Jasey Michelle's 365/366 Photo a Day Blog

Photographing a lioness's tongue turns out to be much easier than shooting Maui's. Somebody get that girl some Crest Whitestrips!

The lion is the tallest (at the shoulder) of the felines and the second-heaviest after the tiger. With powerful legs, a strong jaw, and 3.1" long canine teeth, the lion can bring down and kill large prey. Lion coloration varies from light buff to yellowish, reddish, or dark brown. The underparts are generally lighter and the tail tuft is black. Lion cubs are born with brown spots, (like those of a leopard) that fade as they reach adulthood.

Lions are the only members of the cat family to display obvious sexual dimorphism—that is, males and females look distinctly different. They also have specialized roles that each gender plays in the pride. For instance, the lioness, the hunter, lacks the male's thick cumbersome mane, which would impede her ability to be camouflaged when stalking the prey and create overheating in chases. The color of the male's mane varies from blond to black, generally becoming darker as the lion grows older.