Panthera Leo Spelaea

Panthera Leo Spelaea also known as the European cave lion or the Eurasian cave lion is a subspecies of lion that lived during the Pleistocene epoch in Europe.

Facts.

Physical characteristics.

Panthera Leo Spelaea were related to the modern species, but not to other extinct cats, such as Dinofelis and Smilodon. At 1.5 meters high at the shoulders and at 4 meters in length, it was larger than modern lions of today and slightly bigger than modern tigers. Cave paintings show that some of these lions also lacked manes like the eastern subspecies of the modern beasts, but some African and Asian male lions also lake manes (or smaller than expected), suggestin a closer DNA relationship between the three species. Unlike the modern lions, however, Panthera Leo Spelaea also had thick fur, like the modern Siberian tigers, especially in winter.

Behavior and traits.

One of the top predators of the ice age, Panthera Leo Spelaea was the biggest species of cats that ever lived. These cats may have been out of reach at that time, but they were common in Europe during the ice age.

Dawn of the Dinosaur. Polar Terrors.

A Panthera Leo Spelaea is first seen stalking a Woolly Mammoth mother and calf, waiting for the mother to slip her guard of her calf. However, the lion was unsuccessful and eventually gave up, even though the pair of mamkoths had completely lost their herd at that time.

Two cave lions were later seen feeding on the carcass of an Antarctopelta. As a male Woolly Mammoth went by, the lions were submissive and let him pass without a fight. The same two lions appeared again, but this time, they were having a fight with a young female Antarctopelta.