There is a world somewhere between reality and fiction. Although ignored by many, it is very real and so are those living in it. This forum is about the natural world. Here, wild animals will be heard and respected. The forum offers a glimpse into an unknown world as well as a room with a view on the present and the future. Anyone able to speak on behalf of those living in the emerald forest and the deep blue sea is invited to join.
05-16-2014, 05:14 AM( This post was last modified: 10-11-2019, 04:01 AM by peter )
1 - CAPTIVE ADULT MALE INDIAN LION
A photograph in the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society (JBNHS). Note the size of the skull:
*This image is copyright of its original author
2 - LENGTH AND WEIGHT OF WILD INDIAN LIONS
The tables below were first posted by a poster called 'Spirit Lion'. Unfortunately, he omitted the source.
The average of the animals below is quite close to the average I found after reading different letters and articles in the JBNHS. The average length of 18 adult males not selected for size was about 8.8 in a straight line. Males selected by hunters averaged 9.1 'Between pegs'. The longest I know of 9.95 inches.The average of all (n=27) is just over 8.9.
The heaviest was the one shot by Capt. Smee (490 lbs. without the entrails). Most wild males range between 330-400 pounds, with some up to 420 or a little over. Spirit Lion distinguished between young adult males and prime animals:
*This image is copyright of its original author
*This image is copyright of its original author
3 - WEIGHT OF CAPTIVE INDIAN LIONS
There isn't much to choose between wild (348 lbs.) and captive (361 lbs.) male Indian lions. Notice the large sample and the weight of females:
*This image is copyright of its original author
4 - ONE OF THE LAST WILD LIONS IN IRAN
This letter in the JBNHS has some value, as it could be an eye-witness report of one of the last wild lions in Iran:
*This image is copyright of its original author
5 - INDIAN LIONS COMPARED TO LIONS IN OTHER REGIONS
This table with skull measurements was first posted by poster 'Chui' in AVA. Iran and India at the far right and North-Africa at the far left. Lions from these regions (and West-Africa) are very close. So close, they can be seen as one. The differences in skull size, however, are remarkable. North-African lions were as large as those in Kruger or even a bit larger. If we assume a similar relation between skull length and weight in both, Barbary lions could have been similar in weight (between 410-440 lbs. roughly):
(05-16-2014, 05:14 AM)'peter' Wrote: 1 - CAPTIVE ADULT MALE INDIA
A photograph in the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society (JBNHS). Note the size of the skull:
*This image is copyright of its original author
What a weird skull. as you said in Stuttgart Peter, when you look at the big skull samples of lions, they have a tendecy of looking like a horse more than a cat. The indian lion above is a great example. His Maxilla/Mandible or his snout looks extremely stretched. Weird but still impressive!