Most kinds of cats live alone. Lions live together in groups. Lions live in family groups. The groups are called prides.
Almost all wild lions live in Africa. A small group lives in India.
Lions live on grassy plains called savannas. They live in open woodlands too.
Male lions grow a shaggy mane. No other kind of wild cat grows one. A male lion's mane gets darker as he gets older.
Male lions weigh about 330 to 550 pounds. Females weigh about 265 to 395 pounds. Lions stand about 3.5 to 4 feet tall at the shoulder.
Female lions are called lionesses. They do most of the hunting for the pride. Lions hunt together. That gives them a better chance of getting food.
Lions eat meat. They hunt big animals such as zebra and wildebeest.
Lion cubs are born with dark spots on their fur. Lionesses in a pride raise their cubs together.
A cub can drink milk from other lionesses. It does not drink only from its own mother. The other lionesses are in its pride.
Lions rest for most of the day. They rest as much as 20 to 21 hours.
A roar can be heard up to five miles away. Lions make sounds besides roars.
Lions in a pride touch each other. They rub heads. They lick each other.
Words to know
- pride: a lion family
- savannas: grassy plains
- mane: neck fur
- lionesses: female lions
