Typically a mature male stands 4 feet at the shoulder and is 8 .5 feet long, plus tail. He'll

average 450 pounds. Females are considerable smaller, weighing less than 300 pounds. Adult

lions usually have a plain unspotted coat, light brown to dark ochre in color. Cubs are

marked with spots which sometimes persist on the legs and belly until they are fully grown.

Male lions have a brown mane, which tends to grow darker and fuller as the animal ages. The

tail has a black tuft at the end. "White" lions occasionally occur in the Transvaal region of

southern Africa, but these are not true albinos.