How many years do lions live? In order to fully answer this question, you need to understand what exactly determines the life expectancy of such a large predator, the real king of animals - Leo.

Even in medieval times, their habitat was more than extensive.

Lions could be found throughout the region of Africa, the Middle East and Iran. They inhabited Northern and Northwestern India, the southern part of Europe, and southern Russia.

The life of these predatory mammals was completely different, but these beautiful animals were always in the field of view of man, who interfered with their usual, territorial affiliation.

Lions were destroyed for self-defense, caught for demonstration circus tricks and simply for the sake of a hunting trophy. And by now the number of these animals has decreased significantly. Currently, lions can be found only in some areas of Africa and the environs of the Indian state of Gujarat.

Lions have a very peculiar appearance. At the same time, males hold the record for shoulder height among cats and have a yellowish-gray color. The jaws of these animals are so strong and their legs are powerful that they can easily hunt large animals. But there is one more feature that distinguishes males from females: the mane. The color of the mane often matches the color of the skin, but it can also have a brighter or darker shade, and at the end of the tail, both in females and in males, there is a tassel of long hair.

Lions in the wild

In the language of animals, fur raised on the back of the neck means aggressiveness; such individuals are considered and feared; nature has endowed male lions with a lush and luxurious mane, which adds majesty and menacingness to them. In fact, lions are not as scary as they seem. Despite their strength and severity, for most of the day, about 20 hours a day, lions rest stretched out in the sun; they hunt most often in the morning or evening, spending a long time looking for a suitable victim. Lions are social animals, they live in families - prides.

A pride usually consists of one or more males - related by blood, several females and their cubs. As soon as the cubs reach the age of 2-3 years, they are expelled from the pride, and they live separately from everyone else, becoming wandering lions. These lions search for food alone, most often taking prey from the pride or from scavengers. Young lionesses do not leave the pride. In addition to living in prides in Africa, there are lion pairs that live independently.

Among the females there is a clear distribution of roles during the hunt and outside of it, because the survival of the entire pride depends on this. Someone is watching the cubs, someone is resting, and someone is watching to see if there are females or males from another pride on the horizon. The basis of the lion's diet is wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, kudu and kongoni, sometimes warthogs and deer are on the menu. Hunting is done in a group. Lions run slowly and cannot pursue their prey for a long time, so their main goal is to drive their prey into a dead end, encircle and attack.

The pregnant female leaves the pride to a secluded place, where, after 110 days, from one to four blind and helpless lion cubs are born. They are alone with their mother for up to seven weeks, after which the lioness places the cubs under the protection of her pride. It is interesting that males, if there are any in the pride, are much more tolerant of lion cubs than females; they are more willing to play with them and share their prey.

On the issue of age

So how long does a lion live in the wild? Taking into account all of the above, it becomes clear that the lifespan of a lion depends on many factors.

In the wild, despite their menacing appearance and truly terrible strength and dexterity, these predators face a lot of dangers, injuries and wounds, which do not contribute to prolonging life.

These include skirmishes with strangers over territory, after which one of the lions often becomes disabled and subsequently cannot fully demonstrate his strength and dexterity while hunting, and attacks from other equally aggressive predators.

These are injuries and wounds that occur during the hunting of large animals like buffalo, after which the animal naturally cannot hunt and eat well, and therefore live long.

But the biggest problem for the lion remains poachers. So in the wild, the life expectancy of lions is on average 8-10, much less often 14 years.

It is worth noting that lionesses live a couple of years longer than males, most likely due to the fact that they do not need to participate in skirmishes with strangers for territories.

Lions in nature reserves and zoo

Back at the end of the 18th century, trying to save these beautiful animals from extinction, people tried to keep them in nature reserves and zoos, where lions were able to live and reproduce normally. At the same time, their life expectancy increases noticeably, from 10-14 years, from the fact that lions can live in the wild, to 20 and even up to 25 or more years, with proper care and supervision of veterinarians in the reserve and a little less in the zoo - usually about 20 years. Thus, the most long-lived of all lions has lived for 29 years.

