Different Species of Lions

[abby9ak]

Ok heres a new question. What type of lion is this? http://www.meandmephoto.com/NewZoo/NuZuJpeg/Lion.jpg

[tigerfreak99]

Right from that site.

http://www.meandmephoto.com/NewZoo/Lion.html#MENU

Our male is a very beautiful specimen. The mane points to a close relationship to the now very rare Ethiopian Lions, known for their black manes. The mane is there to protect his neck from harm during those constant territorial fights with his competitors. It gets pretty bloody in the wild.
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So stand in the rain Stand your ground Stand up when it's all crashing down You stand through the pain You won't drown And one day, whats lost can be found You stand in the rain ~Superchic[k]~-~Stand in the Rain~

[abby9ak]

Tigerfreak got it!good guess Ace

[ace1fan]

I was editing that post & you are MIGHTY QUICK Abby.....

Whoa - Ethiopian Lion - sure looks like a Barbary Lion

http://www.tigerhomes.org/animal/barbary-lion.cfm

Wonder if you guys can find out the differences between the two They sure look a lot alike

Ace
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"Open your hands to learn to receive in order that you may give, for it is in giving you receive."

[tigerfreak99]

Looks like a barbary lion because of the mane length so I'm just gonna call it a Barbiopian! My guess is the Ethiopian is just a color mutation.

Ok, I'm out! Going to watch the Bachelor and then going to bed! So a good night to you all!

P.S. Val, you know I would never send you a cyberslap... only Hazel and TA.
_________________
So stand in the rain Stand your ground Stand up when it's all crashing down You stand through the pain You won't drown And one day, whats lost can be found You stand in the rain ~Superchic[k]~-~Stand in the Rain~

[vlad]

I'm following up on Ace's suggesion about nerding on the characteristics of these two lion species. Besides - "Inquiring Minds would like to know"

Below is a link to a great site detailing the distinguishing characteristics of the Barbary Lion. The lion pictured is gorgeous with a lush, full, dark-haired mane.

"The Barbary (Atlas, Nubian) lion (Panthera leo leo) was the largest and was found throughout Northern Africa from Morocco to Egypt. The Barbary Lion had a more compact, heavier build than its cousins. An adult male could weigh about 220-270 kg, and it's overall length was about 2.72-3.33 m. It's face had a short broad muzzle with a wide face and large round amber eyes. The eyes had a very clear light iris, rather than brown like the African or Asian. The fur in the inside foreleg of the female was white. The mane that surrounded the face was blonde, while the rest of the mane gave the appearance of being black. The mane was actually a combination of tawny gray mixed with bright brown and blackish brown hairs. All Barbary Lions have this color mane, there are no variations. The only time a Barbary has blonde in its mane is when the animal is immature, or has lost some of its mane and is experiencing re-growth. African and Asian Lions can have many varieties of mane colors, ranging from blonde to red to brown to black. The mane of the Barbary is thick and lush, and extends down the chest through the front legs, down the back below the shoulder, and the length of the belly through to the groin. It gives the appearance of being 50% mane. The ground color of the coat is darker and more grayish than that of the more southern lion populations, and the hair in both sexes is longer."

The above excerpt is from an article by Armando G. Amador, entitled "Barbary Lion", Last updated on April 22, 2001

http://www.il-st-acad-sci.org/mammals/cat1002a.html
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[abby9ak]

I found some more lion pictures.hehe there Lions but witch Lion dose not belong???this is all to easy.If you get it wrong you have a LOT of nerding to do

#1.
http://scd.mm-b1.yimg.com/image/684231510

#3.
http://scd.mm-b1.yimg.com/image/957209132

[kellieg1979]

Number two don't belong only because its a seal, not a lion. Like the pics though!!

[abby9ak]

hehe very good I was going to but what they were above the picture....but I desided that It would be fun to see how knew there lion pictures

[mali]

Was there a Lion species smaller than the Asiatic?

[vlad]

Mali,

Can't believe I missed this question -- and it is a very good one. Don't know the answer to that one off the top of my head. Did I mention that Ace is also memorizing the internet...

BTW -- There is an entire website dedicated to Asiatic lions. That website includes an Asiatic Lion News section!

The Asiatic lion news page
http://www.asiatic-lion.org/news.html
(Asiatic Lion Information Centre website)

I'm going to look for the answer to that question. Maybe someone will find it first! All nerdalator input is WELCOME!

EDIT:

The history of the Asiatic lion is a very sad thing. Back in 1910 they were nearly wiped out and presently only exist in the Gir Forest. They are also known as the Indian lion. Asiatic lions are currently considered to be critically endangered.

