the feline species. The tiger is the largest. They are very social animals and the only social cats. They live in a pride that consists of about 15 females, a male or 3 males and the cubs. The male cubs once they become of age leave the group to look for other prides to dominate. The female cubs mature and stay on in the group. All the females in the group are related and have a very positive and healthy relationship with each other. On a hot day, you will see them under a shade purring, touching and licking each other. They are also very affectionate to their young ones. Lions belong to the kingdom animalia, the phylum Chordata, class mammalia, order carnivora, family felidae, and genus Panthera and species Panthera Leo. Its binomial name is Panthera Leo. A full grown lion can weigh up to 227 kgs. It can be from 5 to 8 feet in length and about 4 feet tall. A male has a beautiful mane which is a mass of thick black or brown hairs that run from the neck to the upper back. The mane protects it as it fights with the other male lions. It also makes it look majestic and proud earning the title of the King of the Jungle. In captivity, the lion can live for up to twenty five years while in the wild, its life span is about fourteen years. The males normally make it to up to ten years as the injuries sustained when fighting with other males wear it down. Lions though carnivores are not known to hunt humans selectively though some have been known to seek human prey.
