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06-01-2015, 09:02 AM( This post was last modified: 06-01-2015, 09:04 AM by GuateGojira )
Thank you Tigerluver. So my guess of 202 kg as average, seems accurate.
In fact, those weights (192 and 211 kg) are about the same than the lions captured by Dr Loveridge in the Hwange NP, Zimbabwe, which are also very large. With a sample of four males, he get an average of 199 kg (range: 169 - 211 kg), which seems very impressive for lion standards (Loveridge et al., 2009). Here is the picture of his largest male:
*This image is copyright of its original author
This is the male of 211 kg, and its huge, probably over 2 meters long.
06-01-2015, 04:30 PM( This post was last modified: 06-01-2015, 07:05 PM by chaos )
The consistency and accuracy appearing for the estimated average Serengeti Plains male lions body mass does not at all implicate the average suggested for Ngorongoro Crater male lion is similarly accurate. The true (unknown) average could be either lower or higher then 212 kg even by a significant margin perhaps -15 kg to + 15 kg (unlikely).
What we do know is that the correct (in the sense of how it should have been printed and not in the accuracy of the prediction) regression equation predicts an average of 212 kg, that the equation shown in the paper has a typo and that Packer has provided in a personal communication a range of chest girth for lions in Ngorongoro Crater of 1270-1340 mm (supposedly referring to the adult age male class as highlighted above).
The estimate provided by Brown et al (1991) of 212 kg as average body mass for the N=6 sample of Ngorongoro Crater adult male lions is therefore perfectly included in my estimated range 205-220 kg. I therefore believe this estimate of 212 kg from Brown et al. (1991) reflects with good level of accuracy the likely average actual body mass of those 6 individuals in that sample (that will never be known) in spite of the typo in the equation appearing in their paper.
The estimate provided by Brown et al (1991) of 212 kg as average body mass for the N=6 sample of Ngorongoro Crater adult male lions cannot be discarded and, as an estimate, is very much valid.
What I'm seeing here, paints a different picture, my friends. Now as far as I'm concerned, the issue remains quite clouded. Either way it reflects the larger size of craters in general. Nowhere near enough info to get an accurate gauge. Its been a pleasure engaging you guys. Your overall knowledge and use of data is quite
worthy, and that's complimentary in terms, not provocative. Please do carry on.
06-01-2015, 09:53 PM( This post was last modified: 06-01-2015, 09:55 PM by Pckts )
Nice Stuff Guate, interesting reading.
My guess is Craters are large but I doubt that there are no other lion populations that are just as large. Its not like you have 50 specimens to measure in the Crater, its a small population of lions, if you have a higher # of individuals you usually see a lower average. But its pointless to even try to assume since none have even been weighed.
Off topic, but regarding about big lions. Was that 272 kg lion from Kenya verified? I remember he was weighed and confirmed by a dr years back in an email.
06-05-2015, 09:41 PM( This post was last modified: 06-05-2015, 09:42 PM by Pckts )
I think the 272kg is confirmed
*This image is copyright of its original author
*This image is copyright of its original author
To my knowledge the largest scale used bottoms out at 272kg which he doesn't mention, so I may think that it could be an estimate but who knows.
Either way, its the largest lion I have ever seen verified.
I wish we could of seen actual body measurements to see if it truly is massive in all departments or not.