Lions copulate up to 40 times a day, often forgoing eating.
In captivity lions often breed every year, but in the wild they usually breed no more than once in two years. Females are receptive to mating for three or four days within a widely variable reproductive cycle.
During the mating season, lions can mate anywhere from 20 to 40 times in a day for several days straight. Male lions will check whether the lionesses are in heat by sniffing their reproductive organs.