Balkan Yam vs Mongolian gerbil

Dioscorea balcanica compared with Meriones unguiculatus

Key Differences

• Balkan Yam is Near Threatened while Mongolian gerbil is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Balkan Yam	Mongolian gerbil
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Liliopsida (Monocots)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Dioscoreales (Dioscoreales)	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family	Dioscoreaceae	Muridae (Mice & Rats)
Genus	Dioscorea	Meriones
Species	Dioscorea balcanica	Meriones unguiculatus

Conservation Status

Balkan Yam

NT — Near Threatened

Mongolian gerbil

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Balkan Yam	Mongolian gerbil
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Balkan Yam

Habitat

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

Mongolian gerbil

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries) and South America (Colombia, Ecuador).

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.