Fun Trivia » Animals » Felidae-Cat Family » Lions

Carl Linnaeus gave the name Felis leo to describe the lion in 1758. He did this in his work titled "Systema Naturae." In 1816 German biologist Lorenz Oken gave the name Panthera to the lion. Between the mid eighteenth and mid twentieth centuries, twenty-six lion sub-species were proposed. In 2005, this number was reduced to eleven that were confirmed. The taxonomy was further updated and in 2017 two sub-species were validated. Those were Panthera leo leo and Panthera leo melanochaita. Difficulty: Easy.

 

Panthera tigris, Felis leo, Felis concolor

Mountain lions are known to hunt a huge variety of prey. Their main prey is different species of deer, but also includes raccoons, coyotes, elk, porcupines, insects, muskrats, beavers, squirrels, badgers, bighorn sheep, and mountain goats. Difficulty: Easy.

 

they generally only hunt one species as prey, they are not, they are specialist predators, they generally mate for life

The males will eat first, the females will eat second, and the cubs will eat last, if there's anything left. Even if a lion did not help make the kill, they will still feed on it. The female will feast on the carcass until the males arrive to take their fill, but as soon as the males arrive, she moves aside for them. Difficulty: Easy.

 

females, cubs, only the lions or lionesses that helped make the kill

Two or more lions is called a "pride." A pride can consist of about 20 females, and anywhere between 1 and 3 males. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

A clan, A pack, A cave

Female lions and male lions have different and distinctive characteristics. This is known as being sexually dimorphic. Examples of the differences between male and female lions are body size and the mane. Typically male lions are larger in size than females and most adult male lions have the recognizable mane. The mane starts to grow when a lion reaches a year old, can vary in color but does darken with age. Difficulty: Easy.

 

Sexually monomorphic, Sexually selective, Lordotic

A stable coalition can form when there are two males in a pride. This may occur when a young male matures but does not leave the pride, or when an outsider joins them. Coalitions are not usually stable for long, as lions tend to fight for dominance. When one of the members of a coalition becomes significantly stronger than the other, he is likely to either kill or expel the weaker one and reign supreme. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Partnership, Squabble, Family

A lone male lion is called a nomad. When they leave the pride they are all alone and have to hunt for themselves until they get their own pride. (Born Free by Joy Adamson) Difficulty: Hard.

 

A wanderer, Feral, Homeless

It means 'cat of one color'. Difficulty: Hard.

African lions are found across sub-Saharan Africa while Asiatic lions are found in western India. They inhabit grasslands and savannahs that have scattered trees for shade. They do not live in dense, tropical forests. They have been found at an elevation as high as thirty six hundred metres, around Mount Elgon and Mount Kenya. They do also inhabit scrub forest or bush, where there are dry grasses and brush. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Dense forests, Swamps, Rainforests

The female is structurally better suited to hunting than the male - that massive mane tends to make them get overheated and have to abandon the chase too quickly. Males do sometimes participate in hunting if the quarry is close by. Even females are not built to run for long distances to catch their prey, and tend to hunt in dim light that allows them to approach closely before launching the attack. It also helps to have several attack from different directions at once, reducing the chosen animal's escape options. In the wild, the most common prey for lions is the wildebeest, followed by the zebra. Difficulty: Easy.

 

The females hunt in turn, a different one each day, The males hunt as a pack, The males hunt in turn, a different one each day

When the cubs are killed, the lionesses will go into heat sooner. Also, the new males want to get rid of any existence of the previous males. Difficulty: Hard.

 

male cubs that were conceived by the previous males, female cubs that were conceived by the previous males, lionesses that are not in heat

Lions can consume 60 lbs. of meat in one sitting, but only if the kill is large enough. If they have a smaller kill they can't consume the 60 lbs. of meat, so their intake will be a lot less. (Discovery Channel) Difficulty: Hard.

 

40 lbs., 50 lbs., 30 lbs.

Unfortunately, many states still allow this barbaric practice. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Texas and Colorado, Idaho and Montana, Wyoming and Washington

The animals that made the kill get first go at the food; if the animal is small, they may consume it all and not take any back to the rest of the pride. However, what does get taken back is consumed first by the adult males. A male who notices a kill close by may wander over and push the hunters out of the way, but most kills are far enough away from the residential spot so that the hunters get a chance to eat their fill first. As they are the ones who have used up energy in the hunt, and who will be called on to do so again for the next meal, it is clearly in the interests of the pride that they receive adequate nutrition. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Adult males, Male cubs, Female cubs

Cubs stay with their mothers until they are 18 months. In that time their mothers teach them the necessary skills they will need in adult life. (National Geographic Explorer and Born Free by Joy Adamson) Difficulty: Hard.

 

14 months, 24 months, 12 months

Specifically, Vancouver Island. Difficulty: Hard.

 

California, Alberta, Montana

The white lion is not an albino (this surprised me) as it has normal pigmentation in the eyes and skin. It does have a condition known as leucism which is a partial loss of pigmentation in parts such as the skin, fur, feathers or scales (depending on the animal). In the case of white lions, the eyes are colored normally and the fur has abnormal pigmentation. The white lion was removed from the wild in the 1970s, but there have been live births in the wild recorded since then. Between 2007 and 2015, seventeen live births were recorded. They have been bred in captivity too. Disgustingly, they are bred for trophy hunts. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Albinism, Jaundice, Vitiligo

Although very rare, when a male lion mates with a female tiger, the animal is called a liger. This doesn't happen in the wild, but only when animals are captive. Difficulty: Easy.

