P. leo
Family: Felidae
Sub-family: Pantherinae
Genus: Panthera
Conservation Status: Vulnerable
Habitat: Africa and Asia
The lion is the second largest of the big cats. Lions live primarily in sub-Saharan Africa with a small, endangered population of Asian lions living in India's Gir Forest.
Lions are the most social of any cat species, they live in family groups called prides consisting of one or more adult males, adult females, and their cubs. Most of the females in a pride are related. Lions are also the only cat that is sexually dimorphic - meaning the males and females are easy to tell apart, primarily because of the large mane of the male.
Lions are apex predators - they reside at the top of the food chain with only humans as threats. Even though lions have the strength in body and numbers to take down large prey including giraffes and elephants, they prefer to scavenge whenever they have the opportunity. They often take kills away from other predators and scavengers like cheetahs, leopards, and hyenas.
