LION

For other uses, see Lion (disambiguation). Not to be confused with Mountain lion, Lyon, or Loin. Lion Temporal range: Pleistocene–Present PreꞒꞒOSDCPTJKPgN ↓ Male in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania Female in Okonjima, Namibia Conservation status Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1)[2] CITES Appendix II (CITES)[a][2] Scientific classificationEdit this classification Domain: Eukaryota Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Suborder: Feliformia Family: Felidae Subfamily: Pantherinae Genus: Panthera Species: P. leo[1] Binomial name Panthera leo[1] (Linnaeus, 1758)[3] Subspecies P. l. leo P. l. melanochaita †P. l. sinhaleyus Historical lion distribution The lion (Panthera leo) is a large cat of the genus Panthera, native to Sub-Saharan Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the tip of its tail. It is sexually dimorphic; adult male lions are larger than females and have a prominent mane. It is a social species, forming groups called prides. A lion's pride consists of a few adult males, related females, and cubs. Groups of female lions usually hunt together, preying mostly on medium-sized and large ungulates. The lion is an apex and keystone predator.