Skip to main content

Asiatic Lion

Panthera leo persica
The Asiatic Lion is a subspecies of Lion that is found in the wild in only one location on earth. There are some individuals in captivity, but the wild population is found exclusively within the confines of India's Gir Forest.

Historically the subspecies could be found throughout south Asia, the Middle East, and even parts of Europe. But by the turn of the 20th century there were reportedly less than 50 of these Lions left. Hunting and loss of prey species contributed to their decline. In 1965 a sanctuary was officially established for the remaining Lions, and as of May 2011 there were 411 living within its confines. Additionally sanctuaries have been proposed, as the Gir Forest numbers are outgrowing their space, but no reintroductions have yet taken place.

Asiatic Lions split off from their African relatives around 10,000 years ago and are slightly smaller in size. And though Asiatic Lion numbers are increasing, they still face uncertainty. Inbreeding has damaged their genetic diversity, which leads to deformed sperm and infertility. Both wild and captive populations need to be carefully monitored to ensure purity within the subspecies (no cross-breeding with African lions for example) and to also ensure that mating does not take place between individuals that are too closely related.

IUCN Status :  Endangered
Location : India
Size : Shoulder height up to 42in (107cm), Weight up to 410lbs (185kg)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Carnivora
Family : Felidae -- Genus : Panthera -- Species : P. leo -- Subspecies : P. l. persica

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bornean Orangutan

The Bornean Orangutan is one of two extant Orangutan species in the world. It is the third largest primate (after Gorillas) and is the largest primarily tree-dwelling animal in the world. Males are substantially larger than females, and average at around 165lbs. Bornean Orangutans are largely solitary. A handful might live within a small range but they will seldom interact with one another. Males and females only meet up to breed, which happens only once every several years. A young Orangutan will stay with it's mother for about five years, and the females tend to go about eight years between births. That is the longest interim period of any animal! Sadly, the Bornean Orangutans are in a lot of trouble. They need large forests in order to thrive, and deforestation and habitat degradation has left many homeless. They are also hunted for meat and for traditional medicines. Conservation areas are being established to help these guys in the wild, and it is believed that there are a

Four!

For anyone who was counting, yesterday was our birthday-- four years! Four years filled with animals from A to Z, more than 1,100 of them! I can't thank my readers enough, it's been wonderful! And in celebration of that milestone... I'm taking a break. Hopefully not forever, but for a little bit at least. In the mean time I plan on getting a new layout out, along with some updates to some of the older articles. I'll post updates here and on the Facebook page, I'm also brainstorming some new animal-related projects, so keep an eye out! Thanks again for four awesome years!

Halloween Crab

Gecarcinus quadratus The Halloween Crab goes by many names, including the Red Land Crab, Whitespot Crab, and Moon Crab. I personally like Halloween Crab though, since it really reflects the interesting colors. They have black carapaces, orange-red legs, and purple claws! Halloween Crabs live in the Pacific coast mangroves and forests of Central and South America. They actually live in the forests as adults, and return to the ocean in order to reproduce. Did you know that they live as far away as 18 miles (30km)  from water? Not where you normally think Crabs to be! While living in the forest, the Crabs forage nocturnally for different plant matter, including leaves and sapling. They also dig long burrows into the ground for protection. These burrows can measure nearly 5 ft long! Halloween Crabs are sometimes kept in captivity, and can be very tricky pets due to their excellent climbing skills. IUCN Status :  Not Listed Location :   Cent