Lions are called the king of the jungle and king of the cats. They don't actually live in the jungle, but it's still a good title to hold. Lions are actually the second largest cat and can weigh over 550 pounds. That's a lot more than the healthy human weighs.

10,000 years ago, they were the second most widespread land mammal. They were all over Africa, and took up the space from Europe to India. They used to live in north africa and southwest Asia which are now deserted areas for lions.

Lions now live in sub saharan africa, which is located just below the sahara desert, and all across Asia. They usually live in Savannas and grasslands. Sometimes they occupy forests.

30-50% of the lion population has been lost in the last two decades. The drop is from habitat destruction and poaching. Out of the african lion species, the west african lion is the worst off.

In the wild, lions live for 10-14 years. In captivity, however, they live over 20 years (on average). This is not always the case with animals. There are many cases where animals live longer in the wild than in captivity. Some animals just need to be free.

Lions are very social for cats. The females hunt in groups. The men stay behind and watch the kids. Lions are practically nocturnal- they sleep mainly during the day.

Ungulates are popular among lions. They're kind of like donkeys. They also eat zebras, wildebeest, antelope, and warthogs.

Lions are very popular. Their face is one of the most recognized animal features of all. Also some very old drawing have been found of them. Like, cavemen old. Lions have been in films, books, and art for a very long time, and have been a must-have in zoos since the early 18th century.

The asiatic lion is also called the indian lion. This is because it lives in India. They are endangered, but the population is increasing. In 1974 there were 180. In 2010 there were 411. They have a larger tail and a smaller mane than the african lion. They are also called asian lions because India is in Asia.

The white lion is a rare coloring of the kruger lion. They live in south africa and in zoos. There are so many in zoos because when they were discovered people thought that they could not defend themselves very well. Actually, their color has no disadvantage. They do not have any problems with humans.

The masai lion is a type of african lion. A male is 8.2 to 9.8 feet long and is 320 to 450 pounds. A female is 7.5 to 8.5 feet long and 220 to 360 pounds. They are also called the east african lion, because they live in the eastern part of Africa. There is also a west african lion. West african lions are basically asiatic lions other than the two exceptions mentioned before in the asiatic lion panel.

The katanga lion is also called the southwest african lion. It is another type of africa lion. The mane of the male katanga lion, however, is lighter than the manes usually are. The population is, unfortunately, 29.
 
 
 
Tigers are the largest cat species. They are 11 feet long and can weigh up to 670 pounds. They are third largest land carnivore. Before them is the polar bear and the brown bear. They have very wide teeth, that are actually the world's longest teeth and can reach up to 3.5 inches long. Some creatures live for a longer type in the wild than in captivity or for a longer time in captivity than in the wild. The tiger lives for 20-26 years both places.Tigers are odd in one way. They're independent and social at the same time. They hunt alone. A tiger would probably attack another tiger if it tried to hunt with it. And yet they usually sleep in packs. Evidently, they do want some extra security. Tigers used to live all over Asia. But they lost 93% of their range in just one century. Now they only live in tropical swamps, open grasslands, and a certain siberian forest. They have less than 457,497 square miles. That's barely anywhere! That's 41% less than in the mid 1990s. Tigers are endangered. There are 3,062-3,948 tigers left. When the 20th century began there were 100,000 tigers. This happened because tiger habitats were destroyed and many tigers were poached. The population is still declining. Tigers have been in legends for hundreds of years. And they still show up in films and books. Also, the bengal tiger is the national animal of India and Bangladesh. Even if they go extinct, which hopefully will not happen, they will never be forgotten.The bengal tiger is the most populous tiger species. The population used to be 4,246. Now it is less than 2,500. And this is the most populous tiger species. Not a good sign. The population is still decreasing. The siberian tiger is also called the amur tiger. In mainly just lives in one particular siberian mountain range. There actually only approximately 551 tigers left, and they are the largest type of tiger of all. The sumatran tiger lives on the small island of Sumatra. There were 441-679 Sumatran tigers left in 2008. They are critically endangered, and their population is still declining. There used to be multiple types of tigers that made a little sumatran island group. The sumatran tiger is the only one. The other types were the bali tiger and the javan tiger. In 2008, there were 493 adult malayan tigers. In 2003, there were 1,480. The population of adult malayan tigers dropped almost 1,000 tigers in 5 years. The population is still declining. They live in Malaya and there are a few in Siberia as well.There is a little question about the population of this species of tiger. They are either critically endangered or extinct. They have not been seen for a couple of years, and one of the last ones seen was killed and eaten by a man who is now (thankfully) in prison. Another name for this tiger is south china tiger.


 
Cats are carnivores. They hunt household pests such as mice and rats, which, along with the nice companionship, is a reason many people get cats. They usually have retractable claws, and are very smart and have good agility, speed, and reflexes. Some are known to even open doors or use doggy doors in houses that have them. They can smell better than humans, but can’t see color as well. They meow, hiss, purr, growl, and grunt to communicate. If a cat puffs up, he is not happy. They are famous for several movies and stories, particularly the famous Puss in Boots. The ancient Egyptians worshiped them. Cats are usually active at day and night, and their eyes allow them to see easily in the dark, so it’s not hard. They usually sleep for about 13 hours a day, and they sleep longer as they get older. They lick themselves to clean themselves off. They are fairly solitary animals, though they do love their owners and hang out with them. They eat a lot of fish, so cat food is usually made out of it. They are very amazing and lovable creatures.
-Elizabeth Smith
 
Why were the last two paragraphs all pictures? It is to expose you to quite a few types of cats, big cats and house cats, kittens and adults, whites, blacks, and plains. So why have the Cute Cat Pics page? If you really want to look at the cats, study them, think about them, through their image, then the blog pictures are the right ones. But if you just want to enjoy a few quick pictures, go to the cute cat pics. Why take up two blog posts though? Images I forgot or wasn't able to put into the gallery went into the slide show.
 
 
 
Read The Price by Neil Gaiman. Then leave a review in the blog comments. It is a short story available in M is for Magic and On Cats and Dogs.
 

    Cats and Dogs