Lions live mainly in grasslands and open savannas, and it’s because they find all their prey in that habitat. Moreover, it suits their hunting capabilities and their specific climate needs. However, these predators can also survive in the desert, where resources are scarce. Thus, you may ask:
How do lions survive in the desert? Lions in the desert have longer legs than lions in savannas. Such legs help them stand the cold night. Moreover, their coats are a bit ticker to protect them from the heat of the day and keep them warm through the night. They can also survive for days without food or water.
Lions also need the essential things to survive. However, what makes them stand longer in deserts is their ability to adapt to scarce resources.
In this article, you’ll see an in-depth take on the issues any lion may find in the desert, as well as how they adapt to it. This way, you can understand how these predators can survive in a scarce land like a desert.
Without further ado, let’s get into it!
Table of Contents
What lions live in the desert?
In general, you can find wild lions in savannas and grasslands as they live in these habitats. However, they can also live in the desert, although only a few of them do.
For instance, some lions of Namib can live and withstand the extreme conditions in the desert. These lions feed on desert animals like ostriches and seals.
However, they also try to go to grasslands and places where they can find other animals.
Lions that live in these scarce lands can live without water for days. In general, even lions in savannas can last for four days without drinking water.
Moreover, they can last longer without food. Lions can live for fourteen days without eating, but they need to eat at least a hundred pounds of meat after.
Related: How Do Lions Survive?
What do lions do to survive in the desert?
The heat of the desert and the lack of water and food makes it a challenging habitat for animals. However, lions can withstand such and live in the desert with few issues.
Lions survive in the desert by doing some specific things. For instance, these animals can shed their manes to relieve themselves from the heat.
Moreover, they can have a slightly thicker coat to protect their skin from the sun’s heat and to keep them warm at night.
Besides their bodies, they can also tolerate days without eating or drinking.
Lions can survive for fourteen days without food and can last for four days without drinking water. These animals need food and water every day, but they can eat and drink a lot and store food and water for days.
How do lions survive in the heat?
Lions have bodies designed to withstand heat from their habitats, and it’s what they use in extreme places like the desert.
The thing about heat is that it’ll dehydrate you and increase your temperature, which can cause issues.
Lions solve these issues by storing water and keeping moisture from the prey they catch.
As I said earlier, lions can survive without drinking water for four whole days. Thus, they can also drink as much water as they need to last for these days.
Another thing is that they take even the tiniest amount of moisture from the blood of their prey. However, it can be challenging to search for your prey.
For instance, they need to travel long distances to search for animals that they can eat.
The good thing is that the hungrier they get, the more aggressive they become when seeking food.
As a result, a hungry lion can attack prey animals that are larger than them.
In short, these animals find solutions to any issue they can face in scorching places like deserts.
Are lions adapted to survive in the desert?
The primary habitat of lions is savannas and grasslands. However, they can adapt to extreme conditions like the one in deserts.
Other animals cannot survive in extreme conditions because their bodies can’t withstand long days without food and water.
However, this issue isn’t a problem with lions since they can survive for days without drinking or eating.
Moreover, many animals can’t hunt all the time. With scarce resources, only lions can survive in deserts with successful hunts all the time.
Summary
So, how do lions survive in the desert? Lions typically live in grasslands and savannas. Thus, it’s pretty rare to see one living in scarce places like deserts.
In these extreme habitats, lions have longer legs than those living in savannas. Such legs help them stand the cold night.
Moreover, their coats are a bit ticker to protect them from the heat of the day and keep them warm through the night. They can also survive for days without food or water.
Like other animals, lions also need the essential things to survive. However, what makes them stand longer in deserts is their ability to adapt to scarce resources.
Resources
Image credits – Canva
