The lion (
Panthera leo) is one of the very few
social cats; they live in groups called
prides. They are also the only cats to have
manes (although this is only the
males), and one of the few cats to not to have patterns in their fur (it's
tawny all over).
Female lions do most of the hunting, often after dark, which is why people often think that lions laze around -- we only see them during the day. The males aren't drones -- they defend the pride from outsiders. Together, prides can bring down large animals such as wildebeest which will feed the whole group.
Most remaining lions are found in southern and eastern Africa, with a few of the Asiatic subspecies (Panthera leo persica) in India. They are nocturnal in human-inhabited areas, but in reservations where they are not threatened, are visible in the day as well.