Most kinds of cats live alone. Lions live together in groups. Lions live in family groups 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. Female lions usually stay in the pride they were born into, often for life.

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 are meat eaters. They hunt big animals such as zebra. Most lion hunts do not succeed. Lions mostly hunt at night, around dusk and dawn.

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 in the pride, not just its own mother. Cubs drink their mother's milk for about six months.

Lions rest for most of the day, as much as 20 to 21 hours.

Lions in a pride show affection. They touch. They rub heads. They lick each other.

Words to know

• pride: a lion family
• savannas: grassy plains
• mane: neck fur
• dusk: evening, before dark