Stories and fairy tales for children about lions. The story of the little lion cub. Hunting and feeding the African lion

The lion is one of the large predatory animals belonging to the cat family. There are several varieties of this animal, in addition to this, many hybrids are known that appeared from mixing different species. Each of them differs in certain features, but also has similarities. The local population of the lands, which are located near the habitat of the beast, calls it a "wild cat" and considers it dangerous, trying to destroy it. Because of this, the population of these animals has been greatly reduced. Meanwhile, the lion is an interesting and peculiar animal, so you should know how it differs from other representatives of the fauna.

Leo - characteristics and description

When characterizing an animal such as a lion, you need to provide a description of it. Different types slightly different from each other, but they have a lot in common.

The animal belongs to the cat family, therefore, in its appearance it is similar to domestic cats, only much larger than them. It is one of the largest representatives of this family, second only to the tiger.

The body of the beast is flexible and mobile, they have well-developed muscles of the front paws and neck. On the paws there are claws, the length of which reaches 7 cm. Its head is large, with an elongated muzzle and strong jaws. His fangs are long (about 8 cm), the number of teeth is 30 pcs. These features give the lion the ability to prey on large herbivores. The tongue is covered with tubercles, thanks to which the lion can clean its fur from dirt and eliminate insects.

On the muzzle there are whiskers, at the base of which there are small dark spots. These spots form a pattern that is unique to each animal. Cubs are born spotted, but as they grow older, the spots disappear from their body, and the color of the coat becomes uniform - brown or sandy. At the tip of the tail of the beast is a black tassel.

The main feature of this animal species is sexual dimorphism. The male lion and the lioness have significant differences. For example, it is impossible to say how much a lion weighs on average without knowing the sex of a particular individual. Males significantly outnumber females in size and weight. In addition, their head is decorated with a mane, which begins to grow in lion cubs from the age of 6 months. The length of the pile and the density of the mane depend on the age and characteristics of genetics.

How much does a lion weigh?

How much an adult lion weighs on average depends on the characteristics of his life. But gender has a particular effect on this indicator. Differences in the main parameters are shown in the table.

Despite its massiveness, this predator has the smallest heart size. Therefore, the lion cannot be called hardy. It is capable of reaching speeds of up to 80 km / h, but only covers short distances.

Features of life and habitat

Giving a description of any animal, you need to consider not only it appearance. It is also worth finding out how long a lion lives and where he lives.

There are few places where such an animal as a lion lives. AT last years its distribution area has been significantly reduced. Previously, this beast was found not only in Africa and India, as it is now, but also in Iran, Russia, southern Europe and the Middle East. But a significant part of the population was exterminated, and the conditions in many areas became unsuitable for their life. Therefore, of all the places where these animals could be seen before, now the lion lives only in the southern part of the African continent (beyond the Sahara desert) and in the Indian state of Gujarat. The most suitable for them are savannas, forests or shrubs.

Individuals unite in small flocks - prides. The pride consists of 5 or 6 females, between which there is a family relationship, their cubs and a male. In some prides, there may be two males if they are brothers. Young males, having reached maturity, leave the pride (they are expelled). They have the opportunity to join another pride or create their own. Some of them lead a solitary life.

How much a lioness or male lion weighs depends on the characteristics of their diet. Since the lion is a predator, he leads a hunting lifestyle, eating rather large animals. They may be:

In rare cases, the animal may attack a hippopotamus or a small elephant. Also, sick cheetahs, hyenas and leopards can become its prey.

Lionesses excel in hunting. They are distinguished by dexterity and agility. Hunting is more difficult for males due to their large size and heavy mane. However, the male needs more food. An adult lion eats about 7 kg of meat per day, while 5 kg is enough for a female. These animals prefer to hunt at night, sneaking up to the victim at the maximum distance.

Reproduction in lions is not tied to the season, but it begins with the achievement of maturity. Males are considered sexually mature at the age of 6 years and females at the age of 4 years.

Males tend to fight for females. Sometimes these fights are so brutal that the competitor dies.

