Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo vs Lion

Hippopotamus amphibius compared with Panthera leo

Key Differences

• Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo is herbivore while Lion is carnivore.
• Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo is 7.9x heavier than Lion.
• Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo lives longer (40 years vs 15 years).

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo	Lion
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Artiodactyla (Even-toed Ungulates)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Hippopotamidae (Hippos)	Felidae (Cats)
Genus	Hippopotamus (Hippos)	Panthera (Big Cats)
Species	Hippopotamus amphibius	Panthera leo

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo and Lion share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Mammals)

Conservation Status

Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~130.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Lion

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~23.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo	Lion
Diet	Herbivore	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	40 years	15 years
Average Length	3.5 m	2.5 m
Average Weight	1.5 t	190.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo

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 5 distinct biome types within the Afrotropic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

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

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 Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo

Africa's most dangerous large mammal, common hippos can reach 3,200 kg and inhabit rivers, lakes, and wetlands of sub-Saharan Africa. Semi-aquatic, spending up to 16 hours daily submerged to keep cool, they graze on land at night. Despite appearing docile, hippos are extremely aggressive and territorial, responsible for hundreds of human fatalities annually. Vulnerable, with populations threatened by habitat loss and illegal hunting for ivory tusks.

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 🇰🇪 Kenya