The African Lion

Lions are perhaps the most unique of the large cats because they are the only big cats that live in family groups, called prides. They are the largest of the big cats and are the biggest predators in Africa. Lions are Tawny or Tan in color, but can vary from a silvery yellow to reddish brown with lighter colors on the underside. Young lions can have faint, light colored spots similar to a Leopards. The males have thick manes around their heads that often reach to their the chests and between their front legs and vary in color from blondish to total black, but the she lions dont generally have any manes.

Lions have very strong shoulders and strong legs and feet equipped with long, sharp claws and add to that their powerful jaws, and we have a very efficient predator. A Lions roar can be heard by humans for several miles around. Prides of lions are usually made up of related females and average around 13 in number -- but a large pride can have up to 40 lions. A prides home range extends for many miles around.

Lions are mainly creatures of the night and often sleep or rest for 20 hours a day. Lions are carnivores, feeding on the flesh of other mammals; and lions have 30 teeth which includes their large dagger-like canines with which they grab and kill their prey. Their scissor-like molar teeth slice into the flesh and their smaller incisors scrape the bones clean. Most of their hunting is at night and in the very early morning hours.

A lion c ...