On our website we present this time an article about the king of animals: the lion. And it is that this adjective has been granted not only for its masterful appearance, but also because along with tigers, lions are the largest felines that exist, being super predators and found in natural conditions at the top of the food chain of the ecosystems they inhabit. Given these features, you may have wondered how much does a lion weighWell, in the next lines we present information to reveal this doubt.
Despite their strength and size, lions are exposed to situations that have had a significant impact on their populations, especially due to their mass killing, due to conflicts with humans. Keep reading this article and learn more about these impressive felines.
Physical characteristics of a lion
In lions there is a clear sexual dimorphism. Males have the characteristic mane, which tends to darken with age. An abundant and dark mane indicates a good state of he alth of the animal. However, the amount of hair in the mane is also determined by genetic factors, climate, and testosterone levels. Research shows that females in a pride prefer to breed with lions with thicker manes. This distinctive trait in males offers them protection during fights, but it is also believed that the mane is related to the type of hierarchical social relationship that these animals have. Eventually, some females present a kind of necklace formed by a short mane, which can make them confuse with males, however, this formation is different, since it does not reach to be so abundant and long.
A unique trait among felids is the presence in both male and female lions of a accumulation of hair on the end of the tail.
These animals have a coat color that can be light beige with a yellowish tendency or darker colors, such as brown and even reddish. Some white lions also exist, although this is due to recessive genetic expression. You can find more information in this other article about Types of lions - Names and characteristics.
On the other hand, these mammals have muscular bodies and strong jaws, which are equipped with powerful teeth, such as their curved fangs and its sharp molars, ideal for cutting the meat of its prey. Its tongue, like that of other cats, has a rough texture, due to the presence of specialized papillae that help scrape the bones of its victims. They also use it to cleanse their bodies and even to eliminate ectoparasites, such as ticks.
As for their legs, these are quite strong, with retractable claws that they use to hunt and defend themselves, as well as the presence of pads that help them move ste althily. If you want to know how they hunt, we encourage you to read this other article on How do lions hunt?
How much does a baby lion weigh?
Lions tend to mate with high frequency, as females can go into heat multiple times in a year. When this occurs, mate with more than one male during this time. In addition, the act is repeated many times in the days that the heat lasts. Once they are pregnant, the gestation time lasts approximately 15 weeks, which corresponds to about 110 days on average.
A lioness litter can hold 1 to 4 cubs and at birth the cubs cannot see or walk, so they totally dependent on their mother. Puppies usually start walking at 3 weeks and stop nursing between 6 and 7 months of age. At 4 years old, a female can already become pregnant, and males at 3 years old already reach sexual maturity.
A baby lion weighs between 1.1 and 2.1 kilos at birth, and right now they are totally helpless, being victims on many occasions from various types of predators, mainly when the lioness is hunting or moving the rest of the cubs to another refuge, an action they frequently perform precisely to avoid being detected by predators.
How much does an adult lion weigh?
As we mentioned, lions, along with tigers, are the largest cats in existence today. An adult lion weighs on average about 200 kg, however, there are reports that exceed this number, which means a great weight for an animal, especially with the agility that felids usually show. As for the dimensions, lions have been reported that measure more than 3.5 meters from head to tail; and in terms of height they generally exceed 100 cm.
Weight of an adult male lion
Male lions are always larger and heavier, usually being in the 200 or more kg weight. Some reports have specifically indicated the following data regarding weight and dimensions for male lions in the wild:
- Lions 1-2 years: 77 kg.
- Lions 2-4 years: 146 kg.
- Lions over 4 years old: 181 kg.
Dead specimens weighing 272 and 313 kg have also been documented in their natural habitat, and there are reports of a captive-bred lion that weighed 395 kg.
Weight of an adult lioness
Adult lionesses are smaller and lighter than males, so usually they don't exceed 160 kg. Regarding reports for weights of females identified in their natural ecosystems we find:
- Lionesses 1-2 years old: 60 kg.
- Lionesses 2-4 years old: 103 kg.
- Lionesses over 4 years old: 126 kg - 152 kg.
If you want to know more about these incredible animals, we encourage you to read this other article on Feeding the lion.
Lion Conservation Status
The lion is a species that is on the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, specifically in the category of vulnerable, due to the drastic decrease in their populations in natural habitats.
Population decline is associated with various causes, among which we can mention:
- The mass slaughter of the species due to the fear that people feel in the face of a possible attack.
- Habitat alteration due to the expansion of human activities.
- The overlapping of their distribution areas with urban spaces, which ends up generating fatal confrontations.
- The illegal sale of some parts of the body of lions for medicinal purposes, such as bones.
