THE ANIMALS

THE ANIMALS

Lions have been mistakenly called the "king of the Jungle," but the fact is, lions do not inhabit jungles.

While lions have also been referred to as the "king of the beasts," this is only partially true. Lions, in their habitats, are kings of the predatory beasts, but they can be easily backed down or killed by elephants and water buffalo.

When it comes to mating, lions are the champions! Lions can copulate up to as many as 100 times in a 24 hr. period!

Lions are the only true social members of the cat family and live in groups called prides.

All females in a pride are related.

All lactating females will allow any cub in their pride to nurse.

Lions run at a rate of 50 mph (81 kmph).

Lions sleep up to 20 hours a day.

Male lions can usually only hold on to a pride for 2-4 years before a younger, stronger male or coalition of males throws him out and takes over.

Many people only think of the females as doing the hunting, but as males spend much of their lives in search of a pride, they too must fend for themselves and are quite capable of hunting!

White lions occur naturally in the wild in the Timbavati region of South Africa. There are no verified records (that I am aware of!) of the existence of any black (melanistic) lions.

Lions are the only sexually dimorphic members of the cat family.

Male lions are the only members of the cat family to have a mane.

Lions are the only felines with tufts at the ends of their tails.

Female lions reach two thirds of their adult size by the time they are 2 years old.

Males begin to really grow between 3 and 3 1/2 years and by 4 will be almost their adult size and weight.

Both males and females continue to grow until they are 6 years old, primarily becoming more massive.

Why lions are considered the "king of the jungle ?

Do any lions even live in jungles? I thought they all lived in massive fields.
Yes, lions do live in heavily wooded areas as well as savanna and desert areas. They've become the king of the jungle because they are the largest and most feared of the large cats. During the construction of early railroads in Africa, that reputation of the "king" became well known as lions became man-eaters. However, it was mostly older lions who could no longer catch prey and therefore opted to go after humans. An adult male lion can be 500 pounds and with a full mane is one of the most impressive cats you will ever see, and one which, I believe, deserves the title of "king."

Why don't the lions leave the area?
Lions are drawn toward areas that are densely populated, for food sources.the roughly 388 billion cubic feet of water turn the desert into a lush freshwater delta. This becomes food for thousands of animals who come to feed on the plants that thrive as the marsh is formed. It is worth the inconvenience of hunting in the marsh for the abundance of hooved prey.

How much do lions weigh?
When a lion is born, it usually weighs half a pound to a pound, and there can be five or six in a litter. By the end of the first year, they can be upward of 100 pounds. By three years, females can be 300-350 pounds, but males will gain another 100 or so pounds to max out at about 500 pounds. They must grow quickly to survive in an environment full of predators — which they do very well!

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