Balkan Yam vs Chita

Dioscorea balcanica compared with Acinonyx jubatus

Key Differences

Balkan Yam is Near Threatened while Chita is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Balkan Yam	Chita
Kingdom	Plantae (planta)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (cordados)
Class	Liliopsida (Monocots)	Mammalia (mamíferos)
Order	Dioscoreales (Dioscoreales)	Carnivora (carnívoros)
Family	Dioscoreaceae	Felidae (Cats)
Genus	Dioscorea	Acinonyx (Cheetahs)
Species	Dioscorea balcanica	Acinonyx jubatus

Conservation Status

Balkan Yam

NT — Near Threatened

Chita

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~6.7K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Balkan Yam	Chita
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	12 years
Average Length	—	1.5 m
Average Weight	—	50.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Balkan Yam

Habitat

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

Chita

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 9 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Botswana, Iran, Kenya, Namibia, and Tanzania. 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.

Chita

El guepardo es el animal terrestre más rápido de la Tierra, alcanzando velocidades de 112 km/h en distancias cortas en las praderas de África e Irán. Complexión esbelta con un pecho profundo, patas largas y distintivas marcas negras en forma de lágrima. A diferencia de otros grandes felinos, los guepardos vocalizan con chirridos y ronroneos. Vulnerable, con solo ~7.000 individuos restantes debido a la fragmentación del hábitat y la competencia con depredadores más grandes.