Lion 's Fan's Club.

nteresting information:

The largest lion was recorded to be nearly 700 pounds and nearly 11 foot long.
The oldest lion on record was nearly 29 years old.
A lion's eyesight is five times better than a human being.
A lion can hear prey from a mile away.
Lions can smell nearby prey and estimate how long it was in the area.
A lion's roar can be heard from five miles away.
Tigers are so similar to lions that without their coats, their bodies look so similar only experts can tell them apart.
When males join a pride, they usually kill other cubs.
Lions can go four days without drinking.
There is less than 50 000 lions in the world today.
The gestation period is about 110 days.

Lion

Tiger
Lifespan
10 – 14 y (Adult, In Wild)

20 – 26 y (In captivity)
Scientific name
Panthera leo

Panthera tigris
Rank
Species

Species
Gestation period
110 d on average

93 – 112 d,
104 – 106 d (Bengal tiger)
Tail length
70 – 100 cm (Female),
90 – 105 cm (Male)

60 – 110 cm (Adult)
Higher classification
Panthera

Panthera
Lower classifications
Transvaal lion,
Panthera leo fossilis,
Panthera leo spelaea,
Panthera leo vereshchagini,
North East Congo lion
Explore all 14

Siberian Tiger,
Caspian tiger,
Indochinese tiger,
Javan tiger,
Sumatran tiger
Explore all 9

In the Puranic texts of Hinduism, Narasimha ("man-lion") a half-lion, half-man incarnation or (avatar) of Vishnu, is worshipped by his devotees and saved the child devotee Prahlada from his father, the evil demon king Hiranyakashipu;[194] Vishnu takes the form of half-man/half-lion, in Narasimha, having a human torso and lower body, but with a lion-like face and claws.[195] Singh is an ancient Indian vedic name meaning "lion" (Asiatic lion), dating back over 2000 years to ancient India. It was originally only used by Rajputs a Hindu Kshatriya or military caste in India. After the birth of the Khalsa brotherhood in 1699, the Sikhs also adopted the name "Singh" due to the wishes of Guru Gobind Singh. Along with millions of Hindu Rajputs today, it is also used by over 20 million Sikhs worldwide.[196] Found famously on numerous flags and coats of arms all across Asia and Europe, the Asiatic lions also stand firm on the National Emblem of India.[197] Farther south on the Indian subcontinent, the Asiatic lion is symbolic for the Sinhalese,[198] Sri Lanka's ethnic majority; the term derived from the Indo-Aryan Sinhala, meaning the "lion people" or "people with lion blood", while a sword-wielding lion is the central figure on the national flag of Sri Lanka.[199]
Detail of the Chinese-style gate of Nishi Hongan-ji in Kyoto; Momoyama period; National Treasure

The Asiatic lion is a common motif in Chinese art. They were first used in art during the late Spring and Autumn Period (fifth or sixth century BC), and became much more popular during the Han Dynasty (206 BC – AD 220), when imperial guardian lions started to be placed in front of imperial palaces for protection. Because lions have never been native to China, early depictions were somewhat unrealistic; after the introduction of Buddhist art to China in the Tang Dynasty (after the sixth century AD), lions usually were depicted without wings, their bodies became thicker and shorter, and their manes became curly.[200] The lion dance is a form of traditional dance in Chinese culture in which performers mimic a lion's movements in a lion costume, often with musical accompaniment from cymbals, drums, and gongs. They are performed at Chinese New Year, the August Moon Festival and other celebratory occasions for good luck.[201]

The island nation of Singapore derives its name from the Malay words singa (lion) and pora (city/fortress), which in turn is from the Tamil-Sanskrit சிங்க singa सिंह siṃha and पुर புர pura, which is cognate to the Greek πόλις, pólis.[202] According to the Malay Annals, this name was given by a fourteenth-century Sumatran Malay prince named Sang Nila Utama, who, on alighting the island after a thunderstorm, spotted an auspicious beast on shore which appeared to be a lion.[203]

The name of the nomadic Hadendoa people, inhabiting parts of Sudan, Egypt, and Eritrea, is made up of haɖa 'lion' and (n)ɖiwa 'clan'. Other variants are Haɖai ɖiwa, Hanɖiwa, and Haɖaatʼar (children of lioness).

