— Still, seems a bit unfair to me! If you are 13 years old when were you born? In the Etosha National Park when hunting blue wildebeest, single lionesses: make 0,28 kills per hunt while, groups of 7 make 0,75 kills per hunt. So it wouldn’t make much sense for the mane to protect a place that wasn’t in danger. In some prides up to 80% of the cubs don’t survive. But both boy lions and girl lions in the pride work together when they hunt. She does this to protect her cubs, by diverting his interest away from potentially killing the cubs to mating with her. Then the girl lions will know who will be a good dad for her babies. There are two reasons why female lions do the majority of the hunting. When the cubs are born they have spots, like a cheetah or leopard, but loose them as they mature. | Privacy policy Read more: But nature has a purpose for this, because but in hurting her it stimulates ovulation to occur. During that time, the cub will learn to hunt. This is because the male’s spiked penis can cause pain when withdrawn, which understandably makes her want to retaliate. Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, Swansea Science Festival 2020 This is an article from Curious Kids, a series for children. When the dominant male lion is shot by hunters, (always the preferred choice), the effect can be far reaching in the pride, as less genetically strong males step into the dominant male position, weakening the overall genetic make-up of the pride. A pale mane might mean the lion is experiencing stress – for example, they might not be getting enough of the right foods or they might be feeling sick. Leeds, Leeds, SOAS Festival of Ideas: Decolonising Knowledge Curious Kids: Why do you have to wear a helmet in space? When the dominant male lion is shot by hunters, (always the preferred choice), the effect can be far reaching in the pride, as less genetically strong males step into the dominant male position, weakening the overall genetic make-up of the pride. — Some lions are nomadic, living alone, and others simply form a group with other male lions. So if manes were supposed to be for protection, then why wouldn’t girl lions and boy lions both have manes? They can: * Email your question to curiouskids@theconversation.edu.au Gerhard Horn is the deputy editor of Leisure Wheels magazine, but his life isn’t all about cars. Females on the other hand have the job of providing for those cubs, hunting for and feeding them, and raising them within the territory which the male(s) have secured. In the same way that dark clothes make us hotter than white clothes would, the dark mane shows that the lion can do well in hot weather. Nadya Sotnychuk receives funding from the Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship. Only about one in eight male lions survive to adulthood. Instead, we think the mane, and especially its colour, helps the boy lions show the girl lions how healthy and strong they are. One is simply that the male lion's mane makes him more conspicuous, meaning that it's easier for prey to see him coming. My name is Emelia and I am 6 years old. Please tell us your name, age and which city you live in. Curious Kids: ‘I would like to know why man lions have manes and lady lions don’t’ May 15, 2018 4.19pm EDT. The Conversation is asking kids to send in questions they’d like an expert to answer. Soon after, the lioness will follow. Over time, and with repetitive hunting, this can seriously affect the pride. What is the rising action of faith love and dr lazaro? * Tell us on Twitter. Why don't libraries smell like bookstores? Either they are killed by other males, or they don’t get enough to eat (they typically eat last in the hierarchy of the pride). Cardiff, Cardiff [Caerdydd GB-CRD], Copyright © 2010–2020, The Conversation Trust (UK) Limited. Curious Kids: Why do crab and prawn shells go red after they have been cooked? The Conversation UK receives funding from these organisations. Lions, for different social reasons, change prides. This is really important in the warm climates where lions live. How long will the footprints on the moon last? That means it is unlikely their neck would be close enough to another lion’s teeth to get bitten. Read more: Who is the longest reigning WWE Champion of all time? A new film highlights the challenges that young males face, and shows that hunters … Hello, curious kids! The lionesses in the pride will help teach the cubs to hunt. They are far too busy defending territory against intruders! (Genes are the “recipe” that tells a baby animal or plant how to grow, so having parents who are strong and healthy makes you more likely to grow up strong and healthy.). Within a pride, females usually are the hunters. THIS is why male lions don’t hunt as regularly as females. However, as time passed, scientists began to see that this idea didn’t really make sense. Lions often hunt at night … or dusk, but of course, they can be active and hunt during the day too. Packer and Pusey set out not just to document lion behavior but to explain how it had evolved. So because scientists found that their old ideas couldn’t be true, they came up with new possibilities that would fit with what they were seeing. The material on this site can not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with prior written permission of Multiply. This can protect the cubs from infanticide as each male then may believe the cubs belong to him. What is the time signature of the song Atin Cu Pung Singsing? Send as many questions as you like! Lions are vigorous when it comes to reproduction; Schaller observed one male mate 157 times in 55 hours. London, London, City of, Constructive invisibility, dangerous visibility After the hunt, the male lion is given the privilege of rank – and will be the first to start the meal. This happens all the time in science. Instead of being for protection, people now think that the boy lion’s mane shows the girl lions how healthy and strong he is. Over time, and with repetitive hunting, this can seriously affect the pride. Ano ang Imahinasyong guhit na naghahati sa daigdig sa magkaibang araw? All Rights Reserved. Adult male lions do not make way for other predators. The female can mate with a number of different pride males and the males do likewise, resulting in cubs in the same litter having different fathers. — What is the hink-pink for blue green moray? Ano ang pinakamaliit na kontinente sa mundo? — Unless they are heavily outnumbered they can chase away any other carnivore from its prey. All questions are welcome – serious, weird or wacky!