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Animal profile

Cave Lion

Panthera spelaea

MammaliaCold open steppe, tundra and woodland marginsExtinct

Field profile

The cave lion was a large Ice Age cat of the northern hemisphere, comparable to or slightly larger than a modern African lion. Frozen cubs recovered from Siberian permafrost preserve fur, whiskers and claws. It vanished around thirteen to fourteen thousand years ago.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2024-11-03

Cave Lion

Ice Age cave lions appear to have had no mane

Palaeolithic cave paintings at Chauvet in France show cave lions in careful detail, and the animals drawn are maneless, some with faint stripes near the tail. Frozen Siberian cubs are consistent with a pale, thick coat rather than a lion's ruff.

Read with evidence →

Cave Lion | Daily Animal Facts