This is actually a photograph of a bona fide exotic lion – namely, a white lion – that has been skilfully converted digitally into a black one (I discovered the original photo on the following site http://www.cutehomepets.com/the-white-lion). Moreover, as I learnt when he kindly posted details upon my Facebook wall on 10 June, cryptozoological colleague Mike Covell successfully traced Photo #2 to digital artist PAulie-SVK, who had created it and placed it in one of their galleries on the deviantART.com site, after which it had been posted elsewhere online by persons unknown wrongly assuming it to be a genuine specimen. (Here is the specific page:

Mane

The mane of the adult male lion, unique among cats, is one of the most distinctive characteristics of the species. It makes the lion appear larger, providing an excellent intimidation display; this aids the lion during confrontations with other lions and with the species' chief competitor in Africa, the spotted hyena.[53] The presence, absence, colour, and size of the mane is associated with genetic precondition, sexual maturity, climate, and testosterone production; the rule of thumb is the darker and fuller the mane, the healthier the lion. Sexual selection of mates by lionesses favors males with the densest, darkest mane.[54] Research in Tanzania also suggests mane length signals fighting success in male–male relationships. Darker-maned individuals may have longer reproductive lives and higher offspring survival, although they suffer in the hottest months of the year.[55] In prides including a coalition of two or three males, it is possible that lionesses solicit mating more actively with the males who are more heavily maned.[54]
A maneless male lion, who is devoid of much body hair as well, Tsavo East National Park, Kenya

Scientists once believed that the distinct status of some subspecies could be justified by morphology, including the size of the mane. Morphology was used to identify subspecies such as the Barbary lion and Cape lion. Research has suggested, however, that environmental factors influence the colour and size of a lion's mane, such as the ambient temperature.[55] The cooler ambient temperature in European and North American zoos, for example, may result in a heavier mane. Thus the mane is not an appropriate marker for identifying subspecies.[17][56] The males of the Asiatic subspecies, however, are characterised by sparser manes than average African lions.[57]

In the Pendjari National Park area almost all males are maneless or have very weak manes.[58] Maneless male lions have also been reported from Senegal and from Tsavo East National Park in Kenya, and the original male white lion from Timbavati also was maneless. The testosterone hormone has been linked to mane growth, therefore castrated lions often have minimal to no mane, as the removal of the go**ds inhibits testosterone production.[59]

Cave paintings of extinct European cave lions almost exclusively show animals with no manes, suggesting that either they were maneless,[35] or that the paintings depict lionesses as seen hunting in a group.

White lions
White lions owe their colouring to a recessive gene; they are rare forms of the subspecies Panthera leo krugeri

The white lion is not a distinct subspecies, but a special morph with a genetic condition, leucism,[16] that causes paler colouration akin to that of the white tiger; the condition is similar to melanism, which causes black panthers. They are not albinos, having normal pigmentation in the eyes and skin. White Transvaal lion (Panthera leo krugeri) individuals occasionally have been encountered in and around Kruger National Park and the adjacent Timbavati Private Game Reserve in eastern South Africa, but are more commonly found in captivity, where breeders deliberately select them. The unusual cream colour of their coats is due to a recessive gene.[60] Reportedly, they have been bred in camps in South Africa for use as trophies to be killed during canned hunts.[61]

Diet
Medium and large prey, including impala, wildebeest, zebra and gemsbok. Will also take larger species such as buffalo, giraffe, hippo and young elephants. Lions will also eats birds, reptiles, fish, and even insects, also smaller mammals down to the size of mice.

Hunting
Lions differ from other cats by regularly hunting in groups. When hunting small prey, each lion pursues its own animal; with larger and more dangerous prey co-operation is needed to split a herd or pull down and kill one animal.

Most of the hunting is done by the females. When in a pride, the males take what food they want from the females. Cubs get what the adults leave, and in times of food shortage, starvation is their major cause of death.

Behavior
Lions live a lazy lifestyle, typically active for only two to four hours in every 24. They are most active at night and rest during the day. A lion pride consists of a group of two to 12 closely related adult females with their young, attended by one to six adult males. If there is more than one male they are often, but not always, close relatives, often brothers.

Only pride males have access to the pride females. Males take over prides by driving out the current males in savage and sometimes fatal fights, and are in turn displaced by new challengers after one to 10 years. The new males expel any young males from the pride and try to kill all the cubs to bring the females quickly back into breeding condition and so ensure offspring will have their genes.

After a take-over females come into heat and mate but, amazingly, do not bear cubs until the new males have established their status against possible challengers.

