Lion Flashcards
What is unique about the lion’s tail?
It is the only big cat to have a tuft on its tail.
How long can a male lion get?
Up to 10 feet
How long can a female lion get?
Up to 6 feet
How much can a lion weigh?
Up to 500 pounds
What subspecies of lion often does not have a mane?
Tsavo lion
How many days is the gestation period of a lion?
100 days
At what age are lions mature?
3 years
How many cubs do lions have?
2 to 4
How long do lions live?
17 years
What is the range and habitat of the lion?
Sub-Saharan Africain grasslands and savannas. Also a critically endangered population living in India.
What do lions eat?
Large herbivores.
What is the only truly social big cat?
The lion.
Do the male or female lions do most of the hunting?
Female.
When do lions hunt?
Dawn or night.
True or false? Lions are monogamous.
False. Both males and females will mate with several others.
What is the conservation status of the lion?
Vulnerable.
What are some threats to the lion?
Poaching and habitat loss.
What do male lions do when they are mature?
They join another pride by ousting the pride’s dominant male.
What happens to the cubs of a male lion when a new dominant male takes power?
He kills them.
After having cubs, when are female lions fertile again?
When their cubs die or mature.
How many hours a day do lions rest?
20
How far away can a lion’s roar be heard?
5 miles.
True or false? Ten thousand years ago, the lion was the most widespread large land mammal in the world after humans.
True.
How much of a population decline did lions see in the 1980s to 2000s?
30% - 50%
How much of a lion’s diet is composed of scavenging?
About half.
Why do male lions seldom live longer than ten years in the wild?
Frequent fighting leads to injuries.
Besides poaching and habitat loss, what is the main threat to the Asian lion?
Inbreeding due to a lack of genetic variation.
What is the current population number of Asian lions?
400
How many subspecies of lion are there?
8
How do you make a liger?
Breed a male lion to a female tiger.
Why do ligers get bigger than both of their parents?
The male lion’s growth gene is passed on and uninhibited by the female tiger’s growth regulation gene.
How long do ligers get?
12 feet
What is the area that a pride of lions occupies called?
The pride area.
What is the male’s job in the pride?
Defense.
What is the largest a pride of lions can reach?
30 individuals.
What does the male lion do while the females are out hunting?
Watches the cubs.
How do lions hunt?
They will encircle a herd of herbivores from several points and then close in.
How many pounds of meat do lions eat per day?
10 - 15
What were the Tsavo man eaters?
A group of lions that killed over twenty railroad workers building a bridge over the span of nine months.
Are male or female lions more likely to share food with cubs?
Males.
True or false, the male lion shares anything he catches.
False. He rarely ever shares.
How many lions are in the wild?
Around 50,000
