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The Asiatic lion (''Panthera leo persica''), also known as the Indian lion or Persian lion,〔Humphreys, P., Kahrom, E. (1999). (Lion and Gazelle: The Mammals and Birds of Iran ). Images Publishing, Avon.〕 is a lion subspecies that exists as a single population in India's Gujarat state. It is listed as Endangered by IUCN due its small population size. Since 2010, the lion population in the Gir Forest National Park has steadily increased. In May 2015, the 14th Asiatic Lion Census was conducted over an area of about ; the lion population was estimated at 523 individuals, comprising 109 adult males, 201 adult females and 213 cubs. The Asiatic lion was first described by the Austrian zoologist Johann N. Meyer under the trinomen ''Felis leo persicus''.〔Meyer, J. N. (1826). ''Dissertatio inauguralis anatomico-medica de genere felium''. Doctoral thesis, University of Vienna.〕 The Asiatic lion is one of five big cat species found in India, apart from Bengal tiger, Indian leopard, snow leopard and clouded leopard. It formerly occurred in Persia, Palestine, Mesopotamia, Baluchistan, from Sindh in the west to Bengal in the east, and from Rampur and Rohilkund in the north to Nerbudda in the south. It differs from the African lion by less inflated auditory bullae, a larger tail tuft and a less developed mane.〔Pocock, R. I. (1939). (''The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma. Mammalia. – Volume 1'' ). Taylor and Francis Ltd., London. Pp. 212–222.〕 == Characteristics == The most striking morphological character, which is always seen in Asiatic lions, and rarely in African lions, is a longitudinal fold of skin running along its belly. Asiatic lions are slightly smaller than African lions. Adult males weigh , while females weigh .〔Chellam, R. and A. J. T. Johnsingh. (1993). ''Management of Asiatic lions in the Gir Forest, India''. In N. Dunstone and M. L. Gorman (eds.) ''Mammals as predators: the proceedings of a symposium held by the Zoological Society of London and the Mammal Society, London''. Volume 65 of Symposia of the Zoological Society of London. Zoological Society of London, London. Pp. 409–423.〕 The height at the shoulders is about .〔Sterndale, R. A. (1884). (''Natural History of the Mammalia of India and Ceylon'' ). Thacker, Spink and Co., Calcutta.〕 The record total length of a male Asiatic lion is including the tail.〔Sinha, S. P. (1987). ''Ecology of wildlife with special reference to the lion (Panthera leo persica) in Gir Wildlife Sanctuary, Saurashtra, Gujurat''. Ph.D. thesis, Saurashtra University, Rajkot ISBN 3844305459.〕 The fur ranges in colour from ruddy-tawny, heavily speckled with black, to sandy or buffish-grey, sometimes with a silvery sheen in certain lights. Males have only moderate mane growth at the top of the head, so that their ears are always visible. The mane is scanty on the cheeks and throat with where it is only long. About half of Asiatic lion skulls from the Gir forest have divided infraorbital foramina, whereas in African lions, there is only one foramen on either side. The sagittal crest is more strongly developed, and the post-orbital area is shorter than in African lion. Skull length in adult males ranges from , and in females from .〔 Compared to African lion populations, the Asiatic lion revealed a diminished amount of genetic variation, which may result from a founder effect in the recent history of the remnant population in the Gir Forest. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Asiatic lion」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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