We tried to give the most detailed answer to the question about the life expectancy of the most important representative of the cat family, and animals in general - the lion. And if your child is interested in the life expectancy of lions, you can certainly tell your son or daughter how many years lions live in the wild, in the reserve and in the zoo.

A lion ( Panthera leo) - an animal of the class mammals, such as chordates, the order Carnivora, the cat family, the genus panther, the subfamily Big cats.

The natives who lived side by side with the lion called the predatory lion “wild cat.” The lion received its modern name, consonant in many languages, in the 18th century from the Latin word leo.

Description of the lion, appearance, characteristics, photographs of the animal

Of the existing wild cats, the lion is second only in size. An adult male lion weighs on average up to 250 kg with a body length of 2.5 m. The flexible, mobile body of a lion has well-developed muscles of the neck and front legs. The lion's claws reach 7 cm in length.

The massive head of a lion with an elongated muzzle is endowed with strong jaws. The lion has 30 teeth, canines up to 8 cm in size allow him to successfully hunt large animals: roe deer, wild boar, etc.

A tongue covered with tubercles helps to quickly get rid of blood-sucking insects and care for the fur.

On the lion's face there are several rows of whiskers with dark spots at the base, forming a pattern unique to each individual. Newborn lion cubs are spotted, like, but at puberty the spots disappear. The color of a lion's fur can be sand, brown or with a red tint. The tail ends in a striking black tassel.

Some individuals have a “spur” inside the brush - a fused vertebral ending.

A unique feature of lions is their exceptional sexual dimorphism. Male lions are much larger in size than females and are endowed with a luxurious mane, which appears as early as six-month old lion cubs. By the age of three, the pile on a lion’s mane grows to 35-40 cm. Color, length and fullness depend on genetics, habitat and the amount of testosterone. Old seasoned lions have the thickest and shaggiest manes.

It may seem surprising, but lions are animals that have the smallest heart among large predators. That is why they are not particularly resilient, although when running short distances, lions reach speeds of up to 80 km/h. In natural conditions, lions live 12-15 years; in captivity, life expectancy increases by 5-7 years.

Types and classification of lions

The classification of lions includes 8 subspecies:

• Asiatic(Persian, Indian) lion (Panthera leo persica)

It is distinguished by a squat body and a sleek, not too thick mane. The weight of a lion is 150-220 kg, for males from 160 to 190 kg, for females from 90 kg to 120 kg. The height of the Asiatic lion at the withers reaches 1.05 meters. The record length of the lion reached 2.92 meters. Just over 500 representatives of this lion species live in the Indian Girsky Nature Reserve. The largest Asiatic lion was recorded to be 2.92 meters long;

Asiatic (Persian, Indian) lion

• Barbary lion (Panthera leo leo)

the most massive predator with a dark thick mane. Inhabited throughout the African continent. Unfortunately, it was finally exterminated by man at the beginning of the 20th century. Today, descendants of the Barbary lion live in captivity, but there is no need to talk about the purebred of the species. The weight of a male lion reaches 160-270 kg, the weight of a female is 100-170 kg. It was the largest predator of all lion species;

• Senegalese (West African) lion (Panthera leo senegalensis)

Males are distinguished by a light, short mane (or lack thereof), light fur and small size. Prides of this predator are smaller, and the shape of the skull is different from other species of lions. The habitat is located south of the Sahara from Senegal in the west and in the east to the Central African Republic. About a thousand representatives live in the savannas of Guinea, Nigeria and Senegal. This lion species is endangered;

Senegalese lion

• Northern Congolese lion ( Panthera leo azandica)

in appearance it is similar to other African relatives. Lives in the savannas of northeastern Congo. The population of this lion species is gradually decreasing;

• East African(Masai) lion (Panthera leo nubica)

subspecies of African lion. Males are distinguished by elongated limbs and a “combed” back mane. Male lions reach a length of 2.5 - 3 meters, including the tail. The length of lionesses with a tail is 2.3 - 2.6 meters. The weight of a male lion is 150 - 230 kg, females 100 - 165 kg. Lions and lionesses have a withers height of 90 - 115 cm. The habitat of this species of lions is Zambia, Uganda, Mozambique and other states in eastern Africa, and also inhabit the Kenyan Masai Mara reserve;

