Difference Between Snow Leopard and Lion

The main difference between Snow Leopard and Lion is in the appearance of the two. While Leopard’s sport spots, Lions usually have plain, golden yellow (and in some cases white) skin . Both these animals are big cats, but Lions have a clear advantage in terms of size and weight. Lions however, cannot survive in snow, while snow leopards would certainly die in the hot African climate. Furthermore, lions live in groups known as prides, while snow leopards usually survive on their own.

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    Snow Leopard

    The Snow leopard is native to the mountain ranges of Central Asia and has been registered as a globally endangered species because of hunting and radical changes in its habitat.

    While these cats are not enormously large, they do however weigh between 27 and 55 kg. The main feature of these leopards is their tail, which can reach lengths of about 80 to 100 cm. The tail, with its thick fur, is used as a blanket when they sleep. They have thick fur on their skin for protection against the severe cold and their eye colour can vary from pale green to grey.

    Just like other big cats, snow leopards depend on meat as their main diet and would eat domestic livestock. Nonetheless, these cats can also eat vegetation such as grass etc.

    Image Courtesy: 2.bp.blogspot.com

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    Lion

    The Lion belongs to the Felidae family and is arguably among the largest wild cats on this planet with some males exceeding 250 kg in weight. Lions commonly live in sub-Saharan Africa and in Asia.

    Unfortunately, Lion populations have decreased drastically over the decades due to hunting, causing some breeds to go extinct. Lion populations once flourished in most parts of Asia but are now registered as endangered species since most of the Lions were wiped off by the expansion of human civilisation.

    In the wild they live for about ten to fourteen years, while in captivity they can survive for about 20 years.

    A pride of lions has related females and small cubs while the pride is protected by a male. The hunting is done by the females and the male then gets to share the meal. A pride can be taken over by a younger male from outside the pride after challenging the reigning pride leader. If the younger lion wins, he would then kill all the cubs and then breed with the females.

    Image Courtesy: i.telegraph.co.uk

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