Black-backed jackal vs León

Canis mesomelas compared with Panthera leo

Key Differences

• Black-backed jackal is Least Concern while León is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Black-backed jackal	León
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (cordados)	Chordata (cordados)
Class same	Mammalia (mamíferos)	Mammalia (mamíferos)
Order same	Carnivora (carnívoros)	Carnivora (carnívoros)
Family	Canidae (Dogs & Wolves)	Felidae (Cats)
Genus	Canis (Dogs & Wolves)	Panthera (Big Cats)
Species	Canis mesomelas	Panthera leo

Evolutionary Relationship

Black-backed jackal and León share a common ancestor at the Order level: Carnivora. (carnívoros)

Conservation Status

Black-backed jackal

LC — Least Concern

León

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~23.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Black-backed jackal	León
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	15 years
Average Length	—	2.5 m
Average Weight	—	190.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Black-backed jackal

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

León

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.

Black-backed jackal

The Black-backed jackal (Canis mesomelas) is a species in the genus Canis. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

León

El felino salvaje más grande de Africa, el león puede alcanzar hasta 250 kg y es el único félido social, viviendo en manadas en sabanas y praderas del Africa subsahariana. Los machos se distinguen por sus icónicas melenas. Como depredadores apicales, regulan las poblaciones de herbívoros y mantienen el equilibrio del ecosistema. Clasificado como Vulnerable debido a la pérdida de hábitat y el conflicto entre humanos y vida silvestre.