• southwest african(Katangese) lion (Panthera leo bleyenberghi)

differs in light color. It lives in southwestern Africa from Angola to Zimbabwe. The length of a male lion including his tail is 2.5 – 3.1 meters, the length of a lioness is 2.3 – 2.65 meters. The weight of a male lion is 140-240 kg, the weight of females is 105-170 kg. An endangered species of lions, on the verge of extinction;

• southeast african(Transvaal) lion (Panthera leo krugeri)

large individuals, males have a long dark mane. Some representatives exhibit leucism, a mutation associated with the absence of melanocytes. These exotics have white fur and pink skin. The body length of the Transvaal lion with a tail is 2.6 - 3.2 meters, the lioness's dimensions are more modest - 2.35 - 2.75 meters. The weight of a male reaches 150-250 kg, females - 110-180 kg. More than 2 thousand lions live in the Kruger National Park, as well as in the southern part of the African continent and in the Kalahari Desert;

• cape lion ( Panthera leo melanochaita)

A subspecies that disappeared in the 19th century. The last Cape lion was shot in 1858. These lions lived in the Cape Province at the Cape of Good Hope, which is located in southern Africa. This species of lion was distinguished by black-tipped ears, and the lion's mane covered the belly and shoulders of the mammal.

Extinct Cape Lion

Together with the tiger, leopard and jaguar, the lion forms the genus Panthera, members of which can interbreed to form viable hybrids: ligers (tigers), leopons (leopard + lion) and jaguls (jaguar + lion).

White Lion

White lions are not a subspecies, but a genetic disorder called leucism, which causes the coat to turn white. White individuals live in the Kruger National Park and the Timbavati Reserve, which are located in the east of South Africa. Basically, such animals are kept in captivity.

White Lion

Do black lions exist in nature?

Black lions do not exist; in captivity such a species could survive, but in the wild this is impossible. A pride of dark brown lions has been seen in Okovango, which scientists say is the result of inbreeding. In general, there is no evidence for the existence of a black lion.

Black Lion

Where and how do lions live?

Lions live on 2 continents: Africa and Asia. The distribution range of lions in Africa is located in the southern part of the Sahara Desert. In Asia, the wild lion lives in India, in the Gir forest of the Indian state of Gujarat.

In fact, during the early Middle Ages, the habitat of lions was much wider: animals lived throughout Africa and India, the Middle East, Iran and even southern Europe and Russia. But habitat destruction by predators and human persecution have led to a reduction in lion habitat.

In nature, lions live in savannas, sometimes in forests or bushes. Predators live in small packs - prides, consisting of 5-6 related females, their cubs and 1-2 mature males (2 males can only be in a pride if they are brothers). Young lions expelled from a pride face a solitary life, with the opportunity to join another pride or create their own.

Lions have two types of social organization - pride and lone lions. However, a third one can be distinguished - groups of bachelor lions, which play an important role in the fate of the first type - prides.

There has long been an incorrect opinion about Pride. Usually a pride is viewed as a kind of patriarchal family - a lion father, lioness wives and their children, where the lion patriarch rules until the end of his life. This is not entirely true, not even true at all.

A pride is the basic social unit of lions. Prides vary in size and structure, but typically contain 5-9 adult females (range 1 to 18), their dependent offspring, and a coalition of 2-6 immigrant males (raised in other prides). The number of adult lions in a coalition is usually two, but their number can increase to four and then decrease again. Upon reaching sexual maturity, young males leave the pride. Pride sizes are smaller the worse the conditions, such as in arid areas with limited prey. On average, lionesses have 1/7 of the genes of other members of the pride. The number of lions in a pride varies depending on the synchrony of births or high mortality of lion cubs. Males stay in the pride for about 2 years, then another group of males replaces them.

