Some Interesting Facts About Lions That Will Blow Your Mind

Lions are fantastic majestic creatures that are powerful and strong. They are one of the undisputed leaders in the animal kingdom. They have no known predators and this makes them all the more fearsome. Their beauty, strength and grace make them a wonder to look at and yet behind their beauty and majestic appearance they are fierce beasts that any prey would be more than scared to come across. However, how much do you really know about lions?

Their Manes

Did you know that a lion mane gets darker as they get older, so you can roughly tell how old a lion is by looking at the color of its mane A lion’s golden fur is free from any spots or markings which means that they can blend in perfectly into the long grasses of the African plains. A mane is heavily relied on to attract female lionesses so the bigger and the bushier it is, the more attention it will attract

Lions Courage And Strength

Lions are strong and courageous, they often lead a pride of around 12-14, and they never quiver when being challenged by other species, or by younger lions trying to take over their pride. There are lots of quotes about lions that are inspirational and that can fit perfectly into your lion if you see yourself as a dominant and leading character/personality. Lions are majestic and at around 1.2 meters and 190+ kg in weight, they are a force not to be reckoned with. Even though lions are heavier than stronger than a human it doesn’t mean that they are not agile. They can jump around 3 times higher than a human can, which makes them a true force of nature.

The Hunt

Even though they are the leader of their pride, they rarely hunt, this responsibility comes down to the lionesses in their pride. A lion’s responsibility in a hunt is often to stay behind to rest and look after any young lion cubs. Although lions are rarely ever active in a hunt that doesn’t mean that they don’t get first dibs at the reward. Whenever a kill is made a lion always eats first even if this means there is nothing left for the lionesses who made the kill.

Their Sleeping Habits

Lions love to sleep, and they sleep on average around 20 hours a day, but it can range from 16-20 hours. When a lion has consumed a big meal then they can sleep for a whole day, yes 24 hours of undisturbed sleep! Lions sleep in the day and eat or hunt (if they need to) in the early evening or night as they are nocturnal creatures. As lions are covered with thick fur and hair they tend to prefer shelter and shade away from the sun, so, you will often find lions sleeping under trees or bushes.

Lions Communication

A lion’s roar is powerful and can be heard over far distances, as far away as 5 miles which is incredible. Lions are very communicative beasts, and they love to communicate. They communicate with members of their pride through subtle noises, rubbing heads and licking, they can also be seen nuzzling and headbutting each other as a way of greeting each other and saying hello (within their pride of course). Lionesses can also roar, however, their roar is not as loud and not as distinctive.

Fantastic Eyesight and Vision

A lion’s eyesight is so much superior to humans, and it is fantastic at night too, meaning that if they needed to hunt they could do so day or night, they are not limited to daylight hours. Lions eyes are very big. Of course, they are proportionate to their bodies and faces, but they are round and around 3 times larger than humans, meaning they can see everything, and it would be hard to escape from their line of sight. Lions are born with bright blue eyes which is a beautiful sight to see, but it doesn’t last, as within a couple of months they have changed to a dark amber/brown color.

Even though lions are known as the kings of the jungle this is a major misconception is they don’t actually live in the jungle at all (that is tigers). Lions can be found in the plains of Africa and with a lifespan of between 10-15 years, they can rule over their pride for a long time until they die of natural causes, or they step down in defeat after being challenged by a younger male, which does happen quite frequently.