The duration of pregnancy in these animals is 110 days. Shortly before giving birth, the lioness leaves the pride and hides. She can give birth to 1-4 cubs, whose weight is slightly less than 2 kg. Lion cubs are born blind, and they open their eyes only 7 days after birth. For safety reasons, the mother changes her place of residence several times, carrying her children with her. She hunts and feeds the babies with milk. Training of cubs to hunt begins at the age of 1.5 months, at the same time the whole family joins the pride. With the onset of hunting, lion cubs gradually eat meat, although the period of milk feeding lasts about six months.

Lion life span

One of the important aspects of describing these animals is the question of how long a lion lives. To answer it, you need to take into account a lot of circumstances. How long a lion lives depends on features such as:

• Habitat. How better conditions life, the longer its duration.
• Closeness to people. In close proximity to humans, the risk of exterminating these animals and shortening their lives increases.
• Features of life. Lonely individuals live less than those that belong to the pride.
• Floor. The life expectancy of females is on average longer than that of males, since they have less risk of dying during fights with other lions.

All these nuances affect how long a lion lives. Therefore, their life expectancy varies greatly. On average, it is 8-10 years. Some individuals live up to 14 years.

How long a lion lives is greatly influenced by the behavior of people. It has a much greater impact than other factors. If people do not seek to destroy these animals, then the duration of their life increases. Better results can be achieved if living conditions suitable for animals are organized, for example, reserves or zoos. In this case, the lions can live 20 or even 25 years, as they are monitored by veterinarians.

types of lions

How long a lion lives also depends on the variety of this animal. There are several subspecies of the lion, each of which differs in certain features, habitat, living conditions and its duration. Some subspecies of this animal have already become extinct, others are at the stage of extinction. There are also several hybrid varieties that have appeared as a result of crossing with tigers, leopards or jaguars.

Scientists distinguish 8 main subspecies, one of which is the Asiatic lion. Another name for the subspecies is the Persian lion (or Indian). The Asian lion lives in the southern part of Eurasia. Its main habitat is the Gir Reserve in the Indian state of Gujarat. The Asian lion is considered an endangered species. This subspecies is characterized by squat. In terms of their height, males are slightly more than a meter. Due to the sleek and sparse mane, the Asiatic lion does not seem as large as the representatives of the African subspecies. The body weight of males is from 160 to 190 kg, lionesses usually weigh 90-120 kg. Body length - 2 - 2.5 m. The largest Asian lion has a length of 2.92 m.

The remaining species are found in Africa, which is why they can all be attributed to the African lion subspecies. They are characterized by certain common features, for example, sexual dimorphism, coat color, features of life and reproduction, and so on. Differences can be in size and body weight.

• Barbary. This subspecies is the largest. Previously, he settled throughout the African continent, but is now completely exterminated. Male individuals had a mass of up to 270 kg, females - up to 170. At present, descendants of these animals can be seen in zoos and reserves, but they cannot be called purebred.

• Senegalese. This is also an African lion that lives in the west of the continent. The size of these animals is small, the color of the coat is light. Males have almost no mane, or it is very short. You can meet representatives of this subspecies in Nigeria, Guinea and Senegal. Senegal lions are considered endangered.

• Northern Congolese. He owns everything external features that distinguishes the African lion. Its habitat is the savannas in the northeast of the Congo. The population of these animals is gradually decreasing.

• Masai. Otherwise it is called East African. It differs from other varieties long paws. Their mane is directed backwards. The body length of the male is 2.5-3 m, females - 2.3-2.6 m. These animals inhabit Uganda, Zambia and Mozambique. A large number of Masai lions are kept in the Masai Mara reserve in Kenya.

• Katangese. This species is on the verge of extinction. The bulk of it lives in southwestern Africa (Zimbabwe, Angola). In length, adult males reach 3.1 m, females - 2.65 m.

• Transvaal. These are lions with black manes. Among the representatives of this subspecies there are individuals on the skin and wool of which there are no melanocytes. Because of this, they have white coats and pink skin. A lion in length can be from 2.6 to 3.2 m, a lioness - 2.35-2.65 m. Transvaal lions live in southern Africa (Kalahari desert). They also contain national park Kruger.