The second type of social organization is wandering lions. A small part of lions lead a nomadic lifestyle, most often young and adult males without a pride. Most young males go through this, and some of them remain single for the rest of their lives. Nomadic lions follow the migrations of prey and hunt by gathering together. Lionesses are very attached to their pride and only a few females lead a nomadic lifestyle. A lone female usually returns to or settles close to the natal pride. It is much more difficult for her to join another group, since lionesses in a pride always have family ties and usually expel strangers. Roaming lions have very large home ranges that may overlap with a pride's territory. They usually occur singly or in groups of about 5, the membership of which varies freely.

Lions can change their way of life: nomads can form their own pride or join an existing one, and those living in a group can leave it.

The territory of a pride is 20-500 km², but the average size of prides in Africa is 26-226 km².

Lions have different behavioral patterns both between prides and within prides themselves. Different populations differ in diet and hunting preferences and methods.

Members of neighboring prides try to stay several kilometers away from their neighbors. If neighboring prides do come into contact, lionesses usually try to drive out the intruders, even if they outnumber them. Some lionesses play a greater role in defending territory than other females in the pride.

Territorial defense is carried out by males, females and immature lions. Males protect the pride from invasions of other males, thereby ensuring some exclusivity of mating, females protect their offspring from wandering males and their territory from prides of neighboring females. Females protect dens, hunting grounds, and watering areas from other prides. Increased aggressiveness in pride defense is common in areas with high lion densities, such as the Ngorongoro Crater. Territorial disputes often end with larger groups expelling and persecuting smaller groups.

Males defend their territory through cooperative behavior that is not determined by kinship or the behavior of companions. By making a roar, it warns the pride of a threat, and also prevents non-pride members from invading the territory. Females with lion cubs detect the roar of their males from the roar of strangers who may pose a threat to their offspring.

In general, males tend to stay on the periphery of the pride area. Mainly lionesses take part in the hunt - they are smaller, faster and more flexible than lions. During the hunt, females act in a coordinated manner - this helps them most successfully attack the prey. The division of hunting duties among lionesses in Etosha National Park shows that females constantly perform the same role - some stalk, others sit in ambush and kill the prey. When hunting, the group often begins to draw circles around the intended victim, and each lioness chooses the optimal route so that the victim runs away in the right direction, where an ambush awaits. At the same time, highly developed team hunting is not observed in the Serengeti, where individual lionesses may refrain from hunting depending on the type of prey pursued.

Because lionesses hunt in open spaces where prey can easily spot them, coordinated action results in more successful hunts. Moreover, a group of lionesses is able to protect their prey from other predators, for example, hyenas, which are attracted by vultures flying over the corpse of a killed animal. Females do the bulk of the hunting. Males, as a rule, do not participate in it, except in cases where the victim is a large animal - for example, a giraffe or buffalo.

However, if there is a male near the hunting site, he always dominates when dividing the prey. He more willingly shares what he kills with his offspring than with lionesses, and in the case of a victim he kills himself, he feeds on it himself. Small prey is eaten on the spot by the hunters themselves, while larger ones are dragged to the territory of the pride, where other family members have access to it. On the spot, lions often behave aggressively towards each other and try to eat as much food as possible.

Young individuals watch the hunting of adult animals, but they themselves begin to take part at the age of one year. They are capable of fully hunting only from the age of two.

The social organization of lionesses allows individual members of the pride to concentrate on caring for their offspring for quite a long time, without taking part in obtaining food. During the hunt, each family member performs a certain role, more or less permanent. One of the key factors for the survival of a pride is the health of the miners - for this reason, they are the first to get the right to butcher the carcass. Social organization is also facilitated by selection, due to which related individuals have priority in the division of prey (kin selection), organized protection of offspring, protection of territory, and insurance in case of injury or starvation.

Typically, a female joins her pride when her cubs reach 6-8 weeks of age. Sometimes she can return to the pride earlier, especially if the birth occurred in sync with other lionesses. In such cases, the cubs grow up almost simultaneously, consume the same amount of food, and have a better chance of survival.

