How heavy is an adult male American Lion?

An adult male American Lion weighs around 230 – 350 kg (507 – 772 lbs), with a body length of 2.5 – 3.5 m (including tail) and shoulder height around 1.1 – 1.25 m (110 – 125 cm).

What is the conservation status of the American Lion?

The American Lion is classified as Extinct (Late Pleistocene), primarily found in North America (Great Plains, Alaska, Yukon).

What makes the American Lion distinct from tigers?

One of the largest known felids, combining lion-like proportions with exceptional Pleistocene body mass. Its cooperative pride social structure and protective male mane contrast with the tiger's strictly solitary ambush ecology.

American Lion

Panthera atrox

Panthera atrox was one of the largest known lions, roaming open steppe and cold grassland from Alaska to the Great Plains during the Late Pleistocene.

Extinct (Late Pleistocene) IUCN Red List

“The Giant of the Ice Age Plains.”

NORTH AMERICA’S LOST LION

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Region North America

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Weight 230 – 350 kg Female: 170 – 250 kg

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Length 2.5 – 3.5 m (including tail)

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Habitat Pleistocene steppe

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Diet Bison, herd ungulates

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Lifespan 12 – 18 years (in the wild)

Appearance

A massive, long-legged lion with a powerful chest and long muzzle, built for covering open ground and overpowering large ice-age herbivores.

Very large frame with long, powerful limbs

Broad chest and deep skull built for large prey

Long muzzle and heavy canine teeth

Adapted to cold open-country movement

Behavior

Likely hunted alone or in small social groups, using open-ground pursuit and ambush around water and migrating herds.

Tracked migrating herds across open steppe

Targeted bison, horses, and other megafauna

May have hunted in pairs or small family groups

Disappeared with late Ice Age megafauna and habitat shifts

SIZE

How big was an American Lion?

The American lion was among the largest known lions, with exceptional mass and long-legged stature for crossing open Pleistocene terrain.

See Size in Detail

Front View

Side View

Male Weight 230 – 350 kg

Female Weight 170 – 250 kg

Body Length 2.5 – 3.5 m

Shoulder Height 1.1 – 1.25 m

1.8 m

~ 2.8 m

HABITAT

Where did it live?

American lions ranged across much of North America, from Alaska and the Yukon south through the Great Plains and western grasslands.

View Habitat Notes

Current Range Possible Historic Range

“Across cold grasslands where bison herds moved beneath an ice-age sky.”

HUNTING & DIET

Megafauna Pursuit

American lions likely used open-country pursuit, short ambushes, and coordinated pressure to bring down large herbivores such as bison and ancient horses.

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Main prey: Bison, horses, camels, deer, young mammoths

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Strategy: Open-ground pursuit and waterhole ambush

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Build: Long limbs and heavy forequarters for grappling

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Range: From Arctic grasslands to the Great Plains

“Size, stamina, and timing against the giants of the Ice Age.”

COMPARISON

How does the American Lion compare?

Compare the American Lion with other lion populations or tigers to see the differences in size, strength, speed, and more.