• Cape. This species of animals was destroyed in the 19th century. They lived at the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa). A feature of the species was the black tips of the ears and the presence of a mane on the stomach and shoulders.

This classification is not the only one. There are others to which other subspecies can be added by scientists.

Notable is such a variety of these animals as a mountain lion. It is not very similar to its other relatives, it differs in size and habitat. The mountain lion is common in America. Its body length ranges from 1 to 1.8 m, weight can reach 105 kg. This is significantly less than that of other subspecies. Also, the mountain lion is devoid of a mane. Coloration can vary from gray-brown to brown-yellow. Cougar cubs are born with dark spots and stripes on the body, but after 9 months of life, these marks begin to fade. The mountain lion prefers to live alone. The exception is the mating season and the time of rearing the cubs.

Another subspecies that might be of interest is the cave lion. It is included in some classifications, despite the fact that the cave lion is an extinct species, and it became extinct several millennia ago. During their lifetime, these animals inhabited Siberia and Europe. The cave lion is one of the progenitors of modern lions. In size, the cave lion surpassed its descendants. According to the images of these animals, they did not have a mane, or it was very small. It is not known exactly, but there is an assumption that this subspecies of animals also united in prides.

Despite the name, the cave lion has never lived in caves. They were chosen by old and sick individuals shortly before death, which is why the largest number of remains of these animals were found there. Therefore, the cave lion was so named. The cave lion hunted deer and bears. This scientists explain the extinction of these animals. With the onset of warming, the number of bears and deer decreased, and the cave lion was not adapted to other diets.

Black and white lions

The lion is such an animal in which one can notice a lot interesting features. One feature concerns coloring. Some classifications mention varieties such as the white lion and the black lion. But this is wrong. If a lion with a dark or black mane is a real subspecies, then animals with a white or black color are considered an anomaly.

At the same time, it cannot be said that a lion with an exotic color is a fiction. There is a genetic mutation called leucism. Because of her, the fur of animals acquires White color. This is due to a lack of melanocytes. The result is the appearance of such an animal as the white lion. It can be assumed that this is an albino lion, but the color of his eyes, which can be either blue or golden, says otherwise.

The white lion almost does not differ in its characteristics from the rest of the species. It is somewhat larger than the others. Their weight can reach 310 kg, and the body length of the male exceeds 3 m. The females of such animals are slightly smaller - 2.7 m. A lion with white hair changes color slightly during life, and by old age its body acquires an ivory shade.

The black lion, according to many scientists, does not exist in nature. They consider the photos and videos of such animals found on the network to be the result of shooting at night or special processing. Some suggest that in contrast to albinism, there is a phenomenon of melanism, in which there is too much pigment in the coat of animals. This is possible in jaguars and leopards. As a result of crossing, a lion with a dark shade of wool can be born, but this is just an accident, so there is no need to single out such animals as a separate subspecies.

On the important role of fairy tales, legends and epics in educational process our ancestors knew children, we know too. Indeed, in the example fairytale heroes it is much more interesting and easier for children to understand the moral and ethical foundations of mankind. good fairy tale, as a wise teacher, in a playful and easy way gives kids important knowledge about the universal laws of justice. Each character plays an important role in the learning process. Animals are traditionally heroes in fairy tales of all peoples of the world, and each has its own role. And what does the tale about the lion teach and what is the role of the king of beasts in it?

Lion as a character

The title has long and firmly entrenched in the lion. Since ancient times, people have wanted to be like him, admiring the strength, courage and beauty of this animal. It is no coincidence that the image of a lion is so often found on the coats of arms of cities and noble families of the world. However, along with a high rank, humanity endowed the lion, as a character, with many qualities that are characteristic strong of the world this. But not all of them are positive. Therefore, often a parable or a fairy tale about a lion is designed to ridicule precisely the negative features of an animal monarch.

"Lion and Hare"

In one fabulous forest, animals lived happily and in harmony, but one day their life changed and became completely bleak. A cruel lion settled in the forest, which daily tormented the inhabitants of the forest. All the animals were in mortal fear, and no one knew whose turn would come tomorrow.

