Land Mammals, features and articles | Educational Science

Mar 3, 2011

Wildlife Groups Seek U.S. 'Endangered' Status for African Lions

Wildlife groups are taking a roundabout approach to protect Africa's iconic lions. They want the big cats listed as endangered in the United States. Wildlife groups filed a petition with the Department of Interior yesterday (March 1) seeking protection for African lions in the United States under the Endangered Species...

Jul 20, 2011

Lions Attack Humans When the Full Moon Wanes

The full moon is supposed to be the time when werewolves roam, but a new study finds that there's more to fear from large, nocturnal predators in the days after the moon is at its brightest. African lions are more likely to attack and kill humans in the days right...

Aug 8, 2011

Lions Kill and Go Away, to Kill Again Another Day

Lions apparently flee the scenes of their crimes, withdrawing after successful kills while other potential prey are still on high alert, researchers have found by using satellites to track some of the deadly African cats. This research into the minds of lions sheds light on why and when large predators...

Aug 8, 2011

In Photos: A Lion's Life

In Photos: A Lion's Life (Image credit: Afrikat22 | Dreamstime)One of the most majestic and regal feline species, the African lion (Panthera leo) resides in parts of sub-Saharan Africa, from the southern fringe to northern South Africa. A small number of Asian lions can also be found in the Gir...

Oct 6, 2011

Camera Traps Capture First Photos of Mountain Lions in Stanford Preserve

To catch a glimpse of a mountain lion, automatic cameras seem to be the best bet, as the elusive wildlife are not much for interacting with humans and they prefer nighttime jaunts. New images and video from Stanford University's Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve have done just that. They've caught the...

Nov 2, 2011

How Do Lions Grab Attention? They Roar Like Babies

Lions and tigers may have deep, knee-quaking roars, but the sound quality is not so different from the grating cry of a newborn human. Now, a new study finds the specially shaped vocal cords and a layer of soft fat allow big cats to roar loudly with little effort. The...

Feb 10, 2012

Lions Live in Constant Fear

Some lions in the wild now live within a landscape of fear as a result of threats posed by humans. Lions have drastically changed the way they behave and perceive their environment because of new, numerous and deadly clashes with humans, according to a new study, published in the Journal...

Jun 14, 2012

American Mountain Lions May be Staging Comeback

American mountain lions, commonly called cougars, have been in decline for a century. Once found throughout North America, populations were isolated in the American West due to widespread hunting and loss of prey. But new evidence shows the animals may be spreading again, returning to their old stalking grounds in...

Jul 16, 2012

What Would Happen If a Lion Fought a Tiger?

In this weekly series, Life's Little Mysteries provides expert answers to challenging questions. This ultimate cat fight has happened more times than you might expect. The Romans pitted African lions against Asian tigers in the Coliseum, to the rip-roaring pleasure of the Plebeians. A few fights were also staged in...

Oct 10, 2012

Did Lioness Really Befriend Baby Antelope?

While documenting a lion hunt in Uganda recently, a photographer came across a surprising sight: a lioness seeming to adopt a baby antelope after killing and eating its mother. In photographer Adri De Visser's photo series of the incident, which has been reproduced all over the Web in recent days,...

Oct 11, 2012

Big Manes Make 'Rasta' Lions Special

The Addis Ababa Zoo in Ethiopia is home to the descendants of a collection of lions that belonged to the late emperor Haile Selassie, revered by the Rastafarian movement. Unlike other lions, these big cats have dark manes that extend all the way to their chest and belly. Now researchers...

Oct 11, 2012

Unique Lions of Ethiopia

The Addis Ababa Lion (Image credit: Joerg Junhold and Klaus Eulenberger, Leipzig Zoo)A group of lions at the Addis Ababa Zoo in Ethiopia have dark manes that cover their chest and belly. Collected By Selassie, A Figure Revered By Rastas (Image credit: Joerg Junhold and Klaus Eulenberger, Leipzig Zoo)The late...

Oct 11, 2012

Mountain Lions Migrating West to California

Mountain lions from southern and eastern Nevada are moving west to California, according to a genetic study of nearly 740 big cats. The seven-year study tracked cougars, as mountain lions are also known, in both states to discover which areas in the region serve as sinks (habitat that animals move...

Dec 4, 2012

Lions Face Shrinking Savannahs in Africa

Human population growth and land development are encroaching on the savanna home of African lions, according to a new study, which finds only a quarter of original savannah land remains for lions to roam. The study combined lion population data and human population density with a look at land use...

Mar 6, 2013

Half of Africa's Lions May Go Extinct in 40 Years

Nearly half of all of Africa's lion populations could face extinction in the next 40 years if conservation measures aren't changed, according to a new study. The study, published today (March 6) in the journal Ecology Letters, found that lion populations that were fenced into conservation areas rebounded in recent...