Since ancient times, the lion was considered one of the strongest animals on the planet. Today it is the largest cat. In order to understand how the lion was honored and respected in antiquity, it is enough to look at many cave paintings, sculptures and ancient clan coats of arms. In ancient Egypt, these predatory mammals were considered the gods of the earth. The lion is now called the king among animals. African natives living with lions side by side call these animals “wild cat”. Hence the name of the family.
In this article, we will consider to which family the lion belongs, its habitat and lifestyle.
general description
In nature, there are several types of lions that differ from each other. However, these interspecific differences are insignificant, and the similarities are much greater.
To understand which family the lion belongs to, it will be enough to look at it. This animal looks very similar to domestic cats, but fundamentally different in size. An interesting fact is that the lion belongs to the big African five. Therefore, with all kinds of excursions, safaris, tourists and hunters try to show these animals in the first place. The Big African Five is a collection of 5 African animals that are the most valuable hunting trophies. It includes a lion, a leopard, a rhino, an elephant and a buffalo.
The bodies of all members of the family, to which the lion belongs, have high mobility and remarkable flexibility. They have well developed muscles of the neck and paws, which makes them very fast and strong. In addition, each paw has a set of sharp claws, the length of which can reach 7 centimeters. Lions have a large head with an elongated muzzle. The mouth of these animals has strong jaws, on which are located fangs, the length of which can reach eight centimeters. In addition, they have 30 sharp teeth. These features allow lions in the wild to successfully hunt animals, which sometimes can exceed their own size. The mouth also has a tongue covered with a kind of tubercle. This feature helps the lion to keep its coat clean. It is noteworthy that animals have a so-called mane. It is located in the head and goes to the shoulder blades. At the same time, the lion's mane is a feature inherent only to males. Females do not have it. In addition, sexual dimorphism in these animals gives them a whole series of differences. For example, males are always of great weight and size. The mane begins to grow in lion cubs after reaching the age of six months.
What family does the lion belong to?
This large predator is a representative of the cat family. It is a group of mammals from the order of carnivores. Wild cats are found in all corners of the earth, with the exception of Antarctica, New Zealand, Australia and Japan. However, home representatives of this family are ubiquitous. They are almost everywhere where you can meet people. The cat family includes 18 genera and more than 36 species. All members of this family, except for large species, climb along the rocks perfectly and swim well. Scientists subdivide the family itself into two main subfamilies: large and small cats. Small include all representatives of this predatory family, which, due to the structural features of the hyoid bone, cannot growl. To large, respectively, include all the others. The main distinguishing feature of the family is their hunt for prey, equal or superior in size.
Lifestyle
Among the cat lion family, they stand out for their pride organization. They represent a group consisting of a number of adults and young animals. There, lion cubs grow to puberty. After that, they leave their pride. However, they do not leave to become loners. This wild cat is an animal that is not adapted to life alone. Young lions are looking for a group with an old leader, whose place can later be taken. Pride exists by certain rules. Everyone recognizes the leadership of the leader, the males protect the territory. Aliens are driven out. It is noteworthy that the role of hunters is assigned to females. They carry out the extraction of food for the entire pride. Females, unlike males, have higher flexibility and speed. In addition, the mane increases the load on the body, and in a hot African climate it contributes to overheating of the male’s body. Therefore, the role of prey is assigned to females. The key to a successful hunt is coordination. Food obtained by females is divided into the whole pride. However, if the male went hunting, which is extremely rare, then all prey is eaten only by him. The highest activity of these animals is observed at night. They have excellent night vision. This is another key feature in order to understand which family the lion belongs to, because this feature is inherent in all feline representatives. After a successful night hunt, the lions rest in the circle of pride members. Due to their large size and natural strength, these predators have no enemies, but they often die in the struggle for the leader's place in the group.
Area
Today there are not so many lion habitats on the planet. A few years ago, these wild cats were found in Africa, India, Russia, Iran and southern Europe. However, a significant part of the population was destroyed by poachers, and some places became unsuitable for the normal existence of lions. To date, these animals are found only in southern Africa and the Indian state of Gujarat. Lions prefer to live in the savannahs and bushes.
Lion feeding
Night hunting allows these predators to come very close to their prey. Females take a group of ungulates in the ring and attack from all sides. Their prey becomes the slowest or sickest individual. In Africa, lions eat the meat of wildebeests, buffalos and zebras. Large species of lions also prey on giraffe cubs. Sometimes they can even attack hippos and young elephants. In addition, lions often prey on livestock and smaller members of their family. These are cheetahs and leopards. In India, these predators prey mainly on deer and wild boars. The daily intake of fresh meat for an adult male lion is about 8 kilograms. Females eat a little less, and 5 kilograms is enough for them.
Breeding
Lioness reaches puberty at 4 years old. Pregnancy of the female can proceed up to 110 days. As a rule, no more than three cubs are born. At first, the lion cubs are very small and helpless. They weigh up to 1.5 kg, and their size does not exceed 30 centimeters. Within a week after birth, the cubs are completely blind. They begin to see only on the seventh day. At the same time, lion cubs begin to walk in a month. Before the birth of the cubs, the female leaves the pride to equip a hidden rookery. She returns to the pride with the lion cubs after 8 weeks. It is noteworthy that if the leader of the group gives way to another lion, the cubs will be killed by the new leader. Threats to the life of young animals are more than enough, therefore, according to scientists, only 20% of them reach sexual maturity.
How many lions live
Upon reaching the age of 5, young males leave the pride in order to occupy a dominant position in another group. During the struggle for a leader’s place, weaker and older individuals often die. In nature, these predators are able to live for about fifteen years. It is noteworthy that in captivity they can live 25-30 years. Lions that have found their place in the pride live longer than lonely roaming individuals.
White Lion
A lion is an animal with many unique features. One of them is color. There are a large number of cases where researchers observed the largest cats of an unusual color. It is noteworthy that animals, for example, with a black or dark mane are considered normal, but white or black body color is an anomaly. Its cause, experts call a genetic mutation, the so-called leukism. It is her fault that albino lions appear. However, they cannot be fully named like this, because the eyes of these animals can be both blue and golden.
White lions differ from the rest of the species only in color and slightly larger sizes. The weight of such animals can reach 310 kilograms. White lions also have a longer body. The size of an adult male exceeds 3 meters, and females - 2.7. Throughout life, such lions practically do not change the shade. However, when the animal has crossed the threshold of old age, the coat acquires the color of ivory.
