Asiatic brush-tailed porcupine vs Lion d'Afrique

Atherurus macrourus compared with Panthera leo

Key Differences

• Asiatic brush-tailed porcupine is Least Concern while Lion d'Afrique is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Asiatic brush-tailed porcupine	Lion d'Afrique
Kingdom same	Animalia (animal)	Animalia (animal)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (mammifères)	Mammalia (mammifères)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Carnivora (carnivores)
Family	Hystricidae	Felidae (Cats)
Genus	Atherurus	Panthera (Big Cats)
Species	Atherurus macrourus	Panthera leo

Evolutionary Relationship

Asiatic brush-tailed porcupine and Lion d'Afrique share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (mammifères)

Conservation Status

Asiatic brush-tailed porcupine

LC — Least Concern

Lion d'Afrique

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~23.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Asiatic brush-tailed porcupine	Lion d'Afrique
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	15 years
Average Length	—	2.5 m
Average Weight	—	190.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Asiatic brush-tailed porcupine

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Lion d'Afrique

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.

Asiatic brush-tailed porcupine

The Asiatic brush-tailed porcupine (Atherurus macrourus) is a species in the genus Atherurus. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Lion d'Afrique

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.