The Giant Cat That Once Roamed North America

by Lucas Abiy, age 8

You may have heard of lions, but have you ever heard about the American lion, also known as the American cave lion? These creatures lived during the last Ice Age and roamed North America.

These lions are not very well-known. In fact, scientists struggled to figure out whether the American lion was actually a lion or a giant jaguar. Studies show that the American lion is related to multiple breeds of lions from today.

The American lion had long slender legs and a long body. Their long legs helped them reach speeds up to 30 miles per hour. An average African lion weighs about 400 pounds however, the American lion weighed a little more than 500 pounds. The American lion is one of the largest cats to ever live. The American lion's diet consisted of many things from the ice ages such as Giant Groomed Sloths, Camelids, Bison, and sometimes small mammoths.

Although the American Lion is now extinct, they’ll always hold a place in Earth's history. American lions are so fascinating because of how closely related they are to modern lions today. It shows that even animals that lived thousands of years ago can share remarkable similarities and traits with the ones we see today!

[Sources: Illinois State Museum, National Park Service, Prehistoric-Wildlife.com]