<P> Record measurements from hunting records are supposedly a total length of nearly 3.6 m (12 ft) for a male lion shot near Mucusso National Park in southern Angola in October 1973 . A male shot in 1936 outside Hectorspruit in eastern Transvaal Province, South Africa, weighed 313 kg (690 lb). Another notably large male lion was shot near Mount Kenya and weighed 272 kg (600 lb). There are also reports of large Asiatic lions . </P> <P> The mane of male lions starts growing when they are about one year old . Mane colour varies, and darkens with age . Research results indicate that environmental factors such as average ambient temperature influence the mane's colour and size . Mane length apparently signals fighting success in male--male relationships . Darker - maned individuals may have longer reproductive lives and higher offspring survival, although they suffer in the hottest months of the year . The presence, absence, colour, and size of the mane is associated with genetic precondition, sexual maturity, climate, and testosterone production; the rule of thumb is the darker and fuller the mane, the healthier the lion . In the Serengeti National Park, female lions favour males as mates with dense, dark manes . The main purpose of the mane is thought to protect the lion's neck and throat in territorial fights with rivals . </P> <P> Scientists once thought that distinct subspecies could be justified by morphology, including the size of the mane . Morphology was used to identify subspecies such as the Barbary lion and Cape lion, which had the thickest, most extensive manes amongst wild lions . The cooler ambient temperature in European and North American zoos may result in a heavier mane . Thus the mane is not an appropriate marker for identifying subspecies . The males of the Asiatic subspecies, however, are characterised by sparser manes than average African lions . </P> <P> In the area of Pendjari National Park, almost all West African males are maneless or have very weak manes . Maneless male African lions have also been reported from Senegal, from Sudan's Dinder National Park, and from Tsavo East National Park in Kenya . The original male white lion from Timbavati was also maneless . The testosterone hormone has been linked to mane growth; therefore, castrated lions often have minimal to no mane, as the removal of the gonads inhibits testosterone production . Increased testosterone may be the cause of maned lionesses reported from northern Botswana . </P>

Where can lions be found in the world