Then they got together and decided to give the victim to the lion to be torn to pieces every day in turn. The rest could live in peace that day. It's the rabbit's turn. The lion is waiting, but there is no victim, the tyrant got angry, ran into the forest and threatens to kill all the animals.

Although the tale is about a lion, but the hero in it is not him, but a late hare. The cunning figured out how to protect himself and save the others. He found a deep hole filled with water and figured out how to lure the lion into it. Appearing before the tyrant, the hare said that on the way to him he almost became a victim of another lion who wanted to drag him into a deep hole. But instead, he fell into it himself and now sits at the very bottom. The lion, of course, wanted to get even with the opponent and, grabbing the hare, went to the pit. Having reached the place, the lion leaned over and saw his formidable reflection, but decided that this opponent was angrily grinning at him in response. Then the forest lord decided to punish his opponent and jumped into a deep hole. There he drowned.

One day, a mouse asked a lion for permission to build a house near his dwelling in order to live under protection. In gratitude, she promised her help if needed. The lion only laughed, saying that such an insignificant animal could not be of any use to him. Time passed, the lion was caught by the hunters. He lies by a tree, tied with ropes, and remembers a mouse. How useful her help would be to the haughty king of beasts now. After all, for a mouse to gnaw through a rope is easy.

There is another version of the tale "The Lion and the Mouse". In it, the proud predator turned out to be wiser and decided to let the small vole settle down next to his house. So when he was caught by the hunters and lay tied up, the mouse came to the rescue. She gnawed through the ropes and freed the lion.

"About the lion, the wolf and the fox"

Once a lion and a wolf met to decide who should get more prey in the forest. We thought well and decided that it would be easier for the two to hunt, which means that there would be more food. The wolf was very flattered by the friendship with the lion. Therefore, having met a fox, he began to show off his formidable friend. Then he invited her to join them. The fox did not really want to, but she did not dare to refuse the wolf. While there was a lot of booty, there was enough for everyone without sharing. But bad times came, and only a bull, a donkey and a lamb were obtained from the hunt. Then the lion spoke about the division and invited the wolf to share the food. Gray said that the lion would get the bull, took the donkey for himself, and left the lamb for the fox.

This is a fairy tale about a lion, so it is easy to guess that there will be no equal division in it. For offering to share food in this way, the wolf was mercilessly beaten. After the lion turned to the fox with the same proposal. The cheat looked at the wolf and told the lion to take everything. For such a division, the king of beasts praised her and asked where she learned this so well. The fox looked at the wolf again and pointed to it. Then she quickly ran into the woods.

"Vacation of Boniface"

We remember the kind and funny circus lion named Boniface from a wonderful Soviet-era cartoon. This hero was born thanks to Milos Macourek, who wrote the fairy tale "Boniface and his nephews." The plot of the fairy tale basically converges with the cartoon. With one exception.

Recall that in the cartoon, the circus lion found out that his best viewers - children - go on vacation in the summer and go on vacation. Boniface asked his director to give him a vacation to visit his grandmother, who lives in Africa. However, instead of basking in the sun, he entertained African children with circus tricks throughout the time allotted for relaxation. After all, there is nothing better than giving joy to others.

In the book version, Boniface spoke to the cubs - his nephews.

Gerdt Eduard

Creative work about the habitat of lions. A male lion weighs 150-225 kg, while having a length of 1.7-2.5 m plus a tail of 0.9-1.1 m. The female is much more modest in size and weighs an average of 100-150 kg. By the way, the roar of an adult lion or lioness can be heard at a distance of up to 8 km.

Download:

Preview:

All about the lion

The male lion weighs 150-225 kg, while having a length of 1.7-2.5 m plus a tail of 0.9-1.1 m. The female is much more modest in size and weighs an average of 100-150 kg. By the way, the roar of an adult lion or lioness can be heard at a distance of up to 8 km.

He is a huge, shaggy animal. Possesses great strength and dexterity. The lion is called the king of beasts, and sometimes - "the lord of the desert."

