Species of the Week: Lion

Species of the week:
Lion(Panthera leo)

1. It is a big cat that can only be found in Africa and Asia.
2. It is the only cat that displays obvious sexual dimorphism. The male has a rich mane around its head while the females lack this mane.
3. Male lions also weigh more, with them weighing around 150-250 kg while females weigh 120-185kg.
4. Lions spend most of their inactive resting. This takes about 20 hours of the day.
5. During the remaining four, they socialize, hunt or mark their territory.
6. A group of lions is called a "pride" and usually consists of five or six females and one to two males.
7. Some lions however group up in pairs and are nomadic in nature.
8. The female lions are the ones that do the hunting. They encircle their prey and attack. These hunts are often short as the lions either snap their victim's neck or drag it down and then snap their neck. The males usually stay behind to protect the young.
9. Lions mate at anytime of the year and gestation period lasts about 110 days. Females give birth to up to four cubs.
10. Lion populations are declining worldwide due to human conflict, habitat loss, diseases and inbreeding. Certain subspecies are declining faster than others. The lion is listed as "Vulnerable" in the IUCN species list.