PICTURE!

LIONS ARE ONE OF TWO OF THE MOST SOCIAL BIG CAT SPECIES. THE OTHER IS THE CHEETAH. 95% OF LIONS ARE FOUND IN EASTERN, SOUTH EASTERN, AND SOUTHERN PARTS OF AFRICA. THE MALE CAN WEIGH UP TO 550 lbs. AND GROWS UP TO 8.2 ft. NOT INCLUDING THE TAIL WHICH CAN BE AS LONG AS 41 in. LONG. THE FEMALE IS 1 SIZE SMALLER THAN THE MALE.

MOST LIONS FORM SOCIAL GROUPS CALLED PRIDES. A PRIDE CONSISTS OF AN ODD NUMBER MALES, ONE DOMINANT OR HEAD MALE, A GROUP OF FEMALES AND THEIR OFFSPRING.

THE TYPE OF LION THAT'S A "LONER" WOULD MOST LIKELY BE A NOMADIC MALE WHO WANDERS AROUND THE PLAINS FOR WHATEVER PURPOSE IT CHOOSES. SOME NOMADIC MALES WANDER TOGETHER IN THE PLAINS AND SOMETIMES START A PRIDE OF THEIR OWN, OR TAKE ONE OVER.

IF A STRANGE MALE DESIRES TO TAKE OVER A PRIDE, HE WILL FIGHT OFF THE DOMINANT MALE. IF THE STRANGE MALE LOSES, HE MAY DIE IN THE FIGHT OR GET DRIVEN OFF. IF HE WINS, HE WILL TAKE IT'S PLACE AS THE DOMINANT MALE. HE WILL KILL OFF ANY CUB THAT IS NOT OF HIS GENE LINE AND LATER ON INTRODUCE HIS GENES INTO THE PRIDE... IN OTHER WORDS HE WILL MATE WITH HIS NEW FEMALES.

THE FEMALES ARE MOSTLY THE ONES TO DO THE HUNTING FOR THE MALES, THEM SELVES AND THEN THEIR CUBS. THE MALES ARE USUALLY LAZY SLOBS UNTIL IT COMES TO EATING OR MATING. SOME FEMALES WILL NOT TOLERATE STRANGE ONES MATING WITH THEIR PRIDE'S MALE AND WILL WARD THEM OFF.

BOTH THE MALES' AND FEMALES' FAVORITE PAST TIME IS SLEEPING. LIONS CAN SLEEP FOR AS LONG AS 16 TO 18 HRS. A DAY. LIONS WILL ALSO LIE IN WEIRD AND FUNNY POSITIONS WILE THEY ARE SLEEPING.

CLASSIFICATION:

LION: PANTHERA LEO