What is the Population? Adaptations? Biotic Potential? Intraspecific Competition?
Population is a particular group of animals/people that live in a specific area or region. Grassland ecosystems can support large populations of grazing animals. They are home to many familiar and fascinating species that live in herds, including zebras and antelopes, and the predators that prey on them, like lions and cheetahs. However, we will be focusing on the lions (Panthera Leo).
Intraspecific competition is an interaction in a population where members of the same species compete for limited resources. This leads to a reduction in fitness for both individual. Some things that lions compete for...
Leadership (Alpha)
Lioness
Eating food brought by Lioness
When in combat/competition, a lion will send out its claws, show its teeth, and aggresevly growl. Its muscles will tense (making it look bigger), and its heart beat will accelerate.
Biotic potential is the maximum reproductive capacity of a population under the very best environmental conditions. Full expression of the biotic potential of an organism is restricted by specific environmental conditions, normally being any condition that inhibits reproductive ability. The typical female is normally at the age of 4 years when she first reproduces. Females can breed until they are 15 years old, but there is a decline when they reach the age of 11. A lioness mates up to 100 times per day with intervals of 17 minutes. Each mating lasts about 21 seconds, and this shows how quickly a lioness mates with a male lion. A lioness produces around 1-3 cubes per reproduction, and the reproductive life span is about 11 years.
Special Adaptations
The lion's archetypal roar is used to communicate with other group members and warn intruders of territorial boundaries.
Long, retractable claws help the lion to grab and hold prey.
The species' rough tongue helps it to peel the skin of prey animals away from flesh and flesh away from bone.