Description
The Barbary lion is often regarded as the largest and the heaviest of the lion subspecies with estimated weights for males of 190 to 230 kilograms (420 to 510 lb) and for females of 150 to 190 kilograms (330 to 420 lb). These weight ranges have been criticized for being greatly exaggerated, however, with the Barbary lion being considered similar in size to the lions in East Africa. Male Barbary lions were around 2.7 to 3.4 metres (8 ft 10 in to 11 ft 2 in) in length and females were around 2.1 to 2.7 metres (6 ft 10 in to 8 ft 10 in) in length.
Unlike other lion subspecies, the Barbary lion did not live in prides due to the scarcity of food in its habitat. These lions were solitary like the other big cat species, or occasionally lived in pairs. Females raised their young until maturity - approximately 2 years - and then separated from them.
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