Lions-+General+Information

=Lions of South Africa=
 * Lions of South Africa are quick and mysterious creatures and are also known as the “King of the Jungle.” Lions are the second largest cat in the world, after the tiger. They can also grow to be as long as 6 feet and as tall as 4 feet. Lions can weigh between 330 and 500 pounds. They also live to be around 13 years old. The largest lion ever recorded was 7 feet long and weighed 700 pounds., and the oldest lion ever recorded lived to be 29 years old in captivity. **
 * Lions are the only cats that live in a pride. A pride is a group of lions forming a social group. A lions can be found in savannas, grasslands, dense bush and woodlands. Most lions live in Saharan Africa. In Saharan Africa, if you go on a safari, the money you spend on the trip benefits the lions living there by improving their habitat. The scientific name for a lion is Panthera leo, which means lions are classified with other animals such as panthers, snow and spotted panthers, leopards, tigers, and jaguars. **
 * A lion’s appearance is different depending on their gender. One thing they have in common is their tawny golden yellow color. Lions are golden yellow because of dry vegetation. This helps them blend into the nature around them. Another thing that they have in common is their tails. Their tails end in the shape of a horn that is covered with hair. A way to tell them apart is by looking to see which lion has a brown and black mane of hair around it’s head and neck, which is the male lion. This makes them look different from the female lions. **
 * Lions behave in many different ways. The female lion does most of the pride’s hunting. While they are hunting, the males are watching over the pride to make sure they stay safe. Lions can keep in touch when the pride is apart by roaring. A lion’s roar can be heard up to five miles away. When dinner time comes around, the male lions always eat first, then the females, followed by the cubs. But when it comes to sleeping lions are very lazy. Lions spent 16-20 hours a day sleeping, leaving the rest of the day to hunt. Lions are capable of attacking prey that is twice their height and size. When going after prey, the lion’s go at night to decrease the rate of being spotted. Lion’s like to corner around their prey when attacking. A lion’s diet consists of wildebeests, antelope, zebras, buffaloes, young elephants, rhinos, hippos, and giraffes. They also take over kills left behind by cheetahs, hyenas, and leopards. Lions don’t have any other predators other than humans, other lions, and hyenas. Humans are the reason why lions are becoming extinct. Cattle rangers are poisoning lions with pesticides to protect their cattle herds, and other people are killing lions for their fur. Lions are able to attack other lions, and hyenas are able to attack an injured lions for food. **