The Lion of India
http://www.asiatic-lion.org/intro.html
(Asiatic Lion Information Centre website)

Here is what happened to them:

[ace1fan]

Our Moderator is a MAJOR Nerdalator Great question Mali ~ and since Val already answered although she reservers the right to continue to "NERD", this is just for ad lib I first learned of the Lion and their subspecies in the Power Cats DVD from Dave and Jason. Jason told us specifically about Ranthamhore and Gir parks and the conservation work being done in India.

In the THO Educational Center you will find the Power Cat Curriculum : http://www.tigerhomes.org/animal/curriculums/power-cats-pc.cfm

Here is that reference to the Asiatic Lion:
http://www.tigerhomes.org/animal/curriculums/asiatic-lions-pc.cfm

The critically endangered Asiatic Lion, was brought back from the brink of near extinction and is fully protected at GPA (Gir Protected Area), formerly the Sultan's private game reserve, during the last 100 years. Most statistics show recent population count is up from 327 in the year 2,000 to the last published population statistic showing there are 359 Asiatic Lions.

Here are some of the Lion subspecies recognized Panthera Leo subspecies & their territories:

Panthera leo azandica - North East Congo Lion
Panthera leo bleyenberghi - Katanga Lion
Panthera leo hollisteri - Congo Lion
Panthera leo krugeri -South African Lion
Panthera leo leo (P.l.berberisca) - Barbary Lion (Atlas Mountains in Northern Africa)
...(Extinct in the Wild since 1922)
Panthera leo massaicus - Massai Lion
Panthera leo melanochaita - Cape Lion (Extinct since 1860)
Panthera leo nubica - East African Lion
Panthera leo persica - Asiatic Lion (India)
Panthera leo roosevelti- Abyssinian Lion
Panthera leo senegalensis - West African Lion (Senegal Lion)
Panthera leo somaliensis - Somali Lion
Panthera leo verneyi - Kalahari Lion

It should be noted that Panthera leo maculatus - Marozi (Spotted Lion) is not formally confirmed as a separate subspecies and is thought to be a naturally occuring Lion/Leopard hybrid.

Here is an important point also made by Jason in the Power Cats DVD about the threat of disease, i.e. the outbreak of canine distemper in the African Lion population that destroyed significant numbers of animals:

See an excerpt from an article written Chad Boutin discussing the work of environmentalist Andy Dobson just published the Princeton Weekly Bulletin on the threat of diseases in the ecosystems:

Quote:

Modeling Diseases and Ecosystems A look at the gastrointestinal tract of a lion — itself a diverse ecosystem teeming with viruses, protozoa, bacteria and worms — provides an example. Many of these have struck a bargain with the animal’s digestive system and coexist peacefully with its army of cellular defenses, while others are aggressively using the host as a food source to fuel their own reproductive efforts. “When a lion attacks a wildebeest, it’s almost instantaneous,” Dobson said. “While infection with a pathogen is also instantaneous, the impact on the lion can take a number of different directions that affect both the welfare of the lion and the virus. A virus can mutate in a matter of hours, and undergo major genetic shifts in a couple of years! But its heavy dependence on its host for survival means that the presence of a single infected lion can also have a major effect on an entire population. A single disease outbreak in the Serenegti can reduce the lion population by up to a third.” As a result of infection, the lion could simply die, which would remove it from the ecosystem, or it could spread the disease to other lions, or even other species, leading to cascading effects throughout the food web.

http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S16/34/34C48/index.xml?section=featured

It appears the small Asiatic population in this area is stable at this point but efforts are underway to establish a second population at Palpur-Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary to ensure genetic survival and genetic diversity:

Source: IUCN Database (2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species)

Quote:

The Asiatic lion currently exists as a single population, and is thus vulnerable to extinction from unpredictable events, such as an epidemic or large forest fire. Establishment of at least one other wild population is advisable for population safety, for maximizing genetic diversity, and in terms of ecology (re-establishing the lion as a component of the fauna in its former range). However, there are problems in attempting this: a previous attempt to establish a second population in the Chandraprabha Wildlife Sanctuary in eastern Uttar Pradesh appeared to be succeeding, as the population grew from three to 11 animals, but then the lions disappeared, presumably shot or poisoned (Nowell and Jackson 1996). Palpur-Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary in northern Madhya Pradesh has now been selected as the best candidate area. Communities will require resettlement to make room for the Lions, but this time great care is being taken to make the process participatory and to attempt to satisfy local needs, and not engender hostility toward Lion conservation.

http://www.iucnredlist.org/search/details.php/15952/all

Ace
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"Open your hands to learn to receive in order that you may give, for it is in giving you receive."