vs Lion d'Afrique

Clostridium tertium compared with Panthera leo

Key Differences

is Not Evaluated while Lion d'Afrique is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank		Lion d'Afrique
Kingdom	Bacteria (Bacteria)	Animalia (animal)
Phylum	Firmicutes_A	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Clostridia (Clostridia)	Mammalia (mammifères)
Order	Clostridiales (Clostridiales)	Carnivora (carnivores)
Family	Clostridiaceae	Felidae (Cats)
Genus	Clostridium	Panthera (Big Cats)
Species	Clostridium tertium	Panthera leo

Conservation Status

NE — Not Evaluated

Lion d'Afrique

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~23.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute		Lion d'Afrique
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	15 years
Average Length	—	2.5 m
Average Weight	—	190.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Habitat

Native to Asia, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found in Taiwan.

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.

Clostridium tertium is an aerotolerant, endospore-forming bacterium in the family Clostridiaceae notable among clostridia for its ability to grow in the presence of atmospheric oxygen, despite being classified within the genus of strictly anaerobic organisms. Its relative aerotolerance distinguishes it from most genus members and contributes to its occasional isolation from clinical sources. C. tertium is considered an opportunistic pathogen, causing bacteremia primarily in immunocompromised patients including those undergoing chemotherapy, with neutropenia as a key risk factor. The bacterium has been isolated from soil, water, and the gastrointestinal tract of animals and humans. Despite causing bacteremia and occasionally more invasive infections, C. tertium does not produce recognized exotoxins comparable to the major histotoxic clostridia, and its pathogenic mechanisms involve host immune evasion rather than direct toxin-mediated tissue destruction. Clinically, C. tertium bacteremia carries significant mortality in neutropenic patients but responds to beta-lactam antibiotics unlike C. difficile or C. perfringens infections. Its natural aerotolerance makes it unusual within the Clostridium genus and raises evolutionary questions about the anaerobic ancestry of this lineage.

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.