Order Carnivora / Family Felidae
APPENDIX II/I
Panthera leo
(Linné, 1758)
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Common names:
engl.:
esp.:
fr.:
de.:
ital.:
kis.:
Scientific synonyms:
Felis leo
Leo leo
Characteristics:
Adult:
General appearance:
Measurements:
Body-weight:
Head:
Eyes:
Ears:
Legs:
Tail:
Coat:
Sexual dimorphism:
Juvenile:
Lion
León
Lion
Löwe
Leone
Simba
Indian Lion P.l. persica
African Lion
= Appendix I
= Appendix II
Unmistakable. Large powerfully built cat with a uniform coat and a black tuft at the end of the tail.
Male maned.
Head-body-length: 140-250 cm, tail: 70-105 cm, hind foot: ca. 35 cm, height at shoulder: 80-110
cm.
Males: 150-250 kg, females: 120-185 kg.
Broad face, muzzle relatively long. The face of the male is framed by a yellow, brown, or almost
black mane. Nose pad mostly black, sometimes with pink parts, in other animals pink with or
without black parts.
Iris yellow or amber. Pupils round.
Short and rounded. Backside with black marks on basal part.
Fore limbs more powerfully built than hind limbs. Large pads.
Relatively long with a black tuft at its end. A horny spur is concealed in the
tuft.
Short and uniform. Colour varying tram ochraceous silvery grey to dark ochre
brown.
The lioness is notably smaller and lighter than the male. Maneless.
Underparts whitish, often with spots.
Marked with ochraceous rosette-like spots mainly on belly and legs. Maneless. Coat woolly. Weight
at 6 weeks: 4-6 kg.
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Code A-112.007.002.001
1992 (2)
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Distribution:
Africa:
Angola, N Benin, Botswana,
Cameroon, Central African Rep"
Chad, NW Congo, Ethiopia, E
Gabon!?), N Ghana, NE Guinea,
Kenya, Malawi, Mali, S
Mauritania, Mozambique,
Namibia, Niger, N Nigeria, E
Senegal, Somalia, N South
Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, N
Togo, Upper Volta, Zaire,
Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Asia:
NW India (Gir Forest, Kathiawar
peninsula).
Population:
Wild population:
The African Lion has been exterminated in large parts of its former range, but is still safe in some
areas, mainly National Parks and Game Reserves. Botswana: 5000, Mozambique: 1000-2000,
Namibia: 400, South Africa: 1800, Zimbabwe: 1000.
The Indian Lion is endangered (total population of Gir Forest about 200).
Captive population:
African Lions are very common in zoos and circuses. During 1989, 295 cubs were born in 80
collections contributing to the International Zoo Yearbook. More than 148 Indian Lions were kept in
33 collections in 1990.
Trade:
Mainly exchange of live captive bred specimens and export of hunting trophies from African
countries to Europe and North America. 1421ive specimens, 172 skins and 758 trophies recorded
by CITES Parties in 1990.
Intraspecific variation:
African Lion:
Indian Lion
(Panthera leo persica)
Appendix I
Several subspecies have been described, but their validity is
doubtful. There is a wide individual variation, especially in
regard of the development of the mane.
Significant difference to the African lion in the cranium.
Externally there is no notable difference.
The tail tuft is said to be somewhat larger, and the mane
somewhat less developed than in the
African lion. A noticeable mark is a belly fold which is seldom
seen in African lions. Indian lions are, contrary to many
authors, not maneless.
Similar species:
Puma concolor (sheet A-112.007.001.009): Tail without
terminal tuft. Males maneless. Basic colour not ochre.
Conspicuous black patches on bath sides of the muzzle.
Bibliography:
Heptner, V.G. & Siudskij, A.A. (1980) Die Saugetiere der Sowjetunion. Band III: Raubtiere
(Feloidea). Jena.
Kingdon, J. (1977) East African Mammals. Vol. III Part A (Carnivores). London, New York.
Meesters, J. & Setzer, H.W. (1977) The Mammals of Africa: An Identification Manual. Washington.
Prater, S.H. (1971) The Book of Indian Animals. Bombay.
Schaller, G.B. (1972) The Serengeti Lion. Chicago, London.
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Text: Peter Dollinger, Berne
Drawings & Photo: Peter Dollinger, Berne
Submitted by the Management Authority of Switzerland