During the day, lions rest, stretching out in the grass or climbing a low tree, hunting mainly at dusk. Lions go hunting alone, in pairs, and in families. Lion families are called "prides". Most often, a lion attacks prey from an ambush, sneaking up to it secretly. Usually the role of hunters is performed by lionesses, which are lighter and more mobile. In a swift throw, she knocks her prey down and instantly sinks her teeth into the neck. Having missed, the lioness does not pursue prey, but remains to wait for a new one. In general, a lion can kill any large animal, except for an elephant and a rhinoceros, but it can also eat rodents, lizards, even carrion.

With one blow of the paw, the lion stuns a two-year-old bull. Attacks with lightning speed. Having tracked down the prey, the lion quietly sneaks up to it, and then makes a powerful throw with great speed. The throw is followed by giant jumps, and ... it is impossible to escape from a powerful lion, its huge claws and teeth. A lion is able to jump over a human-sized fence with the carcass of a bull in its mouth.

Many generations of people have experienced an overwhelming fear of these animals. Indeed, the lion is respected and feared. Almost all animals are horrified as soon as they hear his growl. The impact of the lion's roar is hard to describe. Howling hyenas go numb. The leopard stops grumbling. The harnessed camel trembles, ceases to obey the driver and tries to flee.

Lions in North Africa often settle near the village and then constantly make their raids. All this makes them very unpleasant neighbors, but it is not easy to drive them away, especially since they behave cunningly in their attacks on pets.

Lions rarely attack people. In this regard, he is safer than a tiger. But there were cases when man-eating lions attacked the villages of Africa. Such animals are very difficult to kill, because they can also attack the hunter.

Lion A beautiful, powerful and arrogant species of predatory cats, one of the largest of this kind is the lion. It symbolizes beauty and perfection. Large head, slightly elongated, wide nose, rounded ears. Lions have powerful paws, and, of course, a long tail. Males have an ornament - a mane that covers the neck, chest and shoulders. The color of the mane is always darker than the main color. The fur of the animal itself is short and thick. Color from light yellow to rich sandy. The fur on the belly and chest is white. A mane grows only in adult males. Lionesses are smaller, both in height and weight. Lions live in a family (prides), or alone. The head of the family is a lion (sometimes there are two of them), he owns several lionesses and, of course, little pranksters cubs. The concern of a lion is to protect its territory and its family. But if the father of the family, which is either upset or excited, can easily destroy his own cubs. Perhaps, for this reason, females leave the pride for the time of childbirth, looking for a secluded place. They join the family in two months, when the cubs grow up. All lionesses treat their offspring in the same way, they can even feed milk to babies that are not their own, the main thing is that the cubs are from their own family. Pregnancy of the female lasts 110 days. From 2 to 5 blind and helpless kittens are born. They feed on mother's milk for up to seven months, after which they eat only meat. The kids are active, from morning to evening they play, somersault, thereby instilling in themselves the dexterity and speed that are so necessary during the hunt.

The main food earners, oddly enough, are lionesses. During the day, the family rests, looking for shade, but with the onset of twilight, they go hunting. Moreover, the lion starts the meal first, it is he who has the most tidbit, then the females eat, and what remains, the youth finishes eating. Lions dine once every three days, they can eat up to 18 kg of meat each. The meal ends with a drink. If the predator is well fed, he can sleep well, about twenty hours. And lions hunt antelopes, deer, zebras and the like. When hunting, the lion can reach speeds of up to 65 km / h, deftly jumping on the victim.

Lions live in Central Africa, they like savannas, watering holes. It is important that there are many ungulates. Lions live up to thirty years.

The lion is an animal known to everyone since childhood as the “king of beasts”. The lion is the second largest of all living cats. Previously, this predator was distributed almost throughout Africa, in large areas of Eurasia and North America, but due to human interference to date, the lion is found only in sub-Saharan Africa and a very small population in India. In Africa, he is one of the "big five" (another elephant, leopard, rhinoceros and buffalo).

