Common Garden Poppy vs Lion

Papaver somniferum compared with Panthera leo

Key Differences

• Common Garden Poppy is Not Evaluated while Lion is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Garden Poppy	Lion
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Ranunculales (Ranunculales)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Papaveraceae	Felidae (Cats)
Genus	Papaver	Panthera (Big Cats)
Species	Papaver somniferum	Panthera leo

Conservation Status

Common Garden Poppy

NE — Not Evaluated

Lion

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~23.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Garden Poppy	Lion
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	15 years
Average Length	—	2.5 m
Average Weight	—	190.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Garden Poppy

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Angola), Asia (8 countries), Europe (27 countries), North America (Canada, United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (5 countries).

Lion

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 7 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Neotropic and Oceanian realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

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

Common Garden Poppy

<em>Papaver somniferum</em>, commonly known as the common garden poppy or opium poppy, is an annual herbaceous plant in the family Papaveraceae. It has a cosmopolitan distribution spanning Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, and South America, reflecting both its native range across parts of the Mediterranean and Middle East and its widespread cultivation and naturalization globally. The species typically grows in disturbed habitats, agricultural fields, roadsides, and gardens, and is widely cultivated both ornamentally and for the production of poppy seed and medicinal alkaloids. <em>Papaver somniferum</em> produces large, showy flowers in a range of colors from white to purple, followed by characteristic globose seed capsules. Its distribution is noted as not evaluated for conservation status. The species has deep historical and cultural significance across many human societies. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature. As a broadly distributed and heavily cultivated plant, <em>Papaver somniferum</em> supports a range of pollinators and has become naturalized in many regions far beyond its original native range.

Lion

The largest wild cat in Africa, lions reach up to 250 kg and are the only social felids, living in prides across sub-Saharan savannas and grasslands. Males are distinguished by their iconic manes. As apex predators, they regulate herbivore populations and maintain ecosystem balance. Listed as Vulnerable due to habitat loss and human-wildlife conflict.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇨🇴 Colombia 🇪🇨 Ecuador