Fauna
Mammal · GBIF taxon 7557614

Steppe Lion

Panthera spelaea

Also known as Cave Lion, Eurasian Cave Lion, Pleistocene Cave Lion

Cave lions stalked the open mammoth steppe and boreal woodlands of Pleistocene Eurasia, hunting reindeer and juvenile megafauna across frigid landscapes. Paleolithic cave paintings depict them hunting in prides without prominent male manes, displaying faint tail tufts and pale coats adapted to snowy expanses. Rapid vegetation shifts and the collapse of large herbivore populations at the end of the last ice age drove them to extinction roughly 13,000 years ago.

Apex PredatorCarnivore
Steppe Lion reference
Licensed reference(c) Tommy, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
—observations
—countries
—peak records
ExtinctConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXExtinctRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & prey
  • Reindeer
  • Steppe Bison
  • Woolly Mammoth
Predators
  • Early Modern Humans (Homo sapiens)
ThreatsLate Pleistocene climate warming, megafauna extinction, and human hunting pressure
HabitatsMammoth steppe, cold grasslands, tundra margins, and open taiga woodlands
Life span15–20 years in the wild
Classification
  1. FamilyFelidae
  2. SpeciesPanthera spelaea
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskHigh
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is high
Extinct species; known only from Pleistocene fossil deposits and frozen specimens.
Responsible observation
  • Fossil Finds: Report newly thawed permafrost remains immediately to scientific authorities.
  • Museum Study: Examine preserved mummified cubs to observe true soft tissue and fur color.
Related species
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