In a pride, lion cubs are kept apart in a “kindergarten” until they are 1 year old, although the mother looks after them for about 2 more years until she becomes pregnant. "Kindergartens" are the social core of the pride. They provide maternal protection to cubs and adolescents from predators and infanticide. Lion cubs are willing to receive milk from any lactating female in the pride, although mothers mainly feed their own or the children of close relatives (sisters). Females with small litters tend to other people's cubs more than females with large litters.

Males can treat lion cubs differently: sometimes they can play with them, and sometimes they drive them away. In most cases, they like to share food more than females.

The number of females changes only after the birth or death of any lioness, although some of them may themselves leave the pride and become nomadic. Mature males leave their natal pride at 2-4 years, unless the capture of the pride by other males forces him to do this earlier. Females mostly remain in natal prides, but some young females (in the Serengeti 33%) leave, also at the age of 2-4 years. Leaving a pride leads to reduced survival of the litter, especially the first one. Females remaining in the natal pride are reproductive for about 12 years, starting at 4-5 years of age.

During rest, lion communication takes place through various expressive movements. The most common tactile gestures are head rubbing and partner licking, which may be comparable to grooming in primates. When lions rub their noses against another lion's head, neck or face, it is a sign of greeting. This sign is used when an animal returns to its relatives. Males tend to rub against other males, while cubs rub against their mothers.

Licking another individual often occurs together with friction. This is a mutual gesture aimed at obtaining pleasure. In most cases, lions lick their head and neck.

There are many facial expressions and postures that lions use as visual gestures. They are capable of making sounds that vary in strength and pitch. Lions can roar, purr, hiss, cough, bark and roar. The roar occurs in a characteristic manner, starting with a few deep sounds and ending with strong ones. Usually lions roar at night; The sound can be heard at a distance of up to 8 km. It is used as a signal to other lions, both members of their own pride and strangers.

Three or more males usually form new prides from their group, and single lions or pairs of males often unite in larger groups consisting of the same males of different prides in order to successfully take over an existing pride. Bachelor groups form as coalitions of related and unrelated males. Coalitions of unrelated males consist of no more than 3 animals, while coalitions of close relatives consist of 4-9 animals. A male's reproductive success is directly related to his length of stay in the pride, which depends on the number of males in the coalition.

After conquering a pride, a coalition of males usually kill the lion cubs. Within a few days after the death of the cubs, the females enter a state of estrus. Sexual activity with new males begins in females who have lost their offspring almost simultaneously, which leads to synchronous births in the pride. Immature males usually leave the pride, young females remain at a distance or also leave the pride if they do not mate with new males. This is especially true for already pregnant young females, who will have to raise their offspring on their own.

When a pride grows too large, the next generation of young females may be forced to leave the natal territory and without a replacement male or coalition of males in the pride.

Since ancient times, the power has been recognized lion V animal world nature. His depictions in cave paintings, sculptures, coats of arms and flags indicate strength and authority.

In Ancient Egypt, man saw the beast as a powerful god of the earth. To this day he is called the king of beasts or king - lion, and protect from destruction one of the largest and most interesting animals on the ground.

Features and habitat of a lion

Among cats, only those whose size is not inferior to the king’s can enter into competition with a lion. The weight of the animal reaches 200-250 kg, the length of the body of an adult animal is almost 2.5 m, to which is added about a meter of tail with a black hair tassel. Inside there is a “spur” of terminal vertebrae, an additional weapon of the predator. Large dimensions do not prevent the animal from being agile and fast.

Males are distinguished by a mane that grows from the age of 2 and covers the body from neck to chest. The color of the mane darkens as the animal ages, adding even more significance. It is generally accepted that such a dense and elastic woolen mop softens the blows of opponents in fights.

The photo shows a male lion

The length of the mane hair reaches 40 cm. Its thickness, shape and color depend on many factors: age, habitat, subspecies, climate, living conditions. In captivity, the mane of lions is always more luxuriant, since it does not have to be ruffled in thickets or duels.

The production of testosterone has a great influence on the formation of a mop of wool, so among lions the leader status is always with the owner of an outstanding mane. Lionesses are smaller in size, their weight is up to 140 kg, but they are more graceful than their partners, since they are the main hunters of the clan. The majestic mane and massive dimensions would interfere with tracking down prey.

