George Bush Vs. Al Gore Essay, Research Paper

Lions

Lions are big animals with no fear of anything. They are harsh predators and will do anything to kill a prey for food.

Some key facts about lions are that adult males grow approximately 9 feet from nose to tail. The females are a lot smaller than the males. Males usually weigh up to 350-550 pounds. The female lions weigh up to 250-300 pounds which is much smaller than the male lions growth. It takes most lions 3 to 4 years to sexually mature. The lions mating patter is non- seasonal which means they mate whenever they have the chance. The gestation of lions is 92 days. The

amount of babies that the mother delivers is 1-5 cubs.

Lions belong to the class of Mammalia and an order of Carnivore. The lion is a symbol for beauty and power. The lion is usually referred to as the, King of Beasts.

The mane of the lion makes the lion look larger than he really is. The mane is on the lion so it can scare away its prey. This mane gives him power during battles with other male lions or predators. The mane of the lion is not fully grown until about 5 years in the lions life. These manes are colored blonde, brown, or black. They usually darken after many years of growth.

The lions colors blend in with shrubs and other plants so it is camouflage and can attack its prey very easily. The lion has a brownish-yellow color and they have the back of the ears and the tuft of the tail black. At birth they are usually a lighter color then as they grow up they become more dark.

The strength of the lion comes from the strong legs and razor sharp claws and teeth lions have. A lion has 30 teeth, the large pointed teeth are called canines, which are used to hold its prey, kill it and tear it open so it can feed on it. Lions also have 4 cheek teeth called Carnassial teeth, which are used for cutting through tough skin and tendons that join muscle to bone. The lions have no teeth that are suitable for chewing, therefore a lion will swallow its food in chunks.

A pride or group of lions may consist of up to 35 lions, having anywhere from 1-5 males, several lionesses and their cubs. A pride separates certain lions to go hunt and kill and other lions to stay home and protect the young. When lions are separated for a long amount of time they reunite by rubbing cheeks.

Lions rest for usually 20 hours a day. A lion lives a life of feast and famine. A lion eats usually every 3-4 days but some lions go without food for weeks. A male lion will eat up to 75 pounds of meat in one meal.

Catching food for the lion is difficult because most animals are usually faster and more agile than the lion is. The lion s top speed is only 35 miles per hour. The lion surprises its prey by stalking it up to 50 feet and springing out of a bush. They usually go for the throat to strangle its prey and kill it. Most lions usually hunt at dark.

Savanna and plains habitats with greatest variety and biomes of hoofed mammals carry up to 1 lion/3 square mile (12/100 square kilometer). Where prey density is very low, as in Miombo Woodland Zone or Sahel, there may be only 1 lion/50 to 100 square mile. Commonest ungulates from impala to wildebeest and zebra in size are main prey. Different prides have different preferences and traditions. Some, hunting in groups usually including males, regularly kill buffaloes, including biggest, oldest bulls; even bull giraffes are

occasionally taken (caught lying down). Variety of smaller game also taken by hungry or curious lions, including rodents, birds, turtles, lizards, even fish, and ostrich eggs (by the few with knack of opening them). Another important source of food is scavenging. Lions respond to rallying cries of hyenas as readily as hyenas them selves and by day are guided to carcasses by

descending vultures.

The basic units of lion society are prides of related females, each pride residing in a traditional home range/territory. Male offspring have to leave by 2.5 years. Resident adult males are immigrants that have gained custody of a pride range in competition with other males. The number of adult females in a pride is adjusted to seasons of minimum prey availability and tends

to be consistent over time. Surplus females have to disperse; if the membership falls below capacity, sub adult nomads are accepted in the absence of recru its from within the pride. Home range size also depends on prey density, being as small as 8 to over 154 square mile (20 400 square kilometer). In Serengeti and Kruger NP, a typical pride numbers about 13. The average composition of 14 prides totaling 181 lions was 1.7 (1-4) adult males, 4.5 (2-9) adult females,

3.8 sub adults, and 2.8 juveniles and yearlings. Large prides, which can include up to 40 lions, may never assemble in one place. Members come and go unpredictably , alone and in groups, typically numbering 3 to 5 lions. There is no rank hierarchy among females and no 2 are likely to be found together more than half the time. But all residents are acquainted and whenever they meet, the lion greeting ceremony reaffirms their social ties. A lion without the self assurance to meet and greet sends a signal that it doesn’t belong and is treated as an intruder. Each sex defends the part of the pride range in current use against intruders of the same gender.

Like other cats, except for communal hunts. These usually involve 3 to 8 lionesses moving on a broad front in an attempt to drive quarry into an ambush or block the escape route of ungulates feeding in a cul-de-sac as when wildebeests or zebras graze alongside a river or woodland edge. Males only hunt for themselves when no free lunch is provided by lionesses, hyenas, or other agencies. Lions hunting in twos and groups have a success rate of c. 30%,

compared to only 17 to 19% for lions hunting singly by daylight. But recent studies indicating that single hunters are about as successful as groups at night reopen questions about the primary reason lions became the only sociable cat. Maybe it was to control exclusive hunting grounds and share food with relatives, while protecting it against competitors, including other lions. But

lions share food grudgingly; they often fight for places at a kill and prime males take the proverbial “lion’s share”- up to 25% of their own weight. If the kill is small, the smallest and weakest lions lose out hungry mothers won’t share even with their own youngsters. High juvenile mortality rates during times of prey scarcity are the result. Nevertheless, when there is enough

meat to go around, the whole pride prospers.

Weighing only 2 to 4.5 lb. (1 2 kg) at birth, lions are helpless as any kitten. Eyes open at 3 to l days, walk at 10 to 15 days, run at 1 month. After 4 to 8 weeks in hiding, mother begins leading cubs to nearby kills. By 7 weeks they keep up with pride. Weaned at 1 to 10 months but remain dependent until 16 months at least. Mothers rarely bring live prey for cubs to practice catching. Cub survival is highest when reproduction is synchronized, since communal suckling is most equable when there are no bigger cubs to hog the milk. Juveniles, often left alone for over 24 hours, are vulnerable to other predators that happen on their hiding place. Mothers won’t wait for juveniles older than 5 to 7 months; when large prey is scarce and mothers grow thin, they

often abandon weakened cub s unable to keep up, especially if there is only one.

As you can see lions are not only fierce but they truly are The King of Beasts.