Content
- Physical characteristics of a lion
- How much does a cub lion weigh?
- How much does an adult lion weigh?
- adult lion weight
- adult lioness weight
- Lions conservation status
In PeritoAnimal we present you an article about the king of the animals: the lion. This title of "king" was awarded to him not only for his masterful appearance, but also because, along with tigers, lions are the largest cats in existence, being a super predator and finding themselves in natural conditions at the top of the food chain of ecosystems. that inhabit. Given these characteristics, you may wonder how much does a lion weigh? For in the next lines we will present you with information to unravel the mystery and resolve this doubt.
Despite their size and strength, lions are exposed to situations that significantly impacted their populations, especially by massive killing, due to conflicts with human beings. Keep reading this article and learn more about these impressive felines.
Physical characteristics of a lion
In lions there is a clear sexual dimorphism. males present the mane feature, which tends to darken with age. An abundant and dark mane indicates a good state of health for the animal. However, the amount of hair in the mane is also determined by genetic factors, climate and testosterone level. Investigations show that females in a herd prefer to breed with lions with more abundant manes.
This distinctive feature in males offers them protection during fights, but, in addition, it is believed that the mane is related to the type of hierarchical social relationship that these animals have. Eventually some females have a kind of collar, formed by a short mane, which can cause them to be mistaken for males. However, this formation is different, as it is not so abundant and long. A unique feature among cats is the presence, in both lions and lionesses, of an accumulation of fur at the end of the tail.
These animals have a fur color that can be light beige, with a tendency to yellowish or darker, brown or even reddish colors. There are also some white lions, although this is due to recessive gene expression. You can find more information in this other article about types of lions - names and characteristics.
On the other hand, these mammals have muscular bodies and strong jaws, which are endowed with powerful teeth, like their curved canines and sharp molars, ideal for cutting the flesh of their prey. Its tongue, like that of other cats, has a rough texture due to the presence of specialized papillae that help scrape the bones of its victims. They are also used to clean the body and even to eliminate ectoparasites such as ticks.
As for their paws, they are quite strong, with retractable claws that animals use to hunt and defend themselves, as well as the presence of pads that help them to move stealthily.
How much does a cub lion weigh?
Lions tend to mate with a high frequency, as females can come into heat several times in the same year. when does this happen copulate with more than one male during this time. Furthermore, the act is repeated many times on the days when the heat lasts. Once they are pregnant, the gestation time lasts approximately 15 weeks, which corresponds to 110 days on average.
A lioness's litter may be from 1 to 4 puppies and at birth the offspring cannot see or walk, so they are totally dependent on their mother. Puppies usually start walking at 3 weeks and stop being breastfed between 6 and 7 months of age. At 4 years old, a female can become pregnant and at 3 years old males reach sexual maturity.
a baby lion weighs between 1.1 and 2 kilos at birth and at this time, they are totally defenseless, being victims of various types of predators on many occasions, especially when the lioness is hunting or moving the rest of the cubs to another refuge, an action she frequently performs to prevent the cubs from being found by predators. .
How much does an adult lion weigh?
As we mentioned, lions and tigers are the biggest cats that exist today, but what is the lion weight? An adult lion weighs on average about 200 pounds, however, there are records that surpass this number, which means a great weight for an animal, especially with the agility that felines usually show. In terms of dimensions, lions measuring more than 3.5 meters from head to tail were reported and, in terms of height, they generally exceed 100 cm.
adult lion weight
Male lions are always bigger and heavier, usually having 200 pounds or more. Some records specifically indicate the following data regarding the weight and dimensions of wild male lions:
- Lions from 1 to 2 years old: 77 kg.
- 2 to 4 year old lions: 146 kg.
- Lions over 4 years old: 181 kg.
Dead specimens were also documented in their natural habitat weighing 272 and 313 kilograms, there are records of a lion raised in captivity that it even weighed 395 kilos.
adult lioness weight
Adult lionesses are smaller and lighter than males, so they don't usually exceed 160 kilos. Regarding the records of weights of females identified in their natural ecosystems, we found:
- Lionesses from 1 to 2 years: 60 kg.
- Lionesses from 2 to 4 years old: 103 kg.
- Lionesses over 4 years old: 126 kg - 152 kg.
Lions conservation status
The lion is a species that is on the red list of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, specifically in the vulnerable category, due to the drastic decrease of their populations in natural habitats.
The population decrease is associated with various causes, among which we can mention:
- The massive killing of the species out of fear people feel of a possible attack.
- Habitat alteration by the expansion of human activities.
- The overexposure of its distribution areas in urban spaces, which ends up generating fatal confrontations.
- The illegal sale of some parts of the lions' body for medicinal purposes, such as bones.
If you want to read more articles similar to How much does a lion weigh?, we recommend that you enter our Curiosities section of the animal world.