Balkan Yam vs Lowland Tapir

Dioscorea balcanica compared with Tapirus terrestris

Key Differences

• Balkan Yam is Near Threatened while Lowland Tapir is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Balkan Yam	Lowland Tapir
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Liliopsida (Monocots)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Dioscoreales (Dioscoreales)	Perissodactyla (Odd-toed Ungulates)
Family	Dioscoreaceae	Tapiridae
Genus	Dioscorea	Tapirus
Species	Dioscorea balcanica	Tapirus terrestris

Conservation Status

Balkan Yam

NT — Near Threatened

Lowland Tapir

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Balkan Yam	Lowland Tapir
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Balkan Yam

Habitat

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

Lowland Tapir

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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.