Most of all, the lion differs from other cats in that, firstly, it has a pronounced difference in gender. The male lion has a large mane, which no lioness can boast of. And secondly, the lion is the only cat that does not live alone, but a kind of social group called a pride.

A pride usually consists of one left-dominant male, whose “duties” include only protection

The lion is classified as a so-called vulnerable wild animal. This means that if the lion does not belong to endangered animals now, it can easily become one with the barbaric attitude of man to the “king of beasts”. The good news is that due to the attractiveness of these animals in terms of tourism (the lion is a living attraction), all more countries part of the income from it begins to be invested in the conservation and development of populations. Let's hope that our descendants will be able to see the lion - the "king of beasts" not only in the pictures, but also in wild nature.

The essay was prepared by Gerdt Eduard MBOU Lyceum No. 7.

The lion is one of the largest members of the cat family. The weight of adult lions can reach 250 kg. Males are usually much larger and heavier than females, outwardly they are easily distinguished by the presence of a thick mane on the head and chest. The color of the coat is yellowish-gray, but white lions are also found. On the trunk, paws, muzzle and tail, the hair is short. The mane consists of long thick hair, and at the tip of the tail there is a brush of long hair.

Distribution and habitats of lions

AT vivo Lions live only in Africa and Asia. In Africa, they can be found in the territories located south of the Sahara desert, and in Asia in the Indian state of Gujarat in the Gir forest.

Lions prefer spacious savannahs, but can live in forests or in places overgrown with shrubs.

Food

Lions are predators. They usually prey on large animals. Zebras, wildebeest, buffalo and other animals often become victims of African lions. Lions living in Asia prey on wild boars, deer and other mammals.

An adult lion can eat up to 30 kg of meat at a time, but usually a lion eats about 7 kg of meat per day, and a lioness 5 kg.

Lifestyle

Lions are social animals. They unite in groups - prides. A pride consists of one or more adult lions, several related lionesses, and their offspring. Some lions live alone or in pairs. Independent life is usually preferred by adult males.

Hunting is more often done by lionesses. They unite in a group and together drive prey. Meat is eaten by all members of the pride, including those who did not take part in the hunt.

Each pride occupies a certain territory, the boundaries of which are jealously guarded by lions, driving out uninvited guests. Usually lions drive away foreign males, and lionesses drive away strangers. Lion cubs, when they become adults, can remain in the pride, or leave it. As a rule, females continue to live in the pride, and grown males leave it. In the future, they can choose to live a solitary life or create their own pride.

Pregnancy in a lioness lasts 110 days, and subsequently she gives birth to from one to four cubs. She gives birth to cubs in some secluded place - in a cave or in dense thickets. Babies are born blind and helpless, their weight ranges from 1200 to 2100 grams. The lioness feeds the cubs with milk and tries not to leave them alone for a long time, hunting nearby. When the cubs are about a month and a half old, they will join the pride.

Under natural conditions, lions live from 10 to 14 years, and in captivity, their life expectancy can reach 20 years or more.

Leo brief information.

Powerful, strong, stately and fearless - we are talking about the lion - the king of beasts. Having a warlike appearance, strength, the ability to run fast and always coordinated, thoughtful actions, these animals will never be afraid of anyone. Animals living next to lions themselves are afraid of their formidable look, strong body and powerful jaw. No wonder the lion was called the king of beasts.

The lion has always been the king of beasts, even in ancient times this animal was idolized. For the ancient Egyptians, the lion acted as a sentinel creature guarding the entrance to another world. For the ancient Egyptians, the fertility god Aker was depicted with a lion's mane. AT modern world, the king of beasts is depicted on many coats of arms of states. The emblems of Armenia, Belgium, Great Britain, Gambia, Senegal, Finland, Georgia, India, Canada, Congo, Luxembourg, Malawi, Morocco, Swaziland and many others depict the warlike king of beasts. African lion, according to international convention, entered into the Red Book as an endangered species.

It is interesting!
For the first time, African lions were able to tame ancient people back in the eighth century BC.

