The lion is the only cat exhibiting sexual dimorphism, which means that male and females lions look different from each other. Males are larger than females (lionesses). A lion’s body ranges in length from 4.5 to 6.5 feet, with a 26 to 40 inch tail. Weight runs between 265 to 420 pounds.
Lion cubs have dark spots on their coat when they are born, which fade until only faint belly spots remain in adulthood. Adult lions range in color from buff to gray to various shades of brown. Both males and females are powerful, muscular cats with rounded heads and ears.
White lions occur rarely in the wild. The white coat is caused by a double recessive allele. White lions are not albino animals. They have normal-colored skin and eyes.