 

tigret, liotiger, tigon

Cubs start eating meat at approximately 3 months, but they still suckle their mothers until they are about 6 months. (Born Free by Joy Adamson) Difficulty: Hard.

 

Approximately 6 Months, As Soon As They Open Their Eyes, Approximately 1 year

The spots fade as the kittens grow. Difficulty: Average.

 

Striped, Orange, Black

Lions spend a great deal of their time resting. I suppose when you have no natural predators you can organize your day however you like! A breakdown of a lion's day usually starts at dusk when they engage in socializing and grooming. These activities continue off and on through to dawn when hunting typically takes place. Hunting usually takes place just under cover of darkness, which gives the lion an advantage. About two hours a day is spent walking and almost an hour eating. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Ten, Twelve, Five

Even though this is unknown in the wild, people have bred these two animals. Difficulty: Hard.

 

liger, tigret, tigerlio

African lions live in the savannah. Lions that live in India live in the forests; they have to because there is no open land for them to hunt and kill. (Discovery Channel) Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

The Forests, The Mountains, The Rain Forests

Elk are also a primary prey animal, in areas where they are found. Difficulty: Hard.

 

People, Wild horses, Rabbits

All male lions will be forced to leave their pride at around two years of age, as they near maturity (usually about three years of age) and become nomads, unless there are exceptional circumstances. They then roam the countryside either on their own or with a partner. Their territory is called their nomadic range, and may overlap the territories of neighboring prides. Pairs are more likely to be brothers expelled from their pride at the same time than unrelated males. Some lions spend the rest of their life as nomads, some will be able to join another pride at some later point in time.
Difficulty: Average.

 

Rover, Straggler, Wanderer

Spotted hyenas and lions share quite a bit of habitat and compete for live prey and dead animal carcasses. Spotted hyenas have been recorded either waiting close by while lions eat or attacking lions for the food. For the most part, lions will ignore the spotted hyena unless there is food involved. On some occasions both lions and spotted hyenas have attacked each other where no food is involved. Unfortunately for cheetahs and leopards, lions will attack them, steal their food and kill their cubs. African wild dogs are also completely dominated by lions. Their numbers are low wherever they share habitats with lions. Difficulty: Easy.

 

Leopard, Cheetah, African wild dog

I hope you didn't choose chewing their cud! Another term for obligate carnivores is "true carnivores". Obligate carnivores' diet is comprised solely of meat as they obtain all the necessary nutrients from that. Mountain lions can ingest small amounts of plant material, but they don't have the required physiology to digest it. Obligate carnivores have to eat meat as they cannot obtain sustenance from any other type of food. Difficulty: Hard.

 

They can chew their cud, They can subsist on vegetation for short periods , They are entirely omnivores

Lions and lionesses mate for four days. (Discovery Channel) Difficulty: Hard.

 

3 days, 2 days, 1 day

Mountain lions share some characteristics with cheetahs- for example, both use whistling, birdlike calls. Difficulty: Hard.

 

House cat, Leopard, Lion

The average gestation period for the lion is about one hundred and ten days. A lioness is ready to reproduce by about the age of four and may mate with more than one male lion when in heat. She will give birth to between one and four cubs at a time in a concealed den and will keep the cubs away from the pride until they are between six and eight weeks old. Lion cubs are born blind and are quite helpless. Their eyes open around day seven, they start crawling after a couple of days and start walking around their third week of life. The lioness will move to a new site with the cubs often in order to keep them safe from predators who may pick up their scent. During this time she hunts alone but keeps close to the den. Difficulty: Hard.

 

9 months, 4.8 months, 7 months

Mountain lions typically kill their prey by pouncing on the back of the animal and biting their necks. Their prey suffocates. When the mountain lion has finished eating, they usually bury the kill so they can come back later and eat. Difficulty: Hard.

 

rip it apart and hide pieces in trees, leave it for scavengers, drag it back to the den

The male usually bites the lioness on the back of the neck, and leaves a perforated mark. (My Pride and Joy by George Adamson) Difficulty: Hard.

 

Cuddle her., Kill her., Bite the lioness on the back.

Imagine a domestic cat in heat, now think bigger...MUCH bigger. Difficulty: Hard.

 

A fighting male, An injured mountain lion, A lost cub

Lions are quite communicative. They engage in head rubbing and social licking which are peaceful, friendly, reciprocal and playful gestures. They also make a number of different vocal noises which include humming, purring, bleating and roaring. A lion's roar can be heard as far away as five miles. They have a number of expressive facial gestures. A common facial expression is known as the 'grimace gesture' or flehmen response. This gesture includes bared teeth and a snorting behavior that includes inhalation and the transfer of scents. It is generally used when an animal is exploring odors. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Imitation, Electroreception, Rumbaugh symbol

In each pride, there is a set pattern of response against invaders. Each lion or lioness has its own role, such as leading the attack, forming a second wave of attack, or guarding the cubs. The roles vary depending on the nature of the intruder - a male lion seeking to challenge the current male, a female lion trying to join the pride, another predator moving in on their territory all elicit different responses. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Adult males only, Adult females only, Adult and juvenile males only

It's the Florida panther. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Oregon, Kansas, Michigan

Tigers are the largest cat in the cat family. Difficulty: Hard.