The photo shows a lioness

The head of the beast is large, with an elongated muzzle and large jaws. Fangs up to 8 cm long will allow hunters to attack large animals. The body is muscular, the paws are strong, with retracted claws on the toes. The short hair on the body can be colored from whitish-gray to yellow-brown.

Main relatives lion in nature: jaguar, tiger and - animals of Africa. Their existence is confirmed by fossil remains, the age of which is estimated to be up to 1 million years.

Once upon a time, in ancient times, the habitat of lions was much larger than the present: it covered the entire territory of Africa, the Middle East, southern Europe, the south of present-day Russia, and the northwestern part.

The persecution of the animal by humans and the reduction of its habitat have become disastrous for the predator. It remains in nature only in sub-Saharan Africa and the Gir forest of the Indian state.

Of the 12 subspecies that existed, six have survived in modern times. Among the extinct subspecies is the famous Barbary a lion, the largest wild animal from relatives. The weight of the giants exceeded 300 kg, and the body length was over 3 m. The last representative of the species was exterminated in 1922.

White Lion not identified as an independent subspecies animal. The cream color of the fine coat is the result of genetic characteristics. South African captive breeders raise these to order for trophy purposes.

In the photo there is a white lion

Savannas are the favorite habitats of lions, but sometimes they move to forests or areas overgrown with bushes. Animals need large bodies of water and ungulate mammals - their main hunting objects.

Character and lifestyle of a lion

Among cats, lions are distinguished by the formation of a separate family group, or pride. It consists of several adult individuals, as well as their offspring. Young lion cubs leave their parent pride after reaching puberty.

They become loners for the time being, until they find a new pride with an old leader who will give in to the strong, or they remain nomads for the rest of their lives. A pride lives by certain rules that group members obey. Strangers are expelled here, males protect their territory, family ties play a connecting role.

Pictured is a pride of lions

The main breadwinners during the hunt are lionesses. Their advantage is maneuverability, flexibility and speed. Success depends on consistency and the manifestation of Leo qualities. The productivity of hunting by an animal in a group is obvious, but the division of the prey depends on the male, if he is nearby. It should be noted that lions are aggressive towards each other while consuming food.

Males rarely hunt on their own, but if they catch the prey, the lion feeds alone. The mane increases physical activity and contributes to body overheating, so the main role of hunters belongs to females. Each predator in the pride performs a specific mission: breadwinner, guard of territory, protector of offspring.

Photo of lionesses on the hunt

The greatest activity of predators occurs after sunset. Excellent night vision contributes to successful hunting. After lions indulge in rest and caring for their offspring. Which animal can be seen in the circle of relatives during the day.

The king of beasts has practically no enemies due to his large size and strength. But death and injury befall the animals in the struggle for the place of leader in the pride. Males are not inferior to rivals in cases of collisions. Sick or injured animals weaken and become victims of hyenas, buffalos or leopards.

Large predators suffer from small ticks that infect areas where the animal cannot reach an area of ​​the body with its teeth or paws. Eating animal meat leads to infection with helminths. Diseases force prides to migrate to maintain numbers.

Lion food

The diet of predators consists mainly of artiodactyl animals: livestock, antelopes, zebras and others Savannah animals. a lion Even carrion and small rodents will not be missed. Despite the sharp and long fangs, the predator strangles its victims.

The ability to sneak up silently and then jump at the victim with lightning speed leaves no chance of salvation for many inhabitants of the savannah. The lion is strong and fast over short distances, so it gets as close as possible to the herds for rapid leaps. This distance is approximately 30 m. Several predators of the same pride attack from different sides simultaneously.

Hunting takes place more often at night. One successful outing provides 4-5 pride animals with enough food for a week. The victims are ungulates weighing from 50 to 300 kg. In Africa, these are more often wildebeest, zebras, and buffalos; in India, deer. Attacks on rhinoceroses or adult giraffes are rare due to the risk of injury.

