In my previous blog about “How Old is That Lion?” I focused on a few different ways to estimate the age of cubs in particular.
Now it is time to move onto arguably the most difficult kind of lion to age – a lioness.
The job of distinguishing one lioness from another in the field can be a tricky job at the best of times and attempting to figure out their age is just as tough. The most reliable way to age one is to study photographs of them, but it is also possible to do in real time by looking at a few key features and using them in combination to come to a final conclusion.
Some Ntsevu females and their young pause at a waterhole for a drink. As you can see, it is certainly not easy to tell one from the other.
The first step in ageing a lioness is to separate adult from sub-adult.
A lion is no longer considered a cub when it is older than two years and is then referred to as a sub-adult. A two year old lioness is about two-thirds the size of an adult and a lioness usually appears fully developed after three years or so. Other than size, another reliable way to tell a sub-adult female from an adult lioness is to observe the presence of cubs (or suckle marks); as a lioness with cubs will almost always be older than three and a half years old.
An Ntsevu lioness plays with her cub. We know the Ntsevu females were born in 2013 but even if we didn’t, the presence of this cub allows us to confidently state that this lioness is older than three and a half.
Once it has been confirmed that a particular lioness is indeed an adult, the ageing process turns to the nitty-gritty details to refine the estimate. As mentioned in the previous post there are a few key features to look for that can help with determining the age of any lion, namely; nose pigmentation, tooth quality and facial markings. There is no particular order in which to check these features and often there isn’t any need to check all of them.
The first feature I usually at is the nose pigmentation. The theory surrounding nose pigmentation is that a lion’s nose will acquire more freckles as it ages. Studies conducted on lions in the Serengeti concluded that there is a strong link between the age of a lion and the amount of pigmentation there. Before a lion reaches roughly three years of age, its nose will usually be a uniform grey or pink colour. After three years the lion’s nose will gradually develop more and more blemishes on it until its nose is more or less covered by around eight years of age.
Sticking with the Ntsevu pride for now, we can see by the freckling on her nose that she is probably in the region of six to seven years old at the time this photograph was taken. Notice how many of her freckles have joined up but there are still a few pink areas in and amongst the dark freckles.
The next feature to consider is the markings on her face. It almost goes without saying that years of hunting and scrapping with other lions is bound to leave a lioness with a few scars there. Facial scars are usually decent indicators of age but are not fully reliable. Most of the time older lionesses will have more scars on their faces than younger ones, but this is not always the case and sometimes younger females have just been on the receiving end a bit more.
It is therefore wise to not only use the number of scars on a lioness’ age when ageing her.
The Tsalala female glances up at the camera. When this photograph was taken when the lioness was about six years old. Her face has a few scars on it but nothing major. By the time the Tsalala female reaches ten years old, we could expect to find number of new scars added to current tally. To be fair though, most facial scars are inflected by fellow pride members when fighting over a kill. Considering this lioness has always been in a small pride or no pride, she is bound to have fewer scars than others.
The last feature to contemplate is usually the most difficult to see – the lion’s teeth.
As lions get older their teeth show more wear and tear from all their use over the years. Whether it is biting through the bones of an antelope or blows from the hooves of fleeing prey, lion’s teeth take a battering which is why they are a good indicator of age. A three year old lion’s teeth will likely be white, sharp and show few signs of wear, but as the lion approaches the age of five or six the canines will have turned yellow and some of the teeth will be chipped and slightly worn down. By the age of seven or eight and upwards, all the teeth will have yellowed and many will be worn down and chipped and some may even be missing. As is the case with facial markings, analysing the teeth alone isn’t always reliable because some lion’s teeth will age differently for a number of different reasons.
Look at those teeth! Notice how all of the teeth are yellow. Also, notice how the canine teeth are slightly worn down and one or two teeth are missing. All these signs suggest that this lioness is around seven years old and this can be confirmed by the freckling on her nose.
Ageing lionesses can be tough, but by using the tools above in conjunction with one another, hopefully you will be able to get a fairly good idea of how old a particular lion might be.
Next time you happen to see a lioness (or even a picture of one) try to figure out her age and enjoy looking at those more intricate details a little more closely.
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Interesting blog Nick. I am definitely going to try and age the next lion I see.
Informative series–has me looking through many old photos!
Thanks Nick….very informative info as to how to identify how old a lioness might be….really great indicators and makes for excellent observations …will be looking much more closely in future!….to you and all at Londolozi….Merry Christmas!…
Very interesting post! I always thought it must be difficult to tell the age of a lioness. I remember Lady Liuwa she was such a character with the black spot near her nose… Tsalala is a charm
Nick, I loved the photos. Kept the lion roaring🤗. Also saved lioness🤗
An interesting and informative blog Nick. Thanks for sharing with us. Be well and stay safe. Wishing all at Londolozi a Merry Christmas and a safe, happy and healthy 2021.
Great information! I’m not sure if the same applies to a Leopard as well? I’ve always thought to myself their coat seems to indicate when they are old as well – is that true?
Hi Kara, many of the same principles go for leopards too; such as the scarring and teeth. As for the coat, it definitely seems to fade with age but it is difficult to use that as a reliable way to guess the leopard’s age.
Thanks for these interesting descriptions; next time on a safari I will try it out to estimate a lion’s/ or lioness’s age.
Okay, I’ll be studying the faces of lionesses going forward thanks to your clues. Perhaps by the time I begin my South African trip late March, I will have learned more about the ages of these beautiful ladies.
Super interesting Nick and the corresponding photos show great examples of what to look for 👌❤️…might not like to try to gauge the age based on the last photo though 😉
Very interesting! So many components to consider! Thanks for the tutorial! Love the pics!
Freckles on the nose – OK. Scars? Maybe. But trying to see the teeth and whether they are worn? Not so easy. We used to lift the lips of our pet cats or dogs. But I don’t think it would be a good idea to try this with a lion – somehow! Wendy M
Thanks for the interesting follow-up to the previous post, I’m going to give it a try next time.
Nick, We enjoyed learning from you about their age. It’s quite different from the leopards for sure. The only lions we’ve ever been able to see named were the “tailess females”!
Great advice on how to age. I feel like I see a greater concave arch in their backs when older. Do you agree?
Great advice! I’ll try it. 🙂
In 2009, I went to the Lion & Elephant Park that was at Lake Chiveru in Zimbabwe and saw a Lion and 3 younger adults who were intent on a young Elephant on the other side of the fence separating. The younger adults were practising their ambush skills or, should I write “lack of ambush skills” because the younger adults would turn tail and scatter. The Lion was definitely because the skin on his face was ageing and sliding “south”. He was watching. Wonder what he was thinking? What is lion for “chicken”?
Super informative post, Nick. Thanks for all the little details!
Excellent series, Nick! And thanks for using my photo of the Tsalala female here. It brought me right back to that magical drive. Happy New Year!
Hi Steven! Thanks for letting me use the photo, it really is a good one! Hopefully we’ll see you back here sometime soon