Lions are the king of the jungle. They are strong animals that have powerful bodies. They can easily catch their prey with their teeth and jaw. Male lions wear shaggy manes. It is their difference from a female lion. Lions usually stand 4 feet and have lengths of 10 feet. The male lions are slightly bigger than female lions.
They have cute cubs that are so cuddleable. But are you wondering how these animals reproduce? Do you have an idea how they mate?
How Lions Mate?
When the female lion reaches the age of 4, she will be ready to meet her mate while male lions start mating when they are 5. They were both known to be polygamous. They breed the whole year. Though, females have a restriction. They are loyal to 1 or 2 male lions.
Expert Tip: In the wild, they breed once in 2 years. They mate for 3-4 days with this reproductive cycle. They do it for 20-30 minutes with 50 copulations.
When a female lion is in heat, she searches for a mate. Just like with any other big cat, she decides how the mating will happen. She summons when and where it will take place.
The male lion has several females. He is lured by a female lion but it is his job to get the mating done. The mating is not seasonal. It happens when the female has finished her estrus cycle. The male lion will fight any male that will dare to come near to her. Though, female lions can mate with another male while they are in heat.
In the start, the lioness will make her readiness known through calling, rubbing on things, and rolling on the ground. She will give a lot of display. She will be scrappy. She will rub against the male, displaying her posterior invitingly, with her tail raised.
When the male approaches her, she will begin to spit, scratch, and yowl on him. She will writhe at the male’s feet, inviting pursuit. Then, the male will exhibit courtship to the female lion. He will rub his head with the female. He will spray urine and lick her genitals.
He will follow her everywhere. He will see it if the female lion is ready. He will grip the female on her neck and will start to mount her. When he mounted, copulation is complete with some thrusts. Then, the female screams and snarls.
She will keep on twisting and will hiss out at the male. The male will jump back and growl. And after that, courtship will happen again. Gestation happens 14-15 weeks. Usually, they will have 3-4 cubs. The female lion will find a bushy area to hide her cubs.
Conclusion
Though the male lion is the king of the jungle, he has to wait for the end of the estrus cycle of the female lion. Then, he can start to have a courtship with her. He will follow her everywhere. Their mating happens with copulations that can result in cute cubs. Do you have some comments on this article? Be free to have your comments.
