Page 20 - World of Animals - Deadly Predators

Lion

Most big cats are solitary, with lions
being the exception. A lone lion has a
17% chance of catching an item of prey,
but when joined by even one more,
the odds more than double. Some live
in closely bonded pairs and others
form prides of 40. While the rest of
the Pantherinae have evolved to hunt
alone and keep every scrap of meat to HUGE TEETH
themselves, lion strategy increases the
A lion’s back teeth are called
chance of hunting success to make sure carnassials, and they cut
everyone gets a bite. the meat into small pieces.
Lions have serious stamina and can Their canines are about ten
last for five days without a single drop to centimetres (four inches) long.
drink. Their primary targets are zebras,
impala and wildebeest. Rhino, hippo and
buffalo are on the menu too, but small
birds and reptiles will do in a pinch. If
food is scarce, they can go for broke and
try to hunt elephants, the world’s largest
land mammals.

LONG TAIL

This acts as a counter-balance
when the cat is climbing or
navigating uneven terrain at
ground level.

LION
Panthera leo
BIG PAWS Lifespan 10-14 years
Adult weight Male up to
As well as their size being 250kg (550lbs)
FRONT CLAWS used to work out a lion’s Female up to 182kg (400lbs)
Lions’ claws are retractable. age, the big paws result in Conservation status
They have a fifth claw, called more force applied when
a dewclaw, which they use to a lion leaps or attacks.
hold prey down when eating. VULNERABLE

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