Lion - Wikipedia. The lion (Panthera leo) is one of the big cats in the genus. Panthera and a member of the family Felidae. The commonly used term African lion collectively denotes the several subspecies in Africa. With some males exceeding 2. In ancient historic times, their range was in most of Africa, including North Africa, and across Eurasia from Greece and southeastern Europe to India. In the late Pleistocene, about 1. Panthera leo spelaea lived in northern and western Europe and Panthera leo atrox lived in the Americas from the Yukon to Peru. Although the cause of the decline is not fully understood, habitat loss and conflicts with humans are the greatest causes of concern. Within Africa, the West African lion population is particularly endangered. In the wilderness, males seldom live longer than 1. They typically inhabit savanna and grassland, although they may take to bush and forest. Lions are unusually social compared to other cats. A pride of lions consists of related females and offspring and a small number of adult males. Groups of female lions typically hunt together, preying mostly on large ungulates. Lions are apex and keystone predators, although they are also expert scavengers obtaining over 5. While lions do not typically hunt humans, some have. Sleeping mainly during the day, lions are active primarily at night (nocturnal), although sometimes at twilight (crepuscular). Depictions have existed from the Upper Paleolithic period, with carvings and paintings from the Lascaux and Chauvet Caves in France dated to 1. Microsoft’s tall claim that “no known ransomware” will run on its Windows 10 S operating system has been weighed, measured, and found wanting. In a report. It has been extensively depicted in sculptures, in paintings, on national flags, and in contemporary films and literature. Lions have been kept in menageries since the time of the Roman Empire, and have been a key species sought for exhibition in zoos over the world since the late eighteenth century. Zoos are cooperating worldwide in breeding programs for the endangered Asiatic subspecies. Etymology. The lion's name, similar in many Romance languages, is derived from the Latinleo. The upper cladogram is based on the 2. The lion's closest relatives are the other species of the genus Panthera: the tiger, the snow leopard, the jaguar, and the leopard. Studies from 2. 00. From this lion derived the later cave lion (Panthera leo spelaea). Lions died out in northern Eurasia at the end of the last glaciation, about 1. Pleistocene megafauna. Because these characteristics are very insignificant and show a high individual variability, most of these forms were probably not true subspecies, especially as they were often based upon zoo material of unknown origin that may have had . While the status of the Asiatic lion (P. Mitochondrial variation in living African lions seemed to be modest according to some newer studies; therefore, all sub- Saharan lions have sometimes been considered a single subspecies. However, a recent study revealed lions from western and central Africa differ genetically from lions of southern or eastern Africa. According to this study, West- Central African lions are more closely related to North African and Asian lions than to Southern or Eastern African lions. These findings might be explained by a late Pleistocene extinction event of lions in western and central Africa, and a subsequent recolonisation of these parts from Asia. Lions from Tsavo in eastern Kenya are much closer genetically to lions in Transvaal (South Africa), than to those in the Aberdare Range in western Kenya. The Asiatic lion persica was the most distinctive, and the Cape lion had characteristics allying it more with P. He had analysed 5. European museums. Fish and Wildlife Service has followed this revised taxonomic classification, as being based on . Approximately 7. 7% of the captive lions registered by the International Species Information System are of unknown origin. Nonetheless, they might carry genes that are extinct in the wild, and might be therefore important to maintain overall genetic variability of the lion. Once was widespread from Turkey, across Southwest Asia, to India and Pakistan. It is extinct in the wild due to excessive hunting; the last, known Barbary lion in the wilderness was killed in Morocco in 1. Besides the Senegal lion of Western and Central Africa, it is more closely related to the Asiatic lion than to other African lions. It is among the smallest of the Sub- Saharan African lions. They determined that these lions are genetically unique and presumably that . These lions were part of a collection of the late Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia. It is among the largest subspecies of African lions. It was larger than today's African lions, reaching sizes comparable to the American cave lion and slightly larger than the Upper Pleistocene European cave lion. This form is the sister clade of P. It is only known from two teeth found in deposits at Kuruwita. Based on these teeth, P. Deraniyagala erected this subspecies in 1. However, mitochondrial DNA sequences obtained from cave lion fossils from Europe and Alaska were indistinguishable. Underbelly hair is visible. Now at the Walters Art Museum. P. Nearly all ancient