A large carnivorous feline mammal (Felis leo), found in
Southern Asia and in most parts of Africa, distinct varieties occurring
in the different countries. The adult male, in most varieties, has a
thick mane of long shaggy hair that adds to his apparent size, which is
less than that of the largest tigers. The length, however, is sometimes
eleven feet to the base of the tail. The color is a tawny yellow or
yellowish brown; the mane is darker, and the terminal tuft of the tail
is black. In one variety, called the maneless lion, the male has only a
slight mane.