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Lions | Interesting Facts About Lions

Sarah Skebba • October 14, 2022

Where Do Lions Live?

Lions live in savanna and grassland ecosystems throughout Africa and a tiny portion of Asia. Lions used to have a much larger range that covered southern, western, central, and northern Africa, along with parts of the Middle East and much of Southwest Asia. While they still exist in these areas, their range has been broken into small, fragmented areas making it hard for populations to reach each other.

What Does a Lion Look Like?

Lions are the second largest species of feline (the first being the Amur tiger). They are tan in color and have small, rounded ears, muscular legs, and long tails with a black tuft of hair on the tip. Males are much larger than females weighing more than 400 lbs while females weigh between 200 and 300 lbs. Males also have a large mane that allows us to tell adult males and females apart easily.

What Do Lions Eat?

Lions are apex predators and entirely carnivorous. They primarily feed on large ungulates (hoofed animals), like zebras, wildebeest, buffalo, antelope, and even giraffes. They often work together with their pride to take down animals much larger than themselves! Cubs start hunting with the pride when they are just a few months old to learn strategy from the adults. Competition with other predators, like leopards, hyenas, and painted dogs, forces them to eat their food quickly.

Are Lions Nocturnal?

Felines are typically nocturnal, but lions tend to be more on the diurnal side. Lions have been observed being active at all times and activity can change based on environmental conditions and stresses.

How Many Cubs Do Lions Have?

Lions usually have 2 or 3 cubs but can have as many as 6! Females usually keep their cubs away from the pride for the first couple of months. She moves them between den sites to prevent other predators from tracking them. Eventually, the cubs are introduced to the rest of the pride to learn lion behaviors. If a new male takes over a pride, he may kill cubs from previous males. Female cubs may stay with their natal pride, while males often go off to find a pride of their own around the age of 2.

Fast Facts About Lion

  • Lions are the second largest cat in the world (Amur tigers are the largest).
  • Males can weigh more than 400 lbs and have a large mane.
  • Females can weigh up to about 300 lbs and often work together when hunting.
  • Typically one male lives with a group of females and their cubs, but occasionally there may not be a male or there may be two.
  • Spotted hyenas and lions have a very similar range and often compete for food. Often times, the size of the group determines who wins.
  • Lions hold their tails high above grasses when traveling, which makes us think they might be using them to keep track of each other.
  • Because of other predators in the area, new males taking over prides, and environmental pressures, a majority of lions do survive to adulthood.

Tadpole Water Slide

By Sarah Skebba • April 3, 2023
Spring days become longer, hotter. Bullfrog stands guard while his tadpoles squirm through a crowded puddle, bumping bodies and breathing the last bit of oxygen. For weeks, Bullfrog protected his tadpoles from perilous predators, all while their puddle home evaporated. He fended off hungry herons, and the puddle shrank. He fended off famished fish, and the puddle shrank. He even fended off other ferocious frogs, and still, the puddle shrank. Most frogs leave their eggs before they become tadpoles, but not Bullfrog. He cares for his tadpoles and the tadpoles of his neighbors. His instincts tell him to save them. Positioning himself between puddle and pond, he smushes and pushes mud to create a narrow path–a tadpole water slide. Slowly at first, then all at once, hundreds of tadpoles slip into the pond. Darting around, they replenish their oxygen and feast on water bugs making this pond their new home.
kids with picket signs to protect our planet

5 Product Swaps for a Sustainable 2022

By Sarah Skebba • December 14, 2021
One of my favorite quotes says, “We don’t need a few people doing zero-waste perfectly, we need lots of people doing it imperfectly.” The idea of living zero-waste is daunting and seemingly unattainable, which I completely understand. I might spend the whole day composting my food scraps and avoiding plastic, but then when I want takeout, it comes in a Styrofoam container with plastic forks and soy sauce packets that inevitably end up in the garbage. It is hard to live zero-waste, but no one is asking you to do it perfectly! I mean, yes, ideally we would stop adding to the landfills entirely, but let’s be realistic. With 2022 looming, it is time to think about the basic steps you can take to live a more sustainable lifestyle in the new year and, most importantly, to DO YOUR PART! Swapping out products you use every day for a readily available, cost-effective, and sustainable alternative is the first easy step. We’ll get you set up with your composting system later.
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