...Lions...

Domain : Eukarya
Kingdom : Aniomalia
Phylum : Chordata
Class : Mammalia
Order : Carnivora
Family : Felidae
Genus : Panthera
Species : Leo
The lion, named as the 'king of the jungle' is the is the second largest living cat after the tigers. Some males weigh about 250kg(550lbs). The lion is the tallest of all the living cats. Only the lions show the sexual dimorphism unlike all the other cats of their family. Lion spend most of the time, like 20 hours a day inactive. Their daily activity involves two hrs walking and fifty minutes of eating. These days wild lions can be found only in sub-saharan Africa and Asia. Habitat loss and human conflicts are assumed to be the two two reasons for the decline in lion numbers, although the particular causes are still unknown.
The male lions are distinctively recognised by their 'mane'. The lions are not so social animals compared to the other cats from their family. Usually the lions live upto ten to fourteen years long in the wild, while they can live upto twenty years in captivity. The reason for this short life span is mainly the continuous fights they have to participate in, with the strong male rivals.
Lions being powerful animals, hunt in groups generally. However they are not known for their stamina. They run fast only in short bursts. Lioness hunt their prey by surrounding it circularly and hunt the closest prey. The lion attacks after getting close to its prey, like 100ft. Lion often choose dusk and night time for their hunting as it effects the visibility.