The lion is sexually dimorphic, and males are the only cats with a mane; the male's mane grows at three years of age, in colours ranging from black to blond. An adult male typically weighs 189 kg on average against 126 kg for the female, and the average height is 1.2 m for the male and 1.1 m for the female.
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Approved version OWNER-REVIEW-20260930T094958379 · last approved 30 September 2026
Adult lions are uniformly sandy or tawny with white underparts, black-backed rounded ears and a dark tail tuft; adult males have a long mane around the face and neck reaching the shoulders.
Asiatic lions are slightly smaller than African lions, with shorter manes, thicker elbow and tail tufts, and a longitudinal fold of skin along the belly; cubs have brown spots on a greyish coat until three months of age.
