Say what... What is a lion?! Well, I'd better start off simply.
Science has currently placed the 'king of beasts' in the role of:
Class :
Mammalia (mammal)
Order :
Carnivora (carnivore)
Family :
Felidae (feline)
Genus :
Panthera
Species :
Leo
That was easy... Oh, you want a description. Well, let me see...
A lion is a very big cat. The lion is out sized only by the tiger in the feline family.
The adult female lion, called a lioness, can weigh 250-300 pounds (112.5-135 kilograms). It stands about 30 inches (75 centimeters) at the shoulder and has an average length (including the tail) of 8 feet (2.4 meters).
I strongly recommend that you don't dress in a mouse costume.
Golden-brown or tawny fur covers the feline, ALThough a darker brown color has said to be seen. The exception is the case of the Timbavati lions which there is sometimes a white fur mutation. The adult male grows a bit larger and reaches 350-400 pounds (157-180 kilograms). It can reach 36 inches (90 centimeters) at the shoulder. The average length is 9 feet (2.7 meters) (including tail).
Can you soothingly say, "Nice kitty."
The same coloration applies to the male's fur, with the addition of shaggy fur, known as a mane,
that grows from the back side of the head, the shoulders, and at times on the chest. The mane starts to appear around 2 years old. The color of the mane varies, ALThough it is darker than the body fur. The mane is usually lighter under the chin and gradually darkens in color as it grows from further back on the lion. Also, the mane also tends to darken as the lion grows older. The function of the mane appears to be for protection of the neck during battle. It also seems to provide a method for a lioness to determine the relative heALTh of the male, as it has recently been found that lionesses prefer males with bigger and darker manes.
Lionesses must be almost as prude as me.
The lion's face is, of course, cat-like, ALThough the muzzle is a bit stockier. The outer ears are round shaped and each can be "rotated" independently, almost 180 degrees. Typically, the lower half of the face is lighter colored, almost becoming a brown-tinted white. Lion's eyes are larger then most other similar-sized animals, and like the other "big cats", the pupils are circular (in smaller cats, the pupil is elongated vertically). The nose is usually black and pink mottled when young, which turns all black as the lion ages.
Doesn't this just radiate majestic beauty!!!
Each lion has a unique whisker pattern, which by chance, helps humans to identify individuals lions.
The lion is the only member of the felines that have an extra tuft of fur at the end of the tail (both the male and female) and, like a male's mane, is darker than the rest of the fur. Inside this tuft, the last few tail bones are fused and form what has been called a "thorn". The reason for this "thorn" is unknown.
If I were a lion, I'd probably use this to discipline my cubs.
The tail itself is used for balance, to communicate to other lions during a hunt, and as a "flag" the lioness uses to tell the cubs to follow her.
Speaking of cubs, (on rare occasions, affectionately referred to as lionets), I'd better describe them a little.
Cubs are about one foot (30.5 centimeters) long and weigh around one pound (.45 kilograms) when born. The fur of the newborn is sometimes spotted which usually disappears as the cub ages. The eyes open around 2-3 weeks after birth, but may take a week after that to start functioning. Milk teeth break through the gums about 3 weeks after birth.
How cute!
