Afrikanischer Löwe vs Sour Prickle

Panthera leo compared with Opuntia dillenii

Key Differences

Afrikanischer Löwe is Vulnerable while Sour Prickle is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Afrikanischer Löwe	Sour Prickle
Kingdom	Animalia (Tier)	Plantae (Pflanzen)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordatiere)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Mammalia (Säugetiere)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Carnivora (Raubtiere)	Caryophyllales (Nelkenartige)
Family	Felidae (Cats)	Cactaceae
Genus	Panthera (Big Cats)	Opuntia
Species	Panthera leo	Opuntia dillenii

Conservation Status

Afrikanischer Löwe

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~23.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Sour Prickle

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Afrikanischer Löwe	Sour Prickle
Diet	Carnivore	—
Average Lifespan	15 years	—
Average Length	2.5 m	—
Average Weight	190.0 kg	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Afrikanischer Löwe

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.

Sour Prickle

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Madagascar), Asia (5 countries), Europe (4 countries), and South America (Brazil, Colombia).

Afrikanischer Löwe

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.