Mesopotamian representations of male lions demonstrate full underbelly hair in which until recently was only identified in the Barbary lion (Panthera leo leo) from Northern Africa and in most Asiatic lions (P. Ancient evidence from adjacent landmasses reveal no substantiation for lions with underbelly hair in this manner so that the distinct phenotype of depicted lions in ancient Mesopotamia (including Babylon, Elam and ancient Persia) represent an extinct sub- species. Many of the images of these lions are derived from lion hunting sculptures so that the extinction of this sub- species likely resulted from overhunting in the ancient world (See the Section Cultural significance below). P. It became extinct around 1. AD due to persecution and over- exploitation. It inhabited the Balkans, the Italian Peninsula, southern France, and the Iberian Peninsula. It was a very popular object of hunting among ancient Romans and Greeks. P. If it was a subspecies in its own right, rather than a small number of aberrantly coloured individuals, it has been extinct since 1. A less likely identity is a natural leopard- lion hybrid commonly known as a leopon. Hybrids are still bred in private menageries and in zoos in China. The liger is a cross between a male lion and a tigress. They share physical and behavioural qualities of both parent species (spots and stripes on a sandy background). Male ligers are sterile, but female ligers often are fertile. Males have about a 5. Ligers are much bigger than normal lions and tigers, typically 3. Its skull is very similar to that of the tiger, although the frontal region is usually more depressed and flattened, with a slightly shorter postorbital region and broader nasal openings than that of a tiger. However, due to the amount of skull variation in the two species, usually only the structure of the lower jaw can be used as a reliable indicator of species. The spots fade as lions reach adulthood, although faint spots often may still be seen on the legs and underparts. The mane is typically brownish and tinged with yellow, rust and black hairs. The most distinctive characteristic shared by both females and males is that the tail ends in a dark, hairy tuft. In some lions, the tuft conceals a hard . The lion is the only felid to have a tufted tail – the function of the tuft and spine are unknown. Social Structure: Snow leopards are usually solitary cats. During breeding season, male and female snow leopard territories will overlap. Females can also be found. A list of some of the most endangered species, with numbers of their remaining populations, population trends, threats to their survival in the wild and other. Empress and Queenie were the San Diego Zoo’s first elephants, arriving here in 1923 via train from San Francisco. After being led off the train, the two Asian. Absent at birth, the tuft develops around 5 1. In females reported head- body lengths range from 1. In rare cases a female lion can have a mane. Sexual selection of mates by lionesses favours males with the densest, darkest mane. Darker- maned individuals may have longer reproductive lives and higher offspring survival, although they suffer in the hottest months of the year. Morphology was used to identify subspecies such as the Barbary lion and Cape lion, which had the thickest, most extensive manes amongst wild lions. Thus the mane is not an appropriate marker for identifying subspecies. The testosterone hormone has been linked to mane growth; therefore, castrated lions often have minimal to no mane, as the removal of the gonads inhibits testosterone production. They are not albinos, having normal pigmentation in the eyes and skin. When it comes to the Endangered Species List, some animals stand out as celebrities: polar bears, giant pandas, rhinos, snow leopards. But sadly, the list is so.White Transvaal lion (Panthera leo krugeri) individuals occasionally have been encountered in and around Kruger National Park and the adjacent Timbavati Private Game Reserve in eastern South Africa, but are more commonly found in captivity, where breeders deliberately select them. The unusual cream colour of their coats is caused by a recessive allele. Intermittent bursts of activity follow through the night hours until dawn, when hunting most often takes place. They spend an average of two hours a day walking and 5. Some lions are residents, living in groups of related lionesses, their mates, and offspring. Such a group is called a pride. Note that a lion may switch lifestyles; nomads may become residents and vice versa. Why sociality – the most pronounced in any cat species – has developed in lionesses is the subject of much debate. Increased hunting success appears an obvious reason, but this is less than sure upon examination: coordinated hunting does allow for more successful predation but also ensures that non- hunting members reduce per capita calorific intake; however, some take a role raising cubs, who may be left alone for extended periods of time. Members of the pride regularly tend to play the same role in hunts and hone their skills. The health of the hunters is the primary need for the survival of the pride, and they are the first to consume the prey at the site it is taken. Other benefits include possible kin selection (better to share food