Lions in Africa: broad habitat tolerance
- Inhabit nearly all vegetation types (Wilson and Mittermeier 2009; Bauer et al. 2016)
- Except tropical rainforests and interior of the Sahara desert
- Optimal habitat (Wilson and Mittermeier 2009, and as noted)
- Vegetation
- Open woodlands
- Thick bush
- Scrub and grass
- Other requirements
- Shade in the heat of the day
- Ungulate prey
- E.g., African buffalo, antelopes, zebra, and wildebeest
- Enough cover to stalk and avoid detection by prey
- Cover for dens to hide newborn cubs (Schaller 1972)
- Common in semi-desert areas (Wilson and Mittermeier 2009)
- Kalahari regions of South Africa and Botswana (West and Packer 2013)
- Drinking water not essential
- Able to live on moisture from prey or plants (Wilson and Mittermeier 2009; Bauer et al. 2016)
- Will penetrate deep into desert, especially near water sources (Wilson and Mittermeier 2009)
- Wide elevation range
- Generally up to 4,000 m in Ethiopia (Wilson and Mittermeier 2009)
- Occasional records as high as 4,200-4,300 m (West and Packer 2013)
- Habitats not found in (Wilson and Mittermeier 2009; West and Packer 2013; Bauer et al. 2016)
- Tropical rainforest
- Interior of the Sahara Desert
- Dense lowland forests of West Africa and the Congo Basin
Lions in India: Gir Forest National Park
- Dry, deciduous forest (Bauer et al. 2016)
- Less than 1300 km² area
- Teak trees make up much replanted forest