The Mane Thing About Lions...

Photograph by Natalie Manuel

The King of the Jungle...the lion.  

Surveys tell us that most people, though they have trouble naming many other animals shown to them, can identify a male lion.

That's a relief!

There are eight types of lion, most of which live in Africa. 

Asiatic lions, like the ones pictured below, live in the Gir Forest in India:

Most lions are varying shades of color, but there are some white lions living wild in Tambavati. 

White lions are not albino, but leucistic; their normal tan coat color is suppressed with the chinchilla gene, but their eyes are gold-brown, not red like a true albino's.

And that big lion mane? Lions are the only big cats where it's easy to tell the males from the females.  

Except in Tsavo, where the Maneless lions live.  

Did you know that some maneless lions are man-eaters? Check those out those bad boys here.

As for lions WITH manes, let's take a look at the different colors their manes can be: 

Amazing variety, isn't there? You know, I bet Simba was a black-maned lion from Kenya...like the one on the bottom left. There's a  resemblance, right?  :)

Can female lions grow manes, you ask? 

Well, it's rare, but they can! Look at this couple in Botswana:

You can read more about this crazy pride of lions here:

https://roaring.earth/lionesses-grow-manes/

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