The lions sleep in small islets of the shadow or in the grass, heated by the sun of the savannah, for 20 hours a day. In nature, the life of a lion reaches 10 to 14 years. In captivity, there were cases when they lived to 20 years. Male lions seldom live to 10 years, because the struggle for dominance in the territory and fights with other males often lead to death.
The lion has the greatest height in the shoulders among all members of the cat family. By weight, they are inferior to tigers. Lions have strong jaws with canines up to 8 cm and powerful paws, so these big cats are capable of killing large enough animals. The skull of a lion is shaped like a tiger’s skull.
The frontal area is usually low and flat. The nasal aperture is slightly wider than that of the tigers. Noticeable differences only in the structure of the lower jaw. Skin color is from yellowish to reddish and even dark brown.
The upper part of the lion’s body is darker than the lower part. The tip of the tail is usually black. Lions are born like leopards – they have brown spots all over their bodies, which disappear when they reach puberty; although they can be preserved on the abdomen and legs in adult individuals, especially in females.
