Interesting facts and misconceptions about lions

Interesting facts about lions

We think we know a lot about lions, but we may not know as much about these fascinating creatures as we think. Here are some unknown or little-known facts about them:

• They are social: Lions are the species with the most prominent social structure among the big cats. While other big cat species usually hunt alone, lions live and hunt in flocks, which are social groups. A flock usually consists of several females, cubs, and one or more males. This social structure provides advantages in hunting and protecting the young.
• Language structure: The tongue of lions is covered with papillae, which are small, pointed protrusions. These papillae are so sharp that lions can use their tongues like a sponge and scrape the flesh of their prey from their bones.
• Roaring distance: The roar of lions is extremely powerful and can be heard up to 8 kilometers.
• Running speed and duration: They can speed up to 50 kilometers per hour over short distances. However, they do not have enough stamina to maintain this speed for long periods of time.

• Swimming abilities: Unlike other big cats, lions are not disturbed by water; in fact, they are good swimmers. Some lions, especially those found in the Okavango Delta, frequently enter the water and swim.
• Food sharing: In the herd, food is shared according to status. Dominant men usually have the right to eat first. Females and cubs come later.
• Division of hunting labor: In lion prides, females usually hunt. Males are responsible for protecting the herd from other threats or dealing with larger and more dangerous prey
• White lions: White lions are quite rare and are seen primarily in Southern Africa. The reason for their white color is leucism, a genetic condition.
• Competition of male lions: Competition for leadership between males in lion prides can be quite fierce. When a young male lion reaches puberty, he is often ostracized from his own pride. It wanders and strengthens for several years to gain control over another herd. Then, when he is ready to take over a pack, he engages the leader of that pack. These conflicts can be quite violent and often result in death.

• Life expectancy of lion cubs: 50 percent of lion cubs usually die before they are one year old. Sometimes the new leader of the herd may kill the cubs of the previous leader to establish control over the herd. This speeds up the females' readiness to mate again and allows the new leader to spread his or her genes. This process is an important part of the dynamics of lion prides and contributes to the natural selection of lions. The genes of the strongest and fittest men are passed on to future generations. This process also increases the genetic diversity of the herd.
• Sleeping time: Lions spend most of their day sleeping. They sleep or rest on average 15-20 hours a day. Males leave most of the work to females, females both hunt and raise the cubs.
• Yawning: In lions, the yawning of one of them triggers the yawning of the others. This is an example of a type of "contagious" behavior, indicating group cohesion and social bonds.
• Lions become weaker as they age: Lions become weaker and less effective hunters towards the end of their lives. This is especially true for males, as they often lose their ability to dominate the herd and are forced to live alone.

Misconceptions about lions

Lions are one of the wild animals with the most legends told about them. While some of these are true, many are false. Correcting this misinformation can help understand and protect lions. Here are the misconceptions about lions:

• "Lions are the king of the forest":Although lions are known as the king of the forest, this is not true. The habitat of lions is savannahs and grasslands, not forests. Additionally, although they are large and powerful carnivores, there are other large carnivores and dangers where lions live.
• "Male lions do not hunt": It is often said that female lions hunt and males rest in the herd. In reality, male lions also hunt, but this usually happens when they are alone or pursuing very large prey.
• "All male lions have manes": Manes are often associated with male lions, but not all male lions have manes. In some geographic populations, especially in warmer regions, male lions have less prominent or absent manes. Additionally, some lionesses may genetically have manes.
• "Lions and tigers are enemies": This misconception mostly comes from stories and movies. However, lions and tigers do not naturally live in the same geography, so their likelihood of conflict with each other is very low. Lions are generally found in Africa and tigers in Asia.

• "Lions are lazy": Most lions spend their days sleeping or resting, so they are sometimes described as lazy. However, this is actually necessary to preserve their energy because hunting usually requires fast and intense activity.
• “Lions only live in Africa”:Although they are generally thought of as the symbol of Africa, lions have actually lived in certain parts of Europe, Asia and America throughout history. While it is true that today, lions in the wild are found only in Africa, a small population of Asiatic lions is also found in India's Gir Forest.
• “Lions are the largest cat species”: Lions are large and strong, but they are not the largest of cats. This title belongs to tigers in terms of weight and size.