with a related lion than with a stranger), protection of the young, maintenance of territory, and individual insurance against injury and hunger. Those lagging behind may provide other valuable services to the group. Snow Leopard . Further adaptations for high- altitude life include long hair with dense, woolly underfur, an enlarged nasal cavity, shortened limbs (snow leopards stand only two feet tall at the shoulder) and well- developed chest muscles for climbing. The long tail is thought to aid in balance, and they often wrap their tails around themselves when resting for added warmth. Snow leopards weigh 6. Habitat: Through most of their range, snow leopards are associated with steep rocky slopes with arid and semi- arid shrubland, grassland or steppe vegetation. In the mountains of Russia and parts of the Tien Shan, they visit open coniferous forest along the edge of the snow line, but generally avoid dense forest. Snow leopards are generally found at elevations of 9,8. Himalayas. They occur as low as 3,0. Russia and Mongolia. Distribution: Snow leopards have a large but extremely patchy and fragmented distribution, consisting of a mix of long narrow mountain systems and islands of montane habitat scattered throughout a vast region surrounded by central Asian deserts and plateaus. Snow leopards range across 1. Russia, Mongolia, western China and Tibet, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Krgyzstan, and the Himalayan portions of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bhutan and Nepal. Total range is believed to be about 7. This current range is only about 1. Range Map: http: //maps. Diet: Snow leopards are opportunistic predators capable of killing prey up to three times their own weight. Blue sheep, musk deer, ibex, marmots, hares, pikas and small birds are all possible prey. Snow Leopard (Photo: Christian Sperka)Social Structure: Snow leopards are usually solitary cats. During breeding season, male and female snow leopard territories will overlap. Females can also be found with their cubs. Females become mature at just under three years of age, and after a gestation of 9. The young become independent after 1. In captivity, snow leopards live for about 1. Behavior: Snow leopards are at home among rocky, mountain cliffs. Most active at dawn and dusk, they are able to jump up to 5. Hidden among the rocks, a snow leopard moves in close to prey, often perching above it, before launching an attack. It kills prey with a bite to the throat or neck. Threats to Survival: Snow leopards are endangered for three main reasons. First of all, they are hunted for the illegal wildlife trade for their beautiful fur and for the demand of their bones in traditional Asian medicines. Secondly, depletion of its natural prey by hunting or overgrazing forces them to increase their feeding on domestic animals. Obviously, the herders do not want the leopards preying upon their livestock and will often kill snow leopards even if there is no proof that the leopard killed the livestock. Thirdly, there is habitat loss and defragmentation as the land is being converted for agricultural uses. Fish and Wildlife Service and IUCN, and banned from international trade as an Appendix I species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Estimates of the wild population are difficult to compile because of the remoteness of the snow leopard’s range but most scientists agree that 3,5. The largest populations are in China, which compromises about 6. Mongolia and India. Zoo Programs: Initiated in 1. AZA’s Snow Leopard Species Survival Plan (SSP) strives to maintain a population of 1. North America. In order to maintain a stable captive population, recommended breedings produce an average of 1. As part of a zoo- based research program, the first cub conceived by artificial insemination has moved the SSP closer to genome banking. According to the International Studbook, there are approximately 4. Contacts: Snow Leopard (Photo: Connie Lemperle)Snow Leopard SSP Coordinator. Jay Tetzloff, Miller Park Zoo. Snow Leopard Regional Studbook Keeper. Lynn Tupa, Albuquerque Biological Park. Snow Leopard SSP Education Advisor. Tara Padula, Denver Zoo. Snow Leopard International Studbook Keeper. Dr. Leif Blomqvist, Nordens Ark. Conservation: The Snow Leopard SSP works closely with the Snow Leopard Trust (SLT), a tax- exempt non- profit organization dedicated to conserving snow leopards, their prey and habitat. They do this through balanced programs that meet the needs of the local people and the environment, for example, partnering with local herders on the distribution of their handicrafts globally in exchange for keeping these cats protected. In- situ conservation programs are implemented through SLT’s in- country Snow Leopard Conservationists (SLC) in China, India, Mongolia and Pakistan, who focus on alleviating people- wildlife conflict due to livestock depredation, improving management of protected areas, offering local communities with incentives and building local capacity. Through its Natural Partnerships Program, local persons will be recruited to serve as SLCs in other countries as funds become available. Resources: Snow Leopard Conservancy. Snow Leopard Network. Snow Leopard Trust.
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