The lioness is the one who does the hunting for the pride. The male lion associated with the pride usually stays and watches its young while waiting for the lionesses to return from the hunt. Typically, several lionesses work together and encircle the herd from different points. Once they have closed with a herd, they usually target the closest prey. The attack is short and powerful; they attempt to catch the victim with a fast rush and final leap. The prey usually is killed by strangulation,[73] which can cause cerebral ischemia or asphyxia (which results in hypoxemic, or "general", hypoxia). The prey also may be killed by the lion enclosing the animal's mouth and nostrils in its jaws (which would also result in asphyxia). Smaller prey, though, may simply be killed by a swipe of a lion's paw.[4]

Lions are powerful animals that usually hunt in coordinated groups and stalk their chosen prey. However, they are not particularly known for their stamina – for instance, a lioness' heart makes up only 0.57% of her body weight (a male's is about 0.45% of his body weight), whereas a hyena's heart is close to 1% of its body weight.[74] Thus, they only run fast in short bursts,[75] and need to be close to their prey before starting the attack. They take advantage of factors that reduce visibility; many kills take place near some form of cover or at night.[76] They sneak up to the victim until they reach a distance of approximately 30metres (98 ft) or less.
Lioness in a burst of speed while hunting in the Serengeti

The prey consists mainly of large mammals, with a preference for wildebeest, zebras, buffalo, and warthogs in Africa and nilgai, wild boar, and several deer species in India. Many other species are hunted, based on availability. Mainly this will include ungulates weighing between 50 and 300 kg (110–660 lb) such as kudu, hartebeest, gemsbok, and eland.[4] Occasionally, they take relatively small species such as Thomson's gazelle or springbok. Lions hunting in groups are capable of taking down most animals, even healthy adults, but in most parts of their range they rarely attack very large prey such as fully grown male giraffes due to the danger of injury.

Extensive statistics collected over various studies show that lions normally feed on mammals in the range 190–550 kg (420–1210 lb). In Africa, wildebeest rank at the top of preferred prey (making nearly half of the lion prey in the Serengeti) followed by zebra.[77] Most adult hippopotamuses, rhinoceroses, elephants, and smaller gazelles, impala, and other agile antelopes are generally excluded. However giraffes and buffalos are often taken in certain regions. For instance, in Kruger National Park, giraffes are regularly hunted.[78] In Manyara Park, Cape buffaloes constitute as much as 62% of the lion's diet,[79] due to the high number density of buffaloes. Occasionally hippopotamus is also taken, but adult rhinoceroses are generally avoided. Even though smaller than 190;kg (420 lb), warthogs are often taken depending on availability.[80] In some areas, lions specialise in hunting atypical prey species; this is the case at the Savuti river, where they prey on elephants.[81] Park guides in the area reported that the lions, driven by extreme hunger, started taking down baby elephants, and then moved on to adolescents and, occasionally, fully grown adults during the night when elephants' vision is poor.[82] Lions also attack domestic livestock; in India cattle contribute significantly to their diet.[57] Lions are capable of killing other predators such as leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, and wild dogs, though (unlike most felids) they seldom devour the competitors after killing them. They also scavenge animals either dead from natural causes (disease) or killed by other predators, and keep a constant lookout for circling vultures, being keenly aware that they indicate an animal dead or in distress.[83] A lion may gorge itself and eat up to 30 kg (66 lb) in one sitting;[84] if it is unable to consume all the kill it will rest for a few hours before consuming more. On a hot day, the pride may retreat to shade leaving a male or two to stand guard.[85] An adult lioness requires an average of about 5 kg (11 lb) of meat per day, a male about 7 kg (15.5 lb).[86]
Four lionesses take down a cape buffalo in the central Serengeti, Tanzania

Because lionesses hunt in open spaces where they are easily seen by their prey, cooperative hunting increases the likelihood of a successful hunt; this is especially true with larger species. Teamwork also enables them to defend their kills more easily against other large predators such as hyenas, which may be attracted by vultures from kilometres away in open savannas. Lionesses do most of the hunting; males attached to prides do not usually participate in hunting, except in the case of larger quarry such as giraffe and buffalo. In typical hunts, each lioness has a favored position in the group, either stalking prey on the "wing" then attacking, or moving a smaller distance in the centre of the group and capturing prey in flight from other lionesses.[87] Young lions first display stalking behaviour around three months of age, although they do not participate in hunting until they are almost a year old. They begin to hunt effectively when nearing the age of two.[88]