Lions

 The lion is an amazing and majestic animal. The lions that roam the earth show beauty and grace wherever they live. The female’s average length is 8ft. Her weight is between 250 and 300 lb. The male and the female both have 30 teeth which is almost twice the amount of human teeth. The male has a length of about 9 feet, weighs between 350 and 400 pounds, and has an amazing height of 30 inches. This makes the lion the second largest big cat to the tiger.
 * __LIONS __**

 Lions can be found in a few places around the world. However they normally live in Asia, Africa, and in small populations in India. The only lions that live in America are in zoos. There were places that they lived long ago; but can no longer be found there because they have become extinct in those areas.

 Lions are very beautiful animals. Male lions have a large, golden brown or reddish mane. The mane isn’t just for beauty, though. When they get in a fight it protects their necks. It is believed that the darker and fuller the mane, the healthier and more successful he is in fighting. Lionesses are also more attracted to a male with a bigger mane. The color of the mane grows darker as the male grows older.  

 In addition to the male’s beautiful mane, lions have many other physical characteristics that make them special. Lions have gold, yellow, or very rarely brown or reddish bodies. Their tale is always the color of their bodies and the tuft is black. Occasionally, lions will not have a perfectly solid color body. They may have little patterns of brown on them. The patterns are more obviously seen when they’re cubs and becomes harder to see when they’re an adult. The way lions look make them very peculiar from other animals.

 Lions are also peculiar from other animals in that they normally live in a group called a pride. A pride is a group of usually 5-6 females, their cubs, and 1-2 males. A pride is like a family. They hunt, eat, sleep, play, raise their cubs, and protect the group together. The lions that don’t live in a pride are called nomads. They either travel by themselves, or in pairs. They’re usually lions that have been banned from a pride. Some nomads, although unlikely, will be accepted into another pride.

 Lions have different daily responsibilities. The cubs really don’t do very much. They stay with the pride and sometimes will wrestle with each other. They almost never leave the main group of the pride. The female lions usually do most of the hunting because they are quicker, swifter, and don’t carry a large mane that would slow them down. The female lions also take care of the cubs and give them baths. The males guard the pride. They will even fight off other lions from different prides.

 Lions spend a lot of their time resting. They are inactive for nearly 20 hours per day. Although they can be active at any time, they’re usually busier toward night time with a time of socializing and grooming. More and more activity follows through the night into the morning when hunting usually begins. They spend an average of 2 hours eating and 50 minutes walking each day. Lions are not just hunters, they are also scavengers.    Lions are very special animals. They have a lot to teach us and we have a lot to learn from them. They are slowly going into extinction. This is a very sad fact. Hunters and poachers around the world are illegally killing them. Hopefully though, they’ll be able to live on the earth for as long as people.  