The choice of prey depends on their availability in the region; in large individuals, the predator is interested in young animals or injured and weakened individuals. At one time, a lion can eat up to 30 kg of meat, although 7 kg for a male and 5 kg for a female are enough to satiate.

If prey needs to be preserved, then lions guard it from agile hyenas, attracted by the flight of vultures over the food. Hunting unites the pride: males come to the rescue in case of a large victim, and the offspring observe the actions of the adults.

Lion cubs begin to go out for their first hunting attempts at the age of 1 year, and from the age of 2 years they independently obtain food. Attacks on humans are typical for animals that have lost the ability to hunt ungulates.

Reproduction and lifespan

Sexual maturity of lionesses occurs at 4 years of age. The birth of offspring is not tied to seasons, so there may be cubs of different ages next to the mother. Pregnancy lasts up to 110 days, and the litter, as a rule, consists of 3 cubs. After birth, they are completely helpless: small in size, up to 30 cm long and approximately 1.5 kg in weight, and blind. They begin to see after a week, and walk after three weeks.

In the photo there are lion cubs

From the place where the babies are born, remote and hidden from the pride, the female transfers the offspring to a new rookery. He does this often to protect the cubs from predators who smell the accumulated odor. , are famous lovers of hunting little lion cubs. The lioness returns to the pride after 6-8 weeks.

If the main male in a pride gives way to a stronger one, then the offspring of the former leader have no chance of surviving. The cubs will be destroyed. There are enough threats and risks for the survival of babies, so only 20% of them grow up after two years.

In a pride, lion cubs stay close to their mother; other females do not always allow other people’s babies to approach them. But there are cases when lion nurseries are formed from cubs under the supervision of one lioness while others hunt.

At the age of 4-5 years, young individuals who have left their native pride try to win the place of the old leader in someone else’s family. If the females support him, he will win. Many weakened lions die in defense of the pride.

The life of predators in nature is up to 15 years, and in captivity it increases significantly to 20-30 years. An animal's presence in a pride prolongs its life, in contrast to exiled individuals leading a wandering lifestyle. The royal greatness of the beast is revealed when surrounded by its pride, which is perhaps why people are so interested in this predator with family values.

Leo: interesting facts, photos and a brief description for compiling a report or presentation for children in grades 2-3-4.

Habitat

The lion is a predatory animal that is called the king of all animals. The lion is a member of one of the four genera of panthers. The habitat is predominantly considered to be the African continent, south of the Sahara. Lions can be found much less frequently in Asia, where there are only a negligible number of them left due to human activity.

Appearance

Outwardly, lions are very impressive. This is a large and strong animal. A lion can weigh up to 250 kilograms, second only to the tiger among big cats. Males differ significantly from females in size and have a characteristic mane. The lion's skin often matches the color of its mane, being yellow-gray in color. However, sometimes there are individuals with a black mane.

The body length of males on average reaches from 1.7 to 2.5 meters, in females - from 1.4 to 1.8 meters. The height at the shoulders of lions does not exceed 1.25 meters. The tail is up to 1 meter long, fluffy at the end.

Reproduction and lifespan

Lionesses are ready to mate from the age of 4 years. Males begin this process when females go into heat. During this period, the lioness mates from 20 to 40 times a day, with different partners. The duration of pregnancy is about 110 days.

Usually 4 lion cubs are born. A newborn lion cub weighs from 1.2 to 2.5 kilograms. For the first 6-7 months, young lions are closely attached to their mother. They reach puberty only at the age of 3 years, and by 4.5 years they are ready to displace other males from the pride. Lions live in the wild from 10 to 14 years.

Behavior and nutrition

The lion is a predator that needs to eat meat every day. Lions go together for prey. This process is well organized for them. Synchronized actions of a lion pack always bring success during a hunt. Having gathered in a group, they are ready to go in search of a victim. Most often, lions prey on animals weighing from 50 to 450 kg. The daily norm for a male is 7-8 kilograms of meat, for a female - 5 kg.

Most often, lions behave calmly, because they understand well that few can compete with them. If it comes to a fight, the lion poses a huge danger to the enemy due to its strength and mass.