Animal Facts
Lions sleep on average 20 hours a day. They are most active during the cooler hours of the morning and evening as well as at night. The social life of lions is thought to be a benefit in hunting success, rearing of cubs, and defending of food items that have been caught. Females tend to make up the nucleus of the pride, while males may hold tenure with a pride for on average 2-3 years.
Males range on average between 330 and 500 pounds, while females weigh in at around 200 to 400 pounds.
In the wild, due to competition with other male lions, life expectancy is around 8-11 years, whereas females in the wild live into their mid-teens. In human care, both male and female lions can expect to live about 17 years on average.
Range
African lions inhabit a variety of environments from semi-desert to woodland, but are primarily considered a savanna species. The African lion once ranged across much of Africa south of the Sahara desert (with the exception of rainforest habitats), but is now restricted to small, fragmented populations across its historic range.
Lives at Audubon Zoo