Description of the African lion

We all know from childhood what a lion looks like, since only one mane Small child can recognize the king of beasts. Therefore, we decided to give short description this mighty beast. The lion is a powerful animal, however, a little more than two meters in length. For example, it is much longer than a lion, reaches a length of 3.8 meters. The usual weight of a male is one hundred and eighty kilograms, rarely when they have two hundred.

It is interesting!
Lions living or in a natural history zone specially designated for them always weigh more than their counterparts living in the wild. They move little, eat too much, and their mane is always thicker and larger than that of wild lions. In natural history zones, lions are cared for, while wild cats in nature they look unkempt, with disheveled manes.

The head and body of lions are dense and powerful. The color of the skin is different, depending on the subspecies. However, the main color for the kings of beasts is cream, ocher, or yellow-sand. Asiatic lions are all white and grey.

Old lions have stiff hair that covers the head, shoulders and goes down to the lower abdomen. Adults have a black, thick mane or a mane of a dark, brown hue. But one of the subspecies of the African lion, the Masai, does not have such a lush mane. The hair does not fall on the shoulders, and it is not on the forehead.

All lions have rounded ears, in the middle of which a yellow spot flaunts. The mottled pattern remains on the skin of young lions until the lionesses give birth to cubs and the males reach puberty. All representatives of lions have a brush at the tip of the tail. It is there that their vertebral section ends.

Habitat

A long time ago, lions lived in completely different territories than in the modern world. A subspecies of the African lion, Asiatic, lived mainly in southern Europe, in India or inhabited the Middle Eastern lands. The ancient lion lived throughout Africa, but never settled in the Sahara. The American subspecies of the lion is therefore called American, as it lived in North American lands. Asian lions gradually began to die out or be exterminated by humans, which is why they were. And African lions in small flocks remained to exist only in the African tropics.

Nowadays, the African lion and its subspecies are found only on two continents - Asian and African. Asian kings of beasts live quietly in Indian Gujarat, where there is a dry, sandy climate, savannah and scrub forests. According to the latest data, all five hundred and twenty-three Asiatic lions have been registered to date.

There will be more real African lions in the western countries of the African continent. In the country where the most the best climate for lions, Burkina Faso, over a thousand lions. In addition, many of them live in the Congo, there are over eight hundred of them.

Wildlife no longer has as many lions as there were in the seventies of the last century. To date, their only thirty thousand left, and this is according to unofficial data. African lions have chosen the savannahs of their beloved continent, but even there they cannot be protected from hunters scurrying everywhere in search of easy money.

Hunting and feeding the African lion

Lions do not like silence and life in silence. They prefer open expanses of savannas, plenty of water, and settle mainly where their favorite food lives - artiodactyl mammals. No wonder they deservedly bear the title of "king of the savannas", where this animal feels good and free, since he himself understands that he is the lord. Yes. Male lions do just that, they only dominate, rest most of their lives in the shade of bushes, while the females get food for themselves, him and the cubs.

Lions, just like our men, are waiting for the lioness queen to catch dinner for him and cook it herself, bring it “on a silver platter”. The king of beasts must be the first to taste the prey brought to him by the female, and the lioness herself patiently waits for her male to eat and leave her and the cubs leftovers from the “royal table”. Males rarely hunt, unless they have a female and they are very, very hungry. Despite this, lions will never give offense to their lionesses and cubs if other lions encroach on them.

The main food of a lion is artiodactyl animals - llamas, wildebeest, zebras. If the lions are very hungry, then they will not disdain even rhinos and hippos if they can overcome them in the water. Also do not skimp on game and small rodents, mice and non-venomous snakes. To survive, on the day the lion needs to eat over seven kilograms any meat. If, for example, 4 lions unite, then one successful hunt for all of them will bring the desired result. The problem is that among healthy lions there are sick ones who are not able to hunt. Then they can even attack a person, because, as you know, for them “hunger is not an aunt!”.

Lion breeding

Unlike many mammals, lions are pack predators and mate at any time of the year, which is why you can often see a picture when an old lioness basks in the sun with cubs of different ages. Despite the fact that females have nothing to worry about, they can safely bear cubs and even walk side by side with other females, males, on the contrary, can seriously fight for a female, right up to their death. The strongest survive, and only the strongest lion has the right to possess a female.

