Balkan Yam vs Cat

Dioscorea balcanica compared with Felis catus

Key Differences

• Balkan Yam is Near Threatened while Cat is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Balkan Yam	Cat
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Liliopsida (Monocots)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Dioscoreales (Dioscoreales)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Dioscoreaceae	Felidae (Cats)
Genus	Dioscorea	Felis (Small Cats)
Species	Dioscorea balcanica	Felis catus

Conservation Status

Balkan Yam

NT — Near Threatened

Cat

NE — Not Evaluated

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Balkan Yam	Cat
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	15 years
Average Length	—	46 cm
Average Weight	—	4.5 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Balkan Yam

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

Cat

Habitat

Inhabits deserts and xeric shrublands within the Afrotropic biogeographic realm.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (9 countries), Asia (7 countries), Europe (11 countries), North America (13 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (11 countries), and South America (6 countries).

Balkan Yam

The Balkan Yam (Dioscorea balcanica) is a species in the genus Dioscorea. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

Cat

One of humanity's most successful domesticated companions, domestic cats are small, agile carnivores originating from the Near Eastern wildcat (Felis silvestris lybica) domesticated approximately 10,000 years ago. With over 70 recognized breeds, cats retain strong predatory instincts and have colonized virtually every terrestrial environment on Earth. They are the world's most popular pet, with an estimated 600 million kept worldwide.