Muscular System
Watching a lion move and hunt shows the anatomy of a predator's body built for speed, quickness, and power. Lions move extremely fast. The muscular structure of its neck and jaw provides the power to subdue and kill its prey. The female lion does the hunting due to her superior anatomy and muscular structure. The lion is the tallest of all cats. Lions are almost all muscle which allows for quick movement and fast speeds. When hunting and killing a lion uses ta combination of muscles. One such muscle is the masseter, which is connected to the lower jaw. It is the muscle lions use when gripping their prey. The masseter provides the grinding and crushing power and strength of the lion's teeth to secure its next meal. This muscle is central to the structure of the jaw and makes a lion a wonderful hunter. The anatomy of the female lion makes her the better choice for hunting. She is lighter, quicker and faster than the male. Only the male has the trademark mane. The lioness uses her excellent hearing, sight and smell to identify prey. The muscular structure of her paws allows her to move through grass with little sound. All of these anatomical features allow the female to identify her prey, successfully hide and move without being noticed.
Skeletal System
Because lions have such a muscular structure they have a low bone mass. They have a flexible spinal cord that consists of 30 spinal vertebrae. The skeletal system is extremely similar to that of a domestic cat. The bones in their forepaws are twisted in such a manner to give them the lion greater range of motion while running. Their body measures around 4.5-4.6 feet from head to the end of the body. And about 3 feet tall on average. A lion's skull is very similar to a tiger's, but the distinct feature of a lion's is the broader nose openings that are lower down on the skull then that of a tiger's. Their tail is made of muscle. The tail also includes a tassel, which has a spine in it, the spine however, does not have any specific function.
Watching a lion move and hunt shows the anatomy of a predator's body built for speed, quickness, and power. Lions move extremely fast. The muscular structure of its neck and jaw provides the power to subdue and kill its prey. The female lion does the hunting due to her superior anatomy and muscular structure. The lion is the tallest of all cats. Lions are almost all muscle which allows for quick movement and fast speeds. When hunting and killing a lion uses ta combination of muscles. One such muscle is the masseter, which is connected to the lower jaw. It is the muscle lions use when gripping their prey. The masseter provides the grinding and crushing power and strength of the lion's teeth to secure its next meal. This muscle is central to the structure of the jaw and makes a lion a wonderful hunter. The anatomy of the female lion makes her the better choice for hunting. She is lighter, quicker and faster than the male. Only the male has the trademark mane. The lioness uses her excellent hearing, sight and smell to identify prey. The muscular structure of her paws allows her to move through grass with little sound. All of these anatomical features allow the female to identify her prey, successfully hide and move without being noticed.
Skeletal System
Because lions have such a muscular structure they have a low bone mass. They have a flexible spinal cord that consists of 30 spinal vertebrae. The skeletal system is extremely similar to that of a domestic cat. The bones in their forepaws are twisted in such a manner to give them the lion greater range of motion while running. Their body measures around 4.5-4.6 feet from head to the end of the body. And about 3 feet tall on average. A lion's skull is very similar to a tiger's, but the distinct feature of a lion's is the broader nose openings that are lower down on the skull then that of a tiger's. Their tail is made of muscle. The tail also includes a tassel, which has a spine in it, the spine however, does not have any specific function.