The female bears cubs for 100-110 days, and mainly three or five cubs are born. Lion cubs live in large crevices or caves, which are located in places that are difficult for a person to reach. Lion cubs are born thirty centimeter babies. They have a beautiful, spotted color that persists until puberty, which mainly occurs in the sixth year of the animal's life.

In the wild, lions do not live long, on average 16 years, while lions in zoos can live all thirty years.

Varieties of the African lion

To date, there are eight varieties of the African lion, which differ in color, mane color, length, weight and many other features. There are subspecies of lions that are very similar to each other, except that there are some details that are known only to scientists who have been studying the life and development of feline lions for many years.

Lion classification

• Cape lion. This lion is no longer in nature. He was killed in 1860. The lion differed from its counterparts in that it had a blacker and too thick mane, and black tassels flaunted on the ears. Cape lions lived in the South African region, many of them chose the Cape of Good Hope.
• Atlas lion. It was considered the largest and most powerful lion with a massive physique and too dark skin. Lived in Africa, lived in the Atlas Mountains. These lions were loved by the Roman emperors as guardians. It is a pity that the very last Atlas lion was shot by hunters in Morocco at the beginning of the 20th century. It is believed that today the descendants of this subspecies of the lion live, but scientists still argue about their authenticity.
• Indian lion (Asian). It has a more squat body, the coat is not so splayed, and their mane is more slick. Such lions weigh two hundred kilograms, females and even less - only ninety. In the entire history of the existence of the Asian lion, one Indian lion was entered into the Guinness Book of Records, whose body length was 2 meters 92 centimeters. Asian lions live in the Indian Gujaraet, where a special reserve is set aside for them.
• Katanga lion from Angola. They named him that because he lives in the province of Katanga. It has a lighter color than other subspecies. An adult Katangese lion reaches a length of three meters, and a lioness - two and a half. This subspecies of the African lion has long been called endangered, since there are very few of them left to live in the world.
• West African lion from Senegal. It has also long been on the verge of extinction. Males have a light mane, rather short. Some males may not have a mane. The physique of predators is not large, also the shape of the muzzle is slightly different, less powerful than that of an ordinary lion. Lives south of Senegal, in Guinea, mainly in central Africa.
• Masai lion. These animals differ from others in that they have longer limbs, and the mane is not disheveled, like that of the Asiatic lion, but “neatly” combed back. Masai lions are very large, males can reach a length of over two meters and ninety centimeters. The height of the withers of both sexes is 100 cm. The weight reaches 150 kilograms and above. The habitat of the Masai lion is African southern countries, also live in Kenya, in reserves.
• Congo lion. Very reminiscent of their African counterparts. Only lives mainly in the Congo. Just like the Asiatic lion, it is an endangered species.
• Transvaal lion. Previously, it was attributed to the Kalahari lion, since according to all external data it was known as a very large animal and had the longest and darkest mane. Interestingly, in some subspecies of the Transvaal or South African lion long time significant changes were observed due to the fact that in the body of lions of this subspecies there were no melanocytes that secrete a special pigment - melanin. They have white fur and pink skin. In length, adults reach 3.0 meters, and lionesses - 2.5. They live in the Kalahari Desert. Several lions of this species have settled in the Kruger reserve.
• white lions- scientists believe that these lions are not a subspecies, but a genetic deviation. Animals that suffer from leukemia have a light, white wool. There are very few such animals, and they live in captivity in the eastern reserve of South Africa.

We would like to mention the "Barbary lions" (Atlas lion), kept in captivity, whose ancestors once lived in the wild, and were not as large and powerful as the modern "Barbary". However, in all other respects, these animals are very similar to modern ones, have the same shapes and parameters as their relatives.

It is interesting!
There are no black lions at all. In the wild, such lions would not have survived. Maybe somewhere they saw a black lion (people who traveled along the Okavango River write about this). It seems that they saw black lions there with their own eyes. Scientists believe that such lions are the result of crossing lions of different colors or between relatives. In general, there is still no evidence of the existence of a black lion.