The territorial behaviour of lions is complicated because prides split up and re-unite, and hunting grounds shift as the seasons change and the game moves around. At any one time, a pride's territory in Kruger measures approximately 10 square kilometres. Territories may be defended vigorously by both males and females, but there are instances when prides share the same overlapping hunting zone yet deliberately avoid confrontation.
Clashes occur between prides when game migrations force lions to move beyond their territories in search of food, or when nomadic males challenge pride hierarchies. If the challengers win, the defeated males are expelled and, in turn, become nomads themselves. The lionesses accept the new regime. Usually the conquering males kill all the cubs of the conquered pride.
Within days of this infanticide the females come into oestrus and are ready to raise a new litter of the conquerer's cubs. Scientists believe that territorial challenges are good for the survival of the species - they ensure diversity in the gene pool and dominance of the strongest genetic characteristics.
Lionesses typically give birth to litters of between two and four cubs. They are kept hidden in the bush for about six weeks. During this time, the lioness hunts exclusively for her cubs. Males provide no help. By the time they are two years old, cubs will have learnt to hunt for themselves. At this time, male cubs are expelled from the pride while females are nurtured within it. These young males often form groupings of nomadic bachelors and either find new territories or challenge males in existing prides, and so the cyclical struggle for dominance goes on.
Lions hunt either alone or in prides. In collaborative hunts, it is usually the lioness who initiates the kill. Lions stalk their prey and, when close enough, attempt a short charge on their prey, trying either to pounce on their target or knock it over. How does a Lion kill its prey? Lions kill their prey by breaking its neck or suffocating it by clamping their jaws around its throat.
The stomach is usually the easiest point of entry into the carcass, and this is the route most often taken by lions. It also gives them direct access to some of the most nutritious parts of the body, such as the kidneys and liver of the prey.
Lions usually rest after an initial feed, lying a short way away from the carcass so that they can still defend their kill against scavengers. Weighing as much as a whopping kg , and growing as long as nine or ten feet, the lion is the biggest cat on the African savannah.
Tigers do weigh more and you may want to check jaguar vs leopard. Despite its bulk, the lion boasts a sleek shape with a balance of torque and stealth. This tightly wound machine of tendons and muscle can accelerate at breakneck pace.
But the energy this requires takes its toll and lions can only run fast over very short distances. Being a sprinter rather than a marathon runner , the lion has to be selective and prepared in any attempts to capture its prey. Not having the endurance of hyenas or wild dogs , the lion must rely on its unique set of hunting attributes. If it can get close enough to its intended target, a lion can leap as far as 11 metres 36 feet from its hiding place. This is one edge it can use to come down upon an unwitting victim.
As the only known species of cat to hunt in packs, strength and solidarity in trained formations give lions the ability to overwhelm their adversaries. Though, normally preferring to hunt with the pride , lions will go for it alone if the need arises and they can see the benefit.
With males and females of the species both willing and capable of hunting, lions prefer to stalk and circle their prey , getting to within a 30 m distance before exploding into a final charge. While lions may run very fast, their intelligence helps them hunt animals with higher levels of stamina.
Before any attempt to give chase can be initiated, the lion must rely on its guile to crawl undetected to within a realistic distance of its prey. Sure, it can pounce from a standing start and be hurtling at top speed within a matter of seconds, but can it maintain the speed required to complete the chase?
The sight of a nearby wildebeest or antelope should not lead to over-excitement. When alerted to the danger, both species can outmaneuver, outthink and outrun an overzealous lion if the race goes past the first few seconds. Fastest in water is the sailfish, which can speed away with a fishing line at 68 mph.
A blue shark on a mission can top 40 mph. Even a waddling penguin can turn speed demon when it slips into the water, zooming off at 25 mph. And what if dinosaurs were in the race?
Smaller dinosaurs were probably faster than bigger ones. To run as fast as a lion - say, 45 mph - the fearsome T. More realistic, scientists say, was a still scary speed of mph. In a race between Earth's tinier animals - insects - a dragonfly could flit through the air at 36 mph, while a bumblebee buzzed along at 6mph.
Australian tiger beetles may be the fastest runners; one variety was clocked at 5. But researchers say that when relative sizes are compared, a 6-foot-tall person would have to run at mph to match the beetle.
And consider how fast even a slow jogger could reach you from across the kitchen. A scurrying Australian beetle will arrive at your feet just as quickly.
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