The canines of a lion left , which are long, sharp and slightly recurved, are excellent tools for grasping and wounding prey, while the sharp premolars are effective in tearing away chunks of flesh. The molars are rudimentary because their food is swallowed in chunks, unchewed.
The skull above left has large surfaces for the insertion of the powerful jaw muscles. Male lions usually leave almost all of the hunting to the females, but once a kill is made, they will sometimes drive off the females and cubs in order to be the first to feed upon the prey. Usually, several lionesses, working as a team, spread out and approach a herd from different directions.
They stalk up as close as possible, using every bit of available cover before making a final charge, going for the closest individual. There is a rush and a leap as the lion comes in range of its victim. Typically, a lion kills a large animal by strangulation, biting down on its throat or, sometimes, on its nose and mouth. Small animals are killed with a bat of the paw or a quick bite to the head. Zoo lions are given mostly beef, sometimes including beef bones. In the lion world, the bulk of the hunting responsibilities are carried out by females.
Male lions are usually bigger than female lions, and they usually do well on roughly 15 pounds of meat each day, while females thrive on 11 pounds or so. It's not uncommon for lions to snatch sustenance away from competitor animals -- think hyenas, for example.
By using the site, you agree to the uses of cookies and other technology as outlined in our Policy, and to our Terms of Use. Meat Lions are carnivores, which means that meat is is an essential and unavoidable part of their diets. Commercial Foods Apart from actual animal flesh, lions in captivity also regularly feed on carnivore-minded commercial foods formulated specifically with their species in mind. Bones Bones are also a common element on the typical menus of captive lions.
Diet in the Wild The captive diets of these animals are based on those of their freely roaming counterparts. Lions may also scavenge on carcasses if they are very hungry. In extreme cases, lions will even attempt to eat plant matter such as grass. Lions are not picky eaters, they will take every chance they can to catch something or score a free meal.
They will hunt buffaloes, antelope, zebras, rhinos, young elephants, warthogs, giraffes, crocodiles, and so much more. There is an order of who gets to eat first once a kill has been made. The males they will eat first once they are full, they will move away from the kill. Then the females and younger lions will eat and the cubs will get the scraps that are left over.
They hunt mostly at night as darkness offers them more protection and makes it difficult for the prey to spot them. They can stalk the prey and get up close before they attack. Another reason they prefer hunting at night time is that it is much cooler. They normally rest during the day but can also be active in the early mornings or late afternoon.
Once their prey has been captured, they will start eating. One lion will suffocate the prey, biting the throat, closing the airway. The other lions will usually start at the hind quarters since most of the meat is in that area. The African savannah can be a very cruel place during the dry season and will leave a lion desperate.
Young lions, on the verge of starvation, will eat grass even just to fill their stomachs for a while and not have the feeling of being hungry.
This usually results in the lion vomiting and feeling all hungry all over again. Lions cannot survive without meat. That is why they need large quantities of meat. Their bodies absorb the nutrients from the mammals that they kill. Lions are believed to feed every four to five days and can even go more than a week without eating.
If lions did eat every single day, they would require about kg of meat per day. Take a large male lion for example, they weigh about kg lbs that is almost 50kg of their own body weight that they consume in one sitting. Females average about kg lbs so they can eat about kg of meat. After having a large meal like that, it is understandable they can go a week before needing to eat again. If the lions made a large kill, they will keep around the carcass for days since it is unsure when their next meal will be.
They will defend the carcass until there is nothing more left than just a pile of bones. Their diets vary from sheep, beef, rabbits, chicken, and horse meat. These foods might lack the essential minerals that are required in a big cats diet. Calcium and amino acids are usually added, ensuring that these captive lions have a healthy diet.
A female lion can give birth to upto 6 cubs but usually litters for are more commonly found. These cubs will suckle until the age of about 10 months old, even though the mother will start the warning process at about 10 weeks, then they will be fully weaned. At about three months of age lion cubs are introduced to meat for the first time.
The older they get the more meat they will eat and less will be the need to suckle. Lioness milk has a high nutritional value, especially in the early weeks. As these cubs are not introduced to the pride until they are at least 8 weeks old.
So their mother will feed them and leave them for a few hours while she is hunting, feeding herself to produce milk for the cubs. For the first two years lion cubs rely greatly on their mothers to provide them with food as they are still too young to hunt or still learning these essential tactics.
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