Know Your Animals # 7 - LIONS
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Hello Animal Lovers!
Here's today's dose of the furry and the furious.
Panthera leo, more commonly known as LIONS are often referred to as 'The King of the Jungle' and for good reason. These magnificent, majestic looking creatures are famous not only for their powerful regal look, but for their terror inducing roars as well.
Lions live mostly in packs, and they are found all over the world. They are listed as a vulnerable species and it is unfortunate that these divine creatures may possibly go extinct.
These big cats often find mention among the most popular animals in the world.
Here are 10 interesting facts that you may or may not know about LIONS:
1.
It is the female lions that hunt, not the males.
Yes, while the females go out to hunt in packs, the males stay back to protect the pride.
2.
Even tough the lionesses do all the hard work to catch the food, it’s always the male lions that EATS first once the females bring in the kill.
A female needs about 5 kg while a male needs 8 kg of meat/day to eat.
3.
Lions are the second largest big cat (Yes, Tigers can grow larger).
Lions can weigh up to 500 pounds and grow to almost 8 feet in length.
4.
LIONS have the loudest roar amongst all the big species of cats. It’s amazing to note that the male lion’s roar is capable of being heard from almost 8 km (5 miles) away!
5.
Even though they are called THE KING OF THE JUNGLE, they don’t actually live in jungles. Lions are mostly found living in open woodlands, grasslands and plains.
6.
Lions live in big groups that are known as PRIDES, usually comprising of about 15 lions, but the largest prides have been know to consist of up to 40 lions.
7.
The offspring of LIONS are known as cubs. These little predators can start hinting as soon as 1l months, and they remain in the pride with their mothers only for about two years.
8.
How can you guess the age of a lion? - look at its mane!*
Usually, the more dark the lion’s mane is, the older he is.
9.
Lions love to sleep - in a day they can sleep up to 20 hours at a stretch.
10.
Spotting lions with their spots! The spots found around a lion’s mouth are unique like fingerprints, and no two lions have the same.
Bonus Facts!
a. Lions cubs are also called whelps or lionets.
b. The heels of a lion never touch the ground while it’s walking.
c. In several countries like Belgium, Bulgaria, Albania and Singapore, lions are the national animals.
d. Their lifespan of lions in the wild is about 15 years while it can go up to 25-30 years in captivity.
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