A lion is a four legged feline,with lovely fur which covers it's whole body.Lions have a short,wide nose with small ears and oval-shaped eyes.They are also surprisingly very similar to tigers in skeleton structure.A lion can store energy in it's spine and release it in a short jump.When a lion jumps it's tail gives it lots of balance. Male lions weigh between 150 and 250kg.The female lions weigh between 120 and 182kg.There is also some difference in height and length. Males would be 125cm tall at the shoulder and can measure up to 250cm in lengh. Female lions are smaller and are 107cm tall and measuring less than 175cm in length.The fur colour of a lion could be light brown and a tint of red.All lions have a dark tip of fur on the very end of their tails. It is only the males of the species who grow a mane -this starts quite light and thin but with age the mane grows and darkens. The Lion is known as the king the jungle. Lions have sensory whiskers and a tuffted tail. Lions have a tanned coat. They are large cats.

Lions usually hunt at night or dawn. The lioness does all the hunting. Their prey consists mainly of large mammals,such as antelopes,warthogs,wildbeest,buffalos and zebra. They will also feed on smaller animals such as hares, birds and retiles. When the lionesses are trying to kill a large animal like a zebra, they work together as a team. One or two lionesses try to drive the big animal to the bushes where the other lions will be waiting.

Small lions are called cubs. A female lion gives birth to litters averaging three or four cubs. They are really cute when they are first born. But when they grow up they are very dangerous. At the age of eleven months old they can go hunting on their own in the wild. They stay with their mothers for about two years. After about two years the lion will leave its mother. 

The only social member of the cat family lions live in larger groups of fifteen lions. There is one male lion, there are several female lions and the rest are thier cubs. A female lioness sometimes sleeps on a tree. The lions usally come out when it is cool outside. Lions are the only cats that live and hunt in group called prides. The male lion leads the pride. The lion will not let any other prides come on to his territory. The lion will often roar to warn other lions to keep away.

People are now moving into where lions used to live and are now growing food there. Farmers and livestock ranchers poison lions.    

 A roar from a lion can be heard 5 miles away. Lions are nocturnal.