Lion Map: Where Lions Live & Subspecies

Where the lion lives: an interactive map of its subspecies and recorded sightings worldwide.

Scientific name	Panthera leo
Status	Vulnerable (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Mapped range layers	6
Records used	2,725 wild occurrence records (GBIF, CC0/CC BY)
Group	Big cats

Interesting facts

The skeletal muscles of the lion make up 58.8% of its body weight and represent the highest percentage of muscles among mammals. [source]
The average pride consists of around 15 lions, including several adult females and up to four males and their cubs of both sexes. [source]
An adult lioness requires an average of about 5 kg (11 lb) of meat per day while males require about 7 kg (15 lb). [source]
The earliest fossils recognisable as lions were found at Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania and are estimated to be up to 2 million years old. [source]

About the lion

The lion (Panthera leo) is a large cat of the genus Panthera, currently ranging only in 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 that extends from the head to the shoulders and chest.

The lion inhabits grasslands, savannahs, and shrublands. It is an apex and keystone predator, preying mostly on medium-sized and large hooved mammals. It is usually more diurnal than other wild cats, but when persecuted, it adapts to being active at night and at twilight. It is a social species, forming groups called prides. A lion pride consists of related females and cubs, and a few or one adult male who is unrelated to the females. Groups of female lions usually hunt together. Adult males often compete to keep or gain their membership in the pride.

Subspecies (19)

Subspecies listed in Wikidata as children of Panthera leo (fossil-only taxa excluded). Classification is debated for many animals and lists differ between authorities.

Panthera leo melanochaita
on the map
Panthera leo leo – Barbary lion
on the map
Panthera leo leo
mapped together with Barbary lion (same GBIF taxon)
Panthera leo krugeri – Transvaal lion
on the map
Panthera leo azandica – North East Congo lion
on the map
Panthera leo persica – Asiatic lion Endangered
on the map
Panthera leo bleyenberghi – Southwest African lion
2 open-licence GBIF records (too few to map)
Panthera leo goojratensis
no open-licence GBIF records
Panthera leo hollisteri
no open-licence GBIF records
Panthera leo kamptzi
no open-licence GBIF records
Panthera leo maculatus – Marozi
no open-licence GBIF records
Panthera leo massaica – Masai lion
3 open-licence GBIF records (too few to map)
Panthera leo mesopotamica
no open-licence GBIF records
Panthera leo nubica
5 open-licence GBIF records (too few to map)
Panthera leo nyanzae
2 open-licence GBIF records (too few to map)
Panthera leo roosevelti – Ethiopian lion
no open-licence GBIF records
Panthera leo senegalensis
1 open-licence GBIF records (too few to map)
Panthera leo somaliensis
no open-licence GBIF records
Panthera leo verneyi
no open-licence GBIF records

Photos

Text in “About”, “Interesting facts” and “Population” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Lion (revision 1379222844), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: sentences excerpted verbatim, citations and formatting removed. No text added. Taxa and